and Bela the son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.
We have here an extract out of the genealogies, I. Of the tribe of Reuben, where we have, 1. The reason why this tribe is thus postponed. It is confessed that Reuben was the first-born of Israel, and, upon that account, might challenge the precedency; but he forfeited his birthright by defiling his father's concubine, and was, for that, sentenced not to excel, Gen 49:4.
Commenting on 1 Chronicles 5:1-17
And eastward he inhabited,.... Either Bela, or the tribe of Reuben: unto the entering in of the wilderness; the wilderness of Kedemoth, which was near to Sihon king of Heshbon, whose land the Reubenites inhabited, Deu 2:26. from the river Euphrates; a learned man (r) thinks that this river Phrat was different from the Euphrates near Babylon, which was northward, since this was to the...
And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baalmeon: (d) These places were beyond Jordan toward the east in the land given to the Reubenites.