1 Chronicles · Chapter 8
Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
And the sons of Bela were, Addar, and Gera, and Abihud,
And Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,
And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:
John Wesley
V. 6. These-These following, ver. 7, because he here speaks of them who were removed. He describes the sons of Benjamin by the places of their habitation, without an exact account of their parents; because their genealogies were broken by that almost total extirpation of this tribe, Judges 20:29-48.
Joseph Benson
Verse 6. These are the sons of Ehud — These following, verse 7, because he here speaks of them who were removed. He describes the sons of Benjamin by the places of their habitation, without an exact account of their parents; because their genealogies were broken by that almost total extirpation of this tribe, Judges 20.
And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.
Joseph Sutcliffe
Ver. 7. He removed them; that is, Gera removed them. When in grammar there are many antecedents, the verb is governed by that which immediately presedes.
And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.
And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,
Adam Clarke
Verse 9. He begat of Hodesh his wife] In the preceding verse it is said that Hushim and Baara were his wives; and here it is said he begat of Hodesh his wife, &c. And then his children by Hushim are mentioned, but not a word of Baara! It is likely therefore that Hodesh was another name for Baara, and this is asserted by the Targum: And he begot of Baara, that is Chodesh, his wife; so called because he espoused her anew. It is supposed that he had put her away before, and now remarried her.
And Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers.
And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.
The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof:
Adam Clarke
Verse 12. Who built Ono, and Lod] The Targum adds, “Which the children of Israel ravaged and burnt with fire, when they made war on the tribe of Benjamin in Gibeah.”
Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:
And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,
And Zebadiah, and Arad, and Ader,
And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;
And Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hezeki, and Heber,
Ishmerai also, and Jezliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal;
And Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,
And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel,
And Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi;
And Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel,
And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
And Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,
And Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;
And Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,
And Jaresiah, and Eliah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.
These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.
John Wesley
V. 28. Heads of the fathers, &c.-Particular notice is taken of these, that others, at their return from captivity, might be induced to settle there too, which it seems few were willing to do, because it was the post of danger. Many great and mighty nations were then upon earth, and many illustrious men in them, whose names are buried in perpetual oblivion, while the names of multitudes of the Israel of God, are here carefully preserved in everlasting remembrance: a figure of God’s writing the names of his spiritual Israel, in the Lamb’s book of life.
Adam Clarke
Verse 28. These were heads of the fathers] On the following verses Dr. Kennicott has laboured hard to restore the true reading. See his detailed comparison of these and their parallel passages in his Hebrew Bible, vol. ii., p. 667.
Joseph Benson
Verse 28. Heads of the fathers, &c.: these dwelt at Jerusalem — All these named from verse 14 to this place. Particular notice is taken of these, that others, at their return from captivity, might be induced to settle there too, which it seems few were willing to do, because it was the post of danger. Many great and mighty nations were then upon earth, and many illustrious men in them, whose names are buried in perpetual oblivion, while the names of multitudes of the Israel of God are here carefully preserved in everlasting remembrance: a figure of God’s writing the names of his spiritual Israel in the Lamb’s book of life.
And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon; whose wife’s name was Maachah:
Adam Clarke
Verse 29. And at Gibeon] This passage to the end of the 38th verse is found with a little variety in the names, 1 Chronicles 9:35-44. The rabbins say that Ezra, having found two books that had these passages with a variety in the names, as they agreed in general, he thought best to insert them both, not being able to discern which was the best. His general plan was to collate all the copies he had, and to follow the greater number when he found them to agree; those which disagreed from the majority were thrown aside as spurious; and yet, in many cases, probably the rejected copies contained the true text.
If Ezra proceeded as R. Sol. Jarchi says, he had a very imperfect notion of the rules of true criticism; and it is no wonder that he has left so many faults in his text.
Joseph Sutcliffe
Ver. 29. The father of Gibeon, the prince of the city of his birthright.
And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,
And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher.
And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.
Joseph Benson
Verse 32. These also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem — With those other Benjamites spoken of verse 28; over against them — In some street or part of Jerusalem, which was over against that where their brethren dwelt.
And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.
Adam Clarke
Verse 34. Merib-baal] The same as Mephibosheth, for, as the Israelites detested Baal, which signifies lord, they changed it into bosheth, which signifies shame or reproach.
Joseph Sutcliffe
Ver. 34. The son of Jonathan was Meribbaal, the surname of Mephibosheth, for Jonathan had but one son. 2 Kings 2:4. 9:6.
And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.
And Ahaz begat Jehoadah; and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza,
And Moza begat Binea: Rapha was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son:
And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.
And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.
And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons’ sons, an hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.
John Wesley
V. 40. Archers-Heb. that tread the bow; for the bows of steel, which these used, required great strength to bend them; which therefore they did by treading the bow with their feet, and pulling the string with both their hands.
Adam Clarke
Verse 40. The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour] The Targum speaks honourably of them: “The sons of Ulam were mighty and strong men, subduing by wisdom their evil concupiscence, as men bend a bow; therefore they had many sons and grandsons.”
Of the six sons of Azel, mentioned 1 Chronicles 8:38, R. S. Jarchi says that their allegorical expositions were sufficient to load thirteen thousand camels! No doubt these were reputed to be deeply learned men. There was a time when the allegorizers and metaphor-men ranked very high among theologians, even in our own enlightened and critical country. At present they are almost totally out of fashion. May they never recover their footing! But what a shameful hyperbole is that of Jarchi! The writings of six men a load for thirteen thousand camels!
I CHRONICLES
Joseph Benson
Verse 40. Archers — Hebrew, that tread the bow: for the bows of steel, which these used, required great strength to bend them; which therefore they did by treading the bow with their feet, and pulling the string with both their hands.
Adam Clarke
Verse 1. Now Benjamin begat, &c.] See what has been said on the preceding chapter, see 1 Chronicles 7:6.
Joseph Benson
Verse 1. Now Benjamin begat Bela — He had spoken something of this tribe before, chap. 7:6; but now he treats of it again, and that more fully and exactly: partly for Saul’s sake, who was of this tribe; and partly because this tribe adhered to David, and the kingdom of Judah, and went with Judah into Babylon; and now were returned from thence in greater numbers than the other tribes, except Judah. Bela his firstborn — So called by Moses: but the names of the rest vary from those in Moses. Therefore either these were Benjamin’s grand-children, or the same person had two or more names, which was not unusual.
Joseph Sutcliffe
Verse 1. Benjamin, whose posterity are here copiously recorded, because of Saul’s family; because they remained in the kingdom of Judah after the secession of the ten tribes, and because they returned with Judah from Babylon.