1 Chronicles 8

Chapters 2–8. The Genealogies of the Tribes of Israel The Chronicler deals very unequally with the tribes in their genealogies; as the following table shews: 1 Chronicles 2:1 to 1 Chronicles 4:23. Judah (102 verses). 1 Chronicles 4:24-43. Simeon (20 verses). 1 Chronicles 5:1-26. Reuben, Gad, and Eastern Manasseh (26 verses). 1 Chronicles 6:1-81. Levi (81 verses). 1 Chronicles 7:1-40. Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Eastern Manasseh (again), Ephraim, and Asher (40 verses). 1 Chronicles 8:1-40. Benjamin, though already noticed in 1 Chronicles 7:6-11 (40 verses). Zebulun and (perhaps) Dan (cp. 1 Chronicles 7:12, note) are omitted. It may easily be seen that the tribes in which the Chronicler is really interested are the three southern tribes, Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, together with the priestly tribe, Levi. The order in which the tribes are mentioned is at first geographical, Judah and Simeon the southern tribes first, then the eastern tribes Reuben, Gad, Manasseh; the rest follow in no fixed order.

1 Chronicles 8:1

Ch. 1 Chronicles 8:1-40 (cp. 1 Chronicles 7:6-12). The Genealogy of Benjamin. The Benjamite Families which dwelt in Jerusalem

1. Bela … Ashbel … Aharah] See 1 Chronicles 7:6, notes.

1 Chronicles 8:3

3. Addar] perhaps to be read Ard, as Genesis 46:21; Numbers 26:40.

1 Chronicles 8:5

5. Shephuphan and Huram] See 1 Chronicles 7:12, note.

1 Chronicles 8:6

6. And these are the sons of Ehud] Ehud (the deliverer of Israel from Moab) was descended from Gera (1 Chronicles 8:5; Judges 3:15). His genealogy is given somewhat fully. they ramoved them] R.V. they carried them captive. Probably some words have fallen out; we cannot say who carried whom captive. to Manahath] Targ. to Manahath to the land of the house of Esau.

1 Chronicles 8:7

7. he removed them] R.V. he carried them captive. He seems to refer back to Ehud, but the words yield no satisfactory sense.

1 Chronicles 8:8

8. sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives] R.V. mg. sent away Hushim and Baara his wives.

1 Chronicles 8:10

10. of the fathers] R.V. of fathers’ houses. See 1 Chronicles 7:2, note.

1 Chronicles 8:12

12. Ono, and Lod] Ezra 2:33; Nehemiah 7:37; Nehemiah 11:35. The two places were evidently well-known in post-exilic times, and were doubtless near together. Lod is the Lydda of the N.T. (Acts 9:32). Targ. adds, which the sons of Israel laid waste and burnt with fire, when they made war in Gibeah with the tribe of Benjamin.

1 Chronicles 8:13

13. of the fathers] R.V. of fathers’ houses, as in 1 Chronicles 8:10. drove away] R.V. put to flight. Probably an allusion to some fight the memory of which was kept alive in local song. Cp. 1 Chronicles 7:21-22. Aijalon] Joshua 10:12; 1 Samuel 14:31.

1 Chronicles 8:14

14. And Ahio] LXX., and his brother. This verse is probably corrupt. If however we read And Elpaal his brother for And Ahio (cp. 1 Chronicles 8:18), and Jeroham for Jeremoth (cp. 1 Chronicles 8:27), we then find in 1 Chronicles 8:13 a and 1 Chronicles 8:14 five names corresponding (with one transposition) with the five names of heads of families given below, viz., Beriah (1 Chronicles 8:16), Elpaal (1 Chronicles 8:18), Shimei (1 Chronicles 8:21, R.V., = Shema), Shashak (1 Chronicles 8:25), and Jeroham (1 Chronicles 8:27).

1 Chronicles 8:20

20. Elienai] Read, perhaps, Elioenai, a name meaning, “My eyes look towards Jehovah.”

1 Chronicles 8:28

28. of the fathers, by their generations] R.V. of fathers’ houses throughout their generations. These dwelt in Jerusalem] i.e. in the writer’s day the heads of families enumerated in 1 Chronicles 8:15-27 dwelt in Jerusalem. Cp. 1 Chronicles 9:2-3; Nehemiah 11:1-8. But the words may be a gloss brought in from 1 Chronicles 9:34.

1 Chronicles 8:29

29–32 (= ch. 1 Chronicles 9:35-38). The Genealogy of Jeiel 29. the father of Gibeon] R.V. the father of Giboon Jeiel; cp. 1 Chronicles 9:35, R.V.

1 Chronicles 8:30

30. and Baal] Add with LXX. (A) and 1 Chronicles 9:36 and Ner. LXX. (B) shews that a word is missing after Baal for it reads Βααλακαίμ (= Βαὰλκαὶ N …?).

1 Chronicles 8:31

31. and Zacher] Read with 1 Chronicles 9:37, and Zechariah, and Mikloth, the latter name having probably fallen out through homœoteleuton.

1 Chronicles 8:32

32. with their brethren etc.] i.e. with some of their brethren in Jerusalem over against other of their brethren in Gibeon and other places. 1 Chronicles 8:32 b. looks like the heading of a list which has been lost. over against them] R.V. over against their brethren.

1 Chronicles 8:33

33–40 (cp. 1 Chronicles 9:39-44). The Genealogy of the House of Saul 33. Abinadab] So in 1 Samuel 31:2, but in 1 Samuel 14:49 R.V., Ishvi. Eshbaal] In 2 Samuel 2:8 called Ish-bosheth. Cp. 1 Chronicles 7:6, note on Jediael (= Ashbel), In the (more generally read) Sam. text the offensive name Eshbaal “Man of Baal” has been changed to Ishbosheth, “Man of the Shameful-thing” (i.e. of the idol), but it has been left standing in the less-used text of Chron. The title Baal (“Lord”) was applied in early days (e.g. in the days of Saul) to the national God of Israel, but in later days (cp. Hosea 2:17) the prophets objected to it because it was freely applied to Heathen gods. Thus to Saul and Samuel the name Eshbaal was acceptable as meaning “Man of the Lord,” i.e. of Jehovah, while to the prophetic author or reviser of the book of Samuel it was offensive as signifying “Man of a Baal,” i.e. of one of the gods worshipped by the neighbouring nations.

1 Chronicles 8:34

34. Merib-baal] A name meaning “Baal pleadeth”; in ch. 1 Chronicles 9:40 b (Heb.) it is written Meri-baal, i.e. “Man of Baal.” The person meant seems to be Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:6; 2 Samuel 9:12).

1 Chronicles 8:35

35. Tarea] In 1 Chronicles 9:41, Tahrea.

1 Chronicles 8:36

36. Jehoadah] R.V. Jehoaddah. In 1 Chronicles 9:42, Jarah.

1 Chronicles 8:37

37. Rapha] In 1 Chronicles 9:43, Rephaiah.

1 Chronicles 8:39

39. Jehush] R.V. Jeush.