1 Chronicles · Chapter 7

Verse 2. Whose number was in the days of David] Whether this was the number returned by Joab and his assistants, when they made that census of the people with which God was so much displeased, we know not. It is worthy of remark that we read here the sum of three tribes, Benjamin, Issachar, and Asher, under the reign of David, which is mentioned nowhere else; and yet we have no account here of the other tribes, probably because the author found no public registers in which such enumeration was recorded.

Verse 2. Whose number in the days of David, &c. — That is, when David numbered the people, (2 Samuel 24.,) the descendants of Tola, Issachar’s firstborn, were found to be thus many; which was a very great increase.

Verse 2. Whose number in the days of David. This proves that David, in time of peace, numbered the people for war. This very much surprised Joab, and in this lay a great part of the sin. These chapters contain also a heraldry of the Hebrew nobility, each of these names being a prince or princess in the family. It is left with heaven to number the poor. The variations in writing their names, was made by some author anterior to the time of Ezra.

Verse 3. The sons of lzrahiah-five] There are, however, only four names in the text. Instead of five, the Syriac and Arabic read four. If five be the true reading, then Izrahiah must be reckoned with his four sons.

V. 6. Three-They were ten, Genesis 46:25, and five of them are named, 1 Chronicles 8:1, but here only three are mentioned, either because these were most eminent; or because the other families are now extinct.

Verse 6. The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher and Jediael] In Genesis 46:21, ten sons of Benjamin are reckoned; viz., Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Eri, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. In Numbers 26:38, &c., five sons only of Benjamin are mentioned, Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shupham, and Hupham: and Ard and Naaman are there said to be the sons of Bela; consequently grandsons of Benjamin. In the beginning of the following chapter, five sons of Benjamin are mentioned, viz., Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, Nohah, and Rapha; where also Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, a second Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram, are all represented as grandsons, not sons, of Benjamin: hence we see that in many cases grandsons are called sons, and both are often confounded in the genealogical tables. To attempt to reconcile such discrepancies would be a task as endless as it would be useless. The rabbins say that Ezra, who wrote this book, did not know whether some of these were sons or grandsons; and they intimate also that the tables from which he copied were often defective, and here we must leave all such matters.

Verse 6. The sons of Benjamin, three — They were ten, (Genesis 46:21,) and five of them are named 1 Chronicles 8:1, but here only three are mentioned, either because they were most eminent, or because the other families were now extinct.

V. 7. Heads-Each of them head of that family to which he belonged. For it may seem by comparing this with 1 Chronicles 8:3, &c. that these were not the immediate sons of Belah, but his Grand-children descended each from a several father.

Verse 7. Heads of the house of their fathers — Each of them head of that family to which he belonged. For it may seem, by comparing this with chap. 8:3, &c., that these were not the immediate sons of Bela, but his grand-children, descended each from a several father.

Verses 13-15. The sons of Bilhah — The grand-children; for Bilhah was Jacob’s concubine, and mother both to Naphtali, the father of the persons last named, and to Dan. The sons of Manasseh — Grand-children, as in the former verse. Ashriel, whom she bare — Whom his wife bare, his concubine being here opposed to her. Machir took the sister of Huppim — The word sister, though not in the Hebrew, is fitly supplied out of the following clause, where it is expressed, and she is called Maacha, and, verse 16, is said to be the wife of Machir. The name of the second, &c. — Of the second son or grand-son of Machir, for such Zelophehad was. Had daughters — That is, only daughters, and no sons.

V. 14. She-His wife; his concubine is here opposed to her.

Verses 13-15. The sons of Bilhah — The grand-children; for Bilhah was Jacob’s concubine, and mother both to Naphtali, the father of the persons last named, and to Dan. The sons of Manasseh — Grand-children, as in the former verse. Ashriel, whom she bare — Whom his wife bare, his concubine being here opposed to her. Machir took the sister of Huppim — The word sister, though not in the Hebrew, is fitly supplied out of the following clause, where it is expressed, and she is called Maacha, and, verse 16, is said to be the wife of Machir. The name of the second, &c. — Of the second son or grand-son of Machir, for such Zelophehad was. Had daughters — That is, only daughters, and no sons.

V. 15. Second-Of the second son or grandson of Machir; for so Zelophehad was. Had daughters-Only daughters, and no sons.

Verses 13-15. The sons of Bilhah — The grand-children; for Bilhah was Jacob’s concubine, and mother both to Naphtali, the father of the persons last named, and to Dan. The sons of Manasseh — Grand-children, as in the former verse. Ashriel, whom she bare — Whom his wife bare, his concubine being here opposed to her. Machir took the sister of Huppim — The word sister, though not in the Hebrew, is fitly supplied out of the following clause, where it is expressed, and she is called Maacha, and, verse 16, is said to be the wife of Machir. The name of the second, &c. — Of the second son or grand-son of Machir, for such Zelophehad was. Had daughters — That is, only daughters, and no sons.

V. 17. These-Ashriel and Zelophehad, named ver. 14,15, the relative being here referred to the remoter antecedent; as is frequent in the Hebrew.

Verses 17, 18. These were the sons of Gilead — Namely, Ashriel and Zelophehad, named verses 14, 15, the relative being here referred to the remoter antecedent, as is frequent in the Hebrew. His — Gilead’s sister. Mahalah — Understand, and Shemidah, out of the next verse.

