42 Now the sons H1121 of Caleb H3612 the brother H251 of Jerahmeel H3396 were, Mesha H4337 his firstborn, H1060 which was the father H1 of Ziph; H2128 and the sons H1121 of Mareshah H4762 the father H1 of Hebron. H2275
Reuben, H7205 thou art my firstborn, H1060 my might, H3581 and the beginning H7225 of my strength, H202 the excellency H3499 of dignity, H7613 and the excellency H3499 of power: H5794
And thou shalt say H559 unto Pharaoh, H6547 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Israel H3478 is my son, H1121 even my firstborn: H1060 And I say H559 unto thee, Let my son H1121 go, H7971 that he may serve H5647 me: and if thou refuse H3985 to let him go, H7971 behold, I will slay H2026 thy son, H1121 even thy firstborn. H1060
Then came up H5927 the Ziphites H2130 to Saul H7586 to Gibeah, H1390 saying, H559 Doth not David H1732 hide H5641 himself with us in strong holds H4679 in the wood, H2793 in the hill H1389 of Hachilah, H2444 which is on the south H3225 of Jeshimon? H3452
And the Ziphites H2130 came H935 unto Saul H7586 to Gibeah, H1390 saying, H559 Doth not David H1732 hide H5641 himself in the hill H1389 of Hachilah, H2444 which is before H6440 Jeshimon? H3452
And Caleb H3612 the son H1121 of Hezron H2696 begat H3205 children of H854 Azubah H5806 his wife, H802 and of Jerioth: H3408 her sons H1121 are these; Jesher, H3475 and Shobab, H7727 and Ardon. H715 And when Azubah H5806 was dead, H4191 Caleb H3612 took H3947 unto him Ephrath, H672 which bare H3205 him Hur. H2354
And he took H3947 Geshur, H1650 and Aram, H758 with the towns H2333 of Jair, H2971 from them, with Kenath, H7079 and the towns H1323 thereof, even threescore H8346 cities. H5892 All these belonged to the sons H1121 of Machir H4353 the father H1 of Gilead. H1568 And after H310 that Hezron H2696 was dead H4194 in Calebephratah, H3613 then Abiah H29 Hezron's H2696 wife H802 bare H3205 him Ashur H806 the father H1 of Tekoa. H8620
And Shobal H7732 the father H1 of Kirjathjearim H7157 had sons; H1121 Haroeh, H7204 and half H2677 of the Manahethites. H2679
And at Gibeon H1391 dwelt H3427 the father H1 of Gibeon; H1391 H25 whose wife's H802 name H8034 was Maachah: H4601
The children H1121 of Bethlehem, H1035 an hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and three. H7969 The men H582 of Netophah, H5199 fifty H2572 and six. H8337 The men H582 of Anathoth, H6068 an hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and eight. H8083 The children H1121 of Azmaveth, H5820 forty H705 and two. H8147 The children H1121 of Kirjatharim, H7157 Chephirah, H3716 and Beeroth, H881 seven H7651 hundred H3967 and forty H705 and three. H7969 The children H1121 of Ramah H7414 and Gaba, H1387 six H8337 hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and one. H259 The men H582 of Michmas, H4363 an hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and two. H8147 The men H582 of Bethel H1008 and Ai, H5857 two hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and three. H7969 The children H1121 of Nebo, H5015 fifty H2572 and two. H8147 The children H1121 of Magbish, H4019 an hundred H3967 fifty H2572 and six. H8337 The children H1121 of the other H312 Elam, H5867 a thousand H505 two hundred H3967 fifty H2572 and four. H702 The children H1121 of Harim, H2766 three H7969 hundred H3967 and twenty. H6242 The children H1121 of Lod, H3850 Hadid, H2307 and Ono, H207 seven H7651 hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and five. H2568 The children H1121 of Jericho, H3405 three H7969 hundred H3967 forty H705 and five. H2568 The children H1121 of Senaah, H5570 three H7969 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred H3967 and thirty. H7970
The children H1121 of Gibeon, H1391 ninety H8673 and five. H2568 The men H582 of Bethlehem H1035 and Netophah, H5199 an hundred H3967 fourscore H8084 and eight. H8083 The men H582 of Anathoth, H6068 an hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and eight. H8083 The men H582 of Bethazmaveth, H1041 forty H705 and two. H8147 The men H582 of Kirjathjearim, H7157 Chephirah, H3716 and Beeroth, H881 seven H7651 hundred H3967 forty H705 and three. H7969 The men H582 of Ramah H7414 and Geba, H1387 six H8337 hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and one. H259 The men H582 of Michmas, H4363 an hundred H3967 and twenty H6242 and two. H8147 The men H582 of Bethel H1008 and Ai, H5857 an hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and three. H7969 The men H582 of the other H312 Nebo, H5015 fifty H2572 and two. H8147 The children H1121 of the other H312 Elam, H5867 a thousand H505 two hundred H3967 fifty H2572 and four. H702 The children H1121 of Harim, H2766 three H7969 hundred H3967 and twenty. H6242 The children H1121 of Jericho, H3405 three H7969 hundred H3967 forty H705 and five. H2568 The children H1121 of Lod, H3850 Hadid, H2307 and Ono, H207 seven H7651 hundred H3967 twenty H6242 and one. H259 The children H1121 of Senaah, H5570 three H7969 thousand H505 nine H8672 hundred H3967 and thirty. H7970
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 2
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
1Ch 2:1, 2. Sons of Israel.
1Ch 2:3-12. Posterity of Judah.
3. The sons of Judah—His descendants are enumerated first, because the right and privileges of the primogeniture had been transferred to him (Ge 49:8), and because from his tribe the Messiah was to spring.
6. Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara—These five are here stated to be the sons of Zerah, that is, of Ezra, whence they were called Ezrahites (1Ki 4:31). In that passage they are called "the sons of Mahol," which, however, is to be taken not as a proper name, but appellatively for "sons of music, dancing," &c. The traditional fame of their great sagacity and acquirements had descended to the time of Solomon and formed a standard of comparison for showing the superior wisdom of that monarch. Jewish writers say that they were looked up to as prophets by their countrymen during the abode in Egypt.
7. the sons of Carmi—He was the son of Zimri, or Zabdi, as he is called (Jos 7:1).
Achar—or Achan (Jos 7:1). This variety in the form of the name is with great propriety used here, since Achar means "troubler."
1Ch 2:13-17. Children of Jesse.
15. David the seventh—As it appears (1Sa 16:10; 17:12) that Jesse had eight sons, the presumption is from David being mentioned here as the seventh son of his father, that one of them had died at an early age, without leaving issue.
17. Jether the Ishmaelite—(compare 2Sa 17:25). In that passage he is called Ithra an Israelite; and there seems no reason why, in the early days of David, anyone should be specially distinguished as an Israelite. The presumption is in favor of the reading followed by the Septuagint, which calls him "Jetra the Jezreelite." The circumstance of his settling in another tribe, or of a woman marrying out of her own tribe, was sufficiently rare and singular to call for the statement that Abigail was married to a man of Jezreel.
1Ch 2:18-55. Posterity of Caleb.
18. Caleb the son of Hezron—The notices concerning this person appear confused in our version. In 1Ch 2:19 he is said to be the father of Hur, whereas in 1Ch 2:50 he is called "the son of Hur." The words in this latter passage have been transposed in the copying, and should be read thus, "Hur the son of Caleb."
begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth—The former was his spouse, while Jerioth seems to have been a secondary wife, and the mother of the children whose names are here given. On the death of his principal wife, he married Ephrath, and by her had Hur [1Ch 2:19].
21. Hezron … daughter of Machir the father of Gilead—that is, chief of that town, which with the lands adjacent was no doubt the property of Machir, who was so desirous of a male heir. He was grandson of Joseph. The wife of Machir was of the tribe of Manasseh (Nu 26:29).
22. Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead—As the son of Segub and the grandson of Hezron, he was of the tribe of Judah; but from his maternal descent he is called (Nu 32:41; De 3:14) "the son of Manasseh." This designation implies that his inheritance lay in that tribe in right of his grandmother; in other words, his maternal and adopting great-grandfather was Machir the son of Manasseh. Jair, inheriting his property, was his lineal representative; and accordingly this is expressly stated to be the case; for the village group of "Havoth-Jair" was awarded to him in that tribe, in consequence of his valiant and patriotic exploits. This arrangement, however, took place previous to the law (Nu 36:1-13), by which it was enacted that heiresses were to marry in their own tribe. But this instance of Jair shows that in the case of a man obtaining an inheritance in another tribe it required him to become thoroughly incorporated with it as a representative of the family through which the inheritance was received. He had been adopted into Manasseh, and it would never have been imagined that he was other than "a son of Manasseh" naturally, had not this passage given information supplementary to that of the passage in Numbers.
23. he took—rather "he had taken." This statement is accounting for his acquisition of so large a territory; he got it by right of conquest from the former possessors.
Kenath—This place, along with its group of surrounding villages, was gained by Nobah, one of Jair's officers sent by him to capture it (Nu 32:1, 2).
All these belonged to the sons of Machir—In their number Jair is included as having completely identified himself by his marriage and residence in Gilead with the tribe of Manasseh.
24. Caleb-ephratah—so called from uniting the names of husband and wife (1Ch 2:19), and supposed to be the same as was afterwards called Beth-lehem-ephratah.
Ashur, the father of Tekoa—(2Sa 14:2-4). He is called the father, either from his being the first founder, or perhaps the ruler, of the city.
34. Sheshan had no sons, but daughters—either he had no sons alive at his death, or his family consisted wholly of daughters, of whom Ahlai (1Ch 2:31) was one, she being specially mentioned on account of the domestic relations about to be noted.
35. Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife—The adoption and marriage of a foreign slave in the family where he is serving, is far from being a rare or extraordinary occurrence in Eastern countries. It is thought, however, by some to have been a connection not sanctioned by the law of Moses [Michaelis]. But this is not a well-founded objection, as the history of the Jews furnishes not a few examples of foreign proselytes in the same manner obtaining an inheritance in Israel; and doubtless Jarha had previously embraced the Jewish faith in place of the grovelling idolatries of his native Egypt. In such a case, therefore, there could be no legal difficulty. Being a foreign slave, he had no inheritance in a different tribe to injure by this connection; while his marriage with Sheshan's daughter led to his adoption into the tribe of Judah, as well as his becoming heir of the family property.
42. the sons of Caleb—(compare 1Ch 2:18, 25). The sons here noticed were the fruit of his union with a third wife.
55. the families of the scribes—either civil or ecclesiastical officers of the Kenite origin, who are here classed with the tribe of Judah, not as being descended from it, but as dwelling within its territory, and in a measure incorporated with its people.
Jabez—a place in Judah (1Ch 4:9).
Kenites that came of Hemath—who settled in Judah, and were thus distinguished from another division of the Kenite clan which dwelt in Manasseh (Jud 4:11).