6 The sons of Benjamin; H1144 Bela, H1106 and Becher, H1071 and Jediael, H3043 three. H7969
And the sons H1121 of Benjamin H1144 were Belah, H1106 and Becher, H1071 and Ashbel, H788 Gera, H1617 and Naaman, H5283 Ehi, H278 and Rosh, H7220 Muppim, H4649 and Huppim, H2650 and Ard. H714
Now Benjamin H1144 begat H3205 Bela H1106 his firstborn, H1060 Ashbel H788 the second, H8145 and Aharah H315 the third, H7992 Nohah H5119 the fourth, H7243 and Rapha H7498 the fifth. H2549 And the sons H1121 of Bela H1106 were, Addar, H146 and Gera, H1617 and Abihud, H31 And Abishua, H50 and Naaman, H5283 and Ahoah, H265 And Gera, H1617 and Shephuphan, H8197 and Huram. H2361 And these are the sons H1121 of Ehud: H261 these are the heads H7218 of the fathers H1 of the inhabitants H3427 of Geba, H1387 and they removed H1540 them to Manahath: H4506 And Naaman, H5283 and Ahiah, H281 and Gera, H1617 he removed H1540 them, and begat H3205 Uzza, H5798 and Ahihud. H284 And Shaharaim H7842 begat H3205 children in the country H7704 of Moab, H4124 after H4480 he had sent them away; H7971 Hushim H2366 and Baara H1199 were his wives. H802 And he begat H3205 of Hodesh H2321 his wife, H802 Jobab, H3103 and Zibia, H6644 and Mesha, H4331 and Malcham, H4445 And Jeuz, H3263 and Shachia, H7634 and Mirma. H4821 These were his sons, H1121 heads H7218 of the fathers. H1 And of Hushim H2366 he begat H3205 Abitub, H36 and Elpaal. H508 The sons H1121 of Elpaal; H508 Eber, H5677 and Misham, H4936 and Shamed, H8106 who built H1129 Ono, H207 and Lod, H3850 with the towns H1323 thereof: Beriah H1283 also, and Shema, H8087 who H1992 were heads H7218 of the fathers H1 of the inhabitants H3427 of Aijalon, H357 who drove away H1272 the inhabitants H3427 of Gath: H1661 And Ahio, H283 Shashak, H8349 and Jeremoth, H3406 And Zebadiah, H2069 and Arad, H6166 and Ader, H5738 And Michael, H4317 and Ispah, H3472 and Joha, H3109 the sons H1121 of Beriah; H1283 And Zebadiah, H2069 and Meshullam, H4918 and Hezeki, H2395 and Heber, H2268 Ishmerai H3461 also, and Jezliah, H3152 and Jobab, H3103 the sons H1121 of Elpaal; H508 And Jakim, H3356 and Zichri, H2147 and Zabdi, H2067 And Elienai, H462 and Zilthai, H6769 and Eliel, H447 And Adaiah, H5718 and Beraiah, H1256 and Shimrath, H8119 the sons H1121 of Shimhi; H8096 And Ishpan, H3473 and Heber, H5677 and Eliel, H447 And Abdon, H5658 and Zichri, H2147 and Hanan, H2605 And Hananiah, H2608 and Elam, H5867 and Antothijah, H6070 And Iphedeiah, H3301 and Penuel, H6439 the sons H1121 of Shashak; H8349 And Shamsherai, H8125 and Shehariah, H7841 and Athaliah, H6271 And Jaresiah, H3298 and Eliah, H452 and Zichri, H2147 the sons H1121 of Jeroham. H3395 These were heads H7218 of the fathers, H1 by their generations, H8435 chief H7218 men. These dwelt H3427 in Jerusalem. H3389 And at Gibeon H1391 dwelt H3427 the father H1 of Gibeon; H1391 H25 whose wife's H802 name H8034 was Maachah: H4601 And his firstborn H1060 son H1121 Abdon, H5658 and Zur, H6698 and Kish, H7027 and Baal, H1168 and Nadab, H5070 And Gedor, H1446 and Ahio, H283 and Zacher. H2144 And Mikloth H4732 begat H3205 Shimeah. H8039 And these also H637 dwelt H3427 with their brethren H251 in Jerusalem, H3389 over against them. H5048 And Ner H5369 begat H3205 Kish, H7027 and Kish H7027 begat H3205 Saul, H7586 and Saul H7586 begat H3205 Jonathan, H3083 and Malchishua, H4444 and Abinadab, H41 and Eshbaal. H792 And the son H1121 of Jonathan H3083 was Meribbaal; H4807 and Meribbaal H4807 begat H3205 Micah. H4318 And the sons H1121 of Micah H4318 were, Pithon, H6377 and Melech, H4429 and Tarea, H8390 and Ahaz. H271 And Ahaz H