V. 18. His-Gilead’s sister. Mahalah-Understand, and Shemida, out of the next verse.

Verses 17, 18. These were the sons of Gilead — Namely, Ashriel and Zelophehad, named verses 14, 15, the relative being here referred to the remoter antecedent, as is frequent in the Hebrew. His — Gilead’s sister. Mahalah — Understand, and Shemidah, out of the next verse.

V. 21. Slew-This history is not recorded else where in scripture, but it is in the ancient Hebrew writers. The Philistines (one of whose cities Gath was) and the Egyptians were next neighbours; and in those ancient times it was usual for such to make inroads one into another’s country, and to carry thence what prey they could take. And as the Philistines had probably made such inroads formerly into Egypt, and particularly into the land of Goshen, which was the utmost part of Egypt bordering upon the Philistines land; so the Israelites might requite them in the like kind: and particularly the children of Ephraim, to their own loss. And this seems to have happened a little before the Egyptian persecution, and before the reign of that new king mentioned Exodus 1:8. And this clause, that were born in that land, may be added emphatically, as the motive which made them more resolute in their fight with the Ephraimites, because they fought in, and for their own land, wherein all their wealth and concerns lay.

Verse 21. Whom the men of Gath-slew] We know nothing of this circumstance but what is related here. The Targum paraphrases the whole thus: “These were the leaders of the house of Ephraim; and they computed their period [or boundary, axyq kitsa] from the time in which the Word of the Lord of the universe spake with Abraham between the divisions, [i.e., the separated parts of the covenant sacrifice; see Genesis 15:9-21,] but they erred, for they should have counted from the time in which Isaac was born; they went out of Egypt therefore thirty years before the period: for, thirty years before the birth of Isaac the Word of the Lord of the universe spake with Abraham between the divisions. And when they went out of Egypt, there were with them two hundred thousand warriors of the tribe of Ephraim, whom the men of Gath, the natives of the land of the Philistines, slew, because they came down that they might carry away their cattle. 22.-And Ephraim their father mourned for them many days, and all his brethren came to comfort him. 23.-And he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bare a son, and called his name Beriah, (בריעה in evil,) because he was born in the time in which this evil happened to his house.”

Verse 21. Whom the men of Gath slew — This history is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture, but it is in the ancient Hebrew writers. The Philistines (one of whose cities Gath was) and the Egyptians were next neighbours; and in those ancient times it was usual for such to make inroads one into another’s country, and to carry thence what prey they could take. And as the Philistines had probably made such inroads formerly into Egypt, and particularly into the land of Goshen, which was the utmost part of Egypt bordering upon the Philistines’ land; so the Israelites might requite them in the like kind: and particularly the children of Ephraim, to their own loss. And this seems to have happened a little before the Egyptian persecution, and before the reign of that new king mentioned Exodus 1:8. And this clause, that were born in the land, may be added emphatically, as the motive which made them more resolute in their fight with the Ephraimites, because they fought in and for their own land, wherein all their wealth and concerns lay.

Ver. 22. Ephraim their father mourned. If this affair happened in Israel, the Ephraimites were the aggressors, and this Ephraim was the father of the principal men who fell in this expedition; but how many generations from the first Ephraim, may not be exactly traced. Some of the Jews however contend that this affair happened in Egypt, and that the Philistines were the aggressors in going down to steal their cattle; but it is difficult to conceive how those rabbins should know better than Ezra. At the thirteenth verse of the next chapter, we find that the Benjamites drove away the inhabitants of Gath, which was probably to avenge this blood, and keep the borders quiet.

V. 23. Bare a son-Thus the breach was in some measure repaired, by the addition of another son in his old age. When God thus restores comfort to his mourners, he makes glad according to the days wherein he afflicted, setting the mercies over against the crosses, we ought to observe the kindness of his providence. Yet the joy that a man was born into his family could not make him forget his grief. For he gives a melancholy name to his son, Beriah, that is, in trouble: for he was born when the family was in mourning. It is good to have in remembrance the affliction and the misery which are past, that our souls may be humbled within us.

Verse 23. She conceived and bare a son — Thus the breach was in some measure repaired, by the addition of another son in his old age. When God thus restores comfort to his mourners, he makes glad according to the days wherein he afflicted: setting the mercies over against the crosses, we ought to observe the kindness of his providence. Yet the joy that a man was born into his family could not make him forget his grief. For he gives a melancholy name to his son, Beriah, that is, in trouble: for he was born when the family was in mourning. It is good to have in remembrance the affliction and the misery which are past, that our souls may be humbled within us.

Verse 24. His daughter was Sherah] That is, remnant; “called so,” says the Targum, “because she was the remnant that escaped from the slaughter mentioned above.”

Verse 24. His daughter — His descendant, his grand-child, or great-grand-child; built Beth-horon, &c. — Rebuilt or repaired them, which possibly she did in Joshua’s time. And this work may be ascribed to her, because it was done either by her design and contrivance, or by her instigation and influence upon her husband and brethren who did it.

Verse 28. Their possessions — That is, the portion allotted to the tribe of Ephraim: were Beth-el — Which stood in the border of Benjamin, but belonged to Ephraim. Unto Gaza — Not the Gaza of the Philistines, which belonged to another tribe, and was remote from Ephraim, but another place of the same name. Or rather Adazza, as in the margin; the particle ad, here rendered unto, being part of the name.

Verse 32. And Shua their sister.] It is very rarely that women are found in the Jewish genealogies, and they are never inserted but for especial reasons.

Verse 40. The children of Asher] The rabbins say that the daughters of Asher were very beautiful, and were all matched with kings or priests. Several things relative to the subjects in this chapter may be found explained in the parallel places marked in the margin. I CHRONICLES