1 Chronicles · Chapter 3

Verse 1. The second, Daniel] In 2 Samuel 3:3, this person is called Chileab; he probably had two names. The Targum says, “The second, Daniel, who was also called Chileab, because he was in every respect like to his father.” The Targumist refers here to the import of the word balk ke-le-ab, like to the father. Jarchi says the two names were given to this person because David, having taken Abigail immediately after the death of Nabal, it could not be ascertained whether this child were the son of David or of Nabal, therefore David called him laynd Daniel, God is my Judge, and balk Chileab, he who is like to the father; probably from the striking resemblance he bore to David, his reputed father. “God is my Judge, I have not fathered another man’s child; this is entirely like unto myself.”

Verse 1. Daniel — This son is called Chileab, (2 Samuel 3:3,) but whether he had two names, or there be an error in one of these passages, is not possible to determine. The other alterations in names, which are found in the following verses, may be corrected by the parallel passages in Samuel. As the genealogy of Judah was given first, because the dominion was vested in that tribe, and the Messiah was to descend from it; so, for similar reasons, the genealogy of David is particularly recorded.

V. 3. His wife-Possibly so called because she was his first, and therefore most proper wife, though her son was born after all the rest before mentioned, and therefore she and her son are put in the sixth place, the wives being here named only for the sons sake.

Verse 3. By Eglah his wide.] The Targum, Jarchi, and others, maintain that this was Michal, the daughter of Saul; but this does not well agree with 2 Samuel 6:23: Michal had no child to the day of her death. Yet she might have had a child before the time that is mentioned above.

Verse 3. By Eglah his wife — Eglah is generally thought by the Jews to be Michal, Saul’s daughter; who, some think, is peculiarly called his wife, because she was his only legal wife, according to the divine institution: all the rest he took according to the custom then reigning. See on 2 Samuel 3:5.

V. 5. Four-All David’s children by her, as the text positively affirms: and therefore Solomon is called her, only son, Proverbs 4:3, because she loved him as if he had been so. Ammiel-Called also Eliam, 2 Samuel 11:3.

Verse 5. Shimea, and Shobab] Solomon is mentioned last, though he was the eldest of these four sons, because the genealogy was to be continued from him. Bath-shua [wv tb is the same as Bath-sheba, [bv tb the w vau being put by mistake in the former for b beth in the latter.

Verse 5. Of Bath-shua, the daugher of Ammiel — In 2 Samuel 11:3, she is called Bath-sheba, as she is through the whole Scripture, and her father Eliam. Solomon was the eldest of these four sons; but is mentioned last, because the discourse was to return to his genealogy, verse 10.

V. 6. Eliphelet-And he had two other sons called by the same names, ver.

Verse 6. Elishama, and Eliphelet] In this and the eighth verse these two names occur twice; some think this is a mistake, but others suppose that two persons of these names died young, and that the next born received the name of the deceased.-See Jarchi.

8, probably they were by different wives: and probably they were then distinguished by some additional clause or title, which is here omitted, because the two first were dead before the two second were born, and therefore the names of the deceased were given to these to preserve their memory.

V. 8. Nine-There are but seven mentioned, 2 Samuel 5:14. Two of them are omitted there, because they died very early, and here we have all the sons of David, which clause is not added 2 Samuel 5:13-16.

Verse 8. Nine.] There are thirteen if we count the four sons of Bath-sheba, and nine without them; and in the second book of Samuel there are eleven, reckoning the above four, and without them only seven. In the book of Samuel probably only those who were alive were reckoned, while the author of the Chronicles comprises those also who were dead in this enumeration. Jarchi supposes that the duplicate Elishama and Eliphelet are those which increase the regular number seven to nine; and that the dead without posterity, as well as the living, are mentioned to increase the number of David’s descendants; for, says he, the whole book is written for the honour of David and his seed.

Verse 8. Elishama and Eliphelet — These two names are mentioned before, verse 6. It is supposed that the two children so called had died in their infancy; and therefore David preserved their memory by giving their names unto two others, who were born afterward, and lived longer. Nine — Besides the four born of Bath-sheba, verse 5. There are only seven mentioned 2 Samuel 5:16, those two, who died early, being there omitted.

Verse 9. And Tamar their sister.] This is the only daughter of David whose name is on record; and yet he is said to have had both SONS and DAUGHTERS, 2 Samuel 5:13.

V. 15. Shallum-Which most conceive to be the same who is called Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 23:30.

Verse 15. The firstborn Johanan — This Johanan is thought by many to be the same with Jehoahaz, who succeeded Josiah in the throne. But it seems more probable, as he is not mentioned in the book of Kings nor elsewhere in the Scriptures, that he died before his father. The fourth Shallum — Of whom, at least under that name, there is no mention in the history of the reign of Josiah’s sons in 2 Kings: but in Jeremiah 22:11 there is mention of Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father; whom most conceive to be the same, who is otherwise called Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 23. And this seems most probable, 1st, From that phrase, He reigned instead of Josiah, which implies that he immediately succeeded his father, otherwise he would have been said to have reigned instead of his brother, as Zedekiah is said to have reigned instead of Jehoiachin, 2 Kings 24:17. 2d, From the order of that discourse of Jeremiah, which was directed to Zedekiah, and his servants, and people, and whom he admonisheth by the examples of the kings his predecessors, and of the sentence of God concerning each of them, and that in the order in which they reigned; of Shallum, verse 11, &c.; of Jehoiakim, verse 18, &c.; of Jechoniah or Coniah, verse 28. 3d, From the nature of that prophecy, Jeremiah 22:11, 12, delivered concerning Shallum, which perfectly agrees to Jehoahaz, who was carried captive, not so far as Babylon, but only to Egypt, a very near country; whence the people hoped that he would speedily and easily return, or be re-established in his throne by the king of Egypt, in opposition to the king of Babylon. 4th, Because Jehoahaz was one of Josiah’s younger sons, (2 Kings 23:31, 36,) and this Shallum is here called his fourth son.

V. 16. Zedekiak-This was another Zedekiah. How seldom has a crown gone in a direct line, from father to son, as it did here, for seventeen generations! This was the recompense of David’s piety. About the captivity the lineal descent was interrupted, and the crown went from a nephew to an uncle, a presage of the glory’s departing from that house.

Verse 16. Zedekiah his son.] If this be the same who was the last king of Judah, before the captivity, the word son must be taken here to signify successor; for it is certain that Zedekiah was the successor of Jeconiah, and that Zedekiah was the son of Josiah, and not of Jehoiakim.

Verse 16. Zedekiah his son — This was another Zedekiah. How seldom has a crown gone in a direct line, from father to son, as it did here, for seventeen generations! This was the recompense of David’s piety. About the captivity, the lineal descent was interrupted, and the crown went from a nephew to an uncle, a presage of the glory’s departing from that house.

V. 17. Assir-Or, of Jechoniah the captive, which is added to shew that he begat his son when he was captive in Babylon.

Verse 17. The sons of Jeconiah] Jeremiah has said (Jeremiah 22:30) that Jeconiah, or, as he calls him, Coniah, should be childless; but this must refer to his posterity being deprived of the throne, and indeed thus the prophet interprets it himself: For no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Assir] Salathiel was not the son of Assir, but of Jeconiah, Matthew 1:12. Who then was Assir? Possibly nobody; for as the Hebrew rsa assir signifies a prisoner, it may be considered as an epithet of Jeconiah, who we know was a very long time prisoner in Babylon. See 2 Kings 24:15 and Calmet.

Verse 17. The sons of Jeconiah, Assir — The word rsa, Assir, means captive, or prisoner, and does not appear to be a person’s name here, but to be added to signify that Jeconiah begat his son Salathiel when he was a captive in Babylon, according to Matthew 1:12.

V. 18. Pedaiah-The sentence seems to be short and imperfect, as is frequent in the Hebrew language, and something is here understood, as, the sons also of Salathiel were Malchiram and Pedaiah, &c. as they gather from hence that the same Zerubbabel is called the son of Pedaiah, ver. 19, and the son (that is, the grandson) of Salathiel, Matthew 1:12.

Verse 18. Malchiram also] Calmet supposes we should read here, And the sons of Salathiel were Malchiram and Pedaiah, &c.

Verses 18, 19. Malchiram also, and Pedaiah — These were the sons of Salathiel: and there is therefore something to be supplied, to make the sense of this verse plain; namely, The sons of Salathiel were Malchiram, &c. The sons of Pedaiah, Zerubbabel, &c. — But, Luke 3:27, Zerubbabel is called the son of Salathiel; and therefore he must have been the son of Pedaiah only by adoption; or else Salathiel dying without children, Pedaiah begat Zerubbabel of his wife, and so raised up seed to his brother. Thus Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah, because begotten by him, and yet the son of Salathiel, because begotten of his wife to be his heir. Shelomith their sister — Sister to the last two named sons of Zerubbabel, namely, by both parents; and therefore named before the other five, (verse 20,) who were her brethren by the father, but not by the mother.

V. 19. Their sister-Sister to the two last named sons of Zerubbabel, namely, by both parents; and therefore named before the other five, ver. 20, who were her brethren by the father, but not by the mother.

Verse 19. The sons of Pedaiah] Houbigant thinks these words should be omitted. Pedaiah is wanting in the Arabic and Syriac. If this be omitted, Zerubbabel will appear to be the son of Salathiel, according to Matthew 1:12, and not the son of Pedaiah, as here stated.

Verses 18, 19. Malchiram also, and Pedaiah — These were the sons of Salathiel: and there is therefore something to be supplied, to make the sense of this verse plain; namely, The sons of Salathiel were Malchiram, &c. The sons of Pedaiah, Zerubbabel, &c. — But, Luke 3:27, Zerubbabel is called the son of Salathiel; and therefore he must have been the son of Pedaiah only by adoption; or else Salathiel dying without children, Pedaiah begat Zerubbabel of his wife, and so raised up seed to his brother. Thus Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah, because begotten by him, and yet the son of Salathiel, because begotten of his wife to be his heir. Shelomith their sister — Sister to the last two named sons of Zerubbabel, namely, by both parents; and therefore named before the other five, (verse 20,) who were her brethren by the father, but not by the mother.

V. 21. Shechaniah-All these both parents and their sons blended together, are mentioned as the sons of Hananiah, and branches of the royal stock.

Verses 21, 22. The sons of Shechaniah — All these, both parents and their sons blended together, are mentioned as the sons of Hananiah, and branches of the royal stock. Six — Including the father. But the Hebrew word, shisha, which is rendered six, may be the proper name of one of the sons of Shemaiah. As the family of David was the most considerable of any of the tribe of Judah, the genealogy of his descendants was preserved with great care and exactness; and is here recorded in part, to assist us in tracing the descent of our Lord Jesus Christ from him, that we might have that proof, among others, of his being the true Messiah.

V. 22. Six-Including the father. But the Hebrew word, Shisha, which is rendered six, may be the proper name of one of the sons of Shemaiah.

Verse 22. The sons of Shemaiah-six.] FIVE only are found in the text, and the versions give us no assistance; neither do the MSS. correct the place. If the father be not here included with his sons, some name must be lost out of the text.

Verses 21, 22. The sons of Shechaniah — All these, both parents and their sons blended together, are mentioned as the sons of Hananiah, and branches of the royal stock. Six — Including the father. But the Hebrew word, shisha, which is rendered six, may be the proper name of one of the sons of Shemaiah. As the family of David was the most considerable of any of the tribe of Judah, the genealogy of his descendants was preserved with great care and exactness; and is here recorded in part, to assist us in tracing the descent of our Lord Jesus Christ from him, that we might have that proof, among others, of his being the true Messiah.

Verse 24. And Anani] “This is the King Messiah who is to be revealed.”-T. Jarchi says the same, and refers to Daniel 7:13: Behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds (ynn[ ananey) of heaven. For this application of the word he gives a fanciful reason, not worthy to be repeated. The Syriac and Arabic omit several names in this table, and make only twenty-three verses in the chapter: but such differences are frequent in the books of Chronicles.

I CHRONICLES