4 And Tamar H8559 his daughter in law H3618 bare H3205 him Pharez H6557 and Zerah. H2226 All the sons H1121 of Judah H3063 were five. H2568
And G1161 Judas G2455 begat G1080 Phares G5329 and G2532 Zara G2196 of G1537 Thamar; G2283 and G1161 Phares G5329 begat G1080 Esrom; G2074 and G1161 Esrom G2074 begat G1080 Aram; G689
And it was told H5046 Tamar, H8559 saying, H559 Behold thy father in law H2524 goeth up H5927 to Timnath H8553 to shear H1494 his sheep. H6629 And she put H5493 her widow's H491 garments H899 off H5493 from her, and covered her H3680 with a vail, H6809 and wrapped herself, H5968 and sat in H3427 an open H5869 place, H6607 which is by the way H1870 to Timnath; H8553 for she saw H7200 that Shelah H7956 was grown, H1431 and she was not given H5414 unto him to wife. H802 When Judah H3063 saw her, H7200 he thought H2803 her to be an harlot; H2181 because she had covered H3680 her face. H6440 And he turned H5186 unto her by the way, H1870 and said, H559 Go to, H3051 I pray thee, let me come in H935 unto thee; (for he knew H3045 not that she was his daughter in law.) H3618 And she said, H559 What wilt thou give H5414 me, that thou mayest come in H935 unto me? And he said, H559 I will send H7971 thee a kid H5795 H1423 from the flock. H6629 And she said, H559 Wilt thou give H5414 me a pledge, H6162 till thou send H7971 it? And he said, H559 What H834 pledge H6162 shall I give H5414 thee? And she said, H559 Thy signet, H2368 and thy bracelets, H6616 and thy staff H4294 that is in thine hand. H3027 And he gave H5414 it her, and came in H935 unto her, and she conceived H2029 by him. And she arose, H6965 and went away, H3212 and laid by H5493 her vail H6809 from her, and put on H3847 the garments H899 of her widowhood. H491 And Judah H3063 sent H7971 the kid H1423 H5795 by the hand H3027 of his friend H7453 the Adullamite, H5726 to receive H3947 his pledge H6162 from the woman's H802 hand: H3027 but he found her H4672 not. Then he asked H7592 the men H582 of that place, H4725 saying, H559 Where is the harlot, H6948 that was openly H5869 by the way side? H1870 And they said, H559 There was no harlot H6948 in this H2088 place. And he returned H7725 to Judah, H3063 and said, H559 I cannot H3808 find H4672 her; and also the men H582 of the place H4725 said, H559 that there was no harlot H6948 in this place. And Judah H3063 said, H559 Let her take H3947 it to her, lest we be shamed: H937 behold, I sent H7971 this kid, H1423 and thou hast not found H4672 her. And it came to pass about three H7969 months H2320 after, that it was told H5046 Judah, H3063 saying, H559 Tamar H8559 thy daughter in law H3618 hath played the harlot; H2181 and also, behold, she is with child H2030 by whoredom. H2183 And Judah H3063 said, H559 Bring her forth, H3318 and let her be burnt. H8313 When she was brought forth, H3318 she sent H7971 to her father in law, H2524 saying, H559 By the man, H376 whose these are, am I with child: H2030 and she said, H559 Discern, H5234 I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, H2858 and bracelets, H6616 and staff. H4294 And Judah H3063 acknowledged H5234 them, and said, H559 She hath been more righteous H6663 than I; because that I gave H5414 her not to Shelah H7956 my son. H1121 And he knew her H3045 again H3254 no more. And it came to pass in the time H6256 of her travail, H3205 that, behold, twins H8380 were in her womb. H990 And it came to pass, when she travailed, H3205 that the one put out H5414 his hand: H3027 and the midwife H3205 took H3947 and bound H7194 upon his hand H3027 a scarlet thread, H8144 saying, H559 This came out H3318 first. H7223 And it came to pass, as he drew back H7725 his hand, H3027 that, behold, his brother H251 came out: H3318 and she said, H559 How hast thou broken forth? H6555 this breach H6556 be upon thee: therefore his name H8034 was called H7121 Pharez. H6557 And afterward H310 came out H3318 his brother, H251 that had the scarlet thread H8144 upon his hand: H3027 and his name H8034 was called H7121 Zarah. H2226
Then said H559 Judah H3063 to Tamar H8559 his daughter in law, H3618 Remain H3427 a widow H490 at thy father's H1 house, H1004 till Shelah H7956 my son H1121 be grown: H1431 for he said, H559 Lest peradventure he die H4191 also, as his brethren H251 did. And Tamar H8559 went H3212 and dwelt H3427 in her father's H1 house. H1004
Of Zerah, H2226 the family H4940 of the Zarhites: H2227 of Shaul, H7586 the family H4940 of the Shaulites. H7587
And the sons H1121 of Judah H3063 after their families H4940 were; of Shelah, H7956 the family H4940 of the Shelanites: H8024 of Pharez, H6557 the family H4940 of the Pharzites: H6558 of Zerah, H2226 the family H4940 of the Zarhites. H2227 And the sons H1121 of Pharez H6557 were; of Hezron, H2696 the family H4940 of the Hezronites: H2697 of Hamul, H2538 the family H4940 of the Hamulites. H2539
Now these are the generations H8435 of Pharez: H6557 Pharez H6557 begat H3205 Hezron, H2696
And at Jerusalem H3389 dwelt H3427 certain of the children H1121 of Judah, H3063 and of the children H1121 of Benjamin. H1144 Of the children H1121 of Judah; H3063 Athaiah H6265 the son H1121 of Uzziah, H5818 the son H1121 of Zechariah, H2148 the son H1121 of Amariah, H568 the son H1121 of Shephatiah, H8203 the son H1121 of Mahalaleel, H4111 of the children H1121 of Perez; H6557
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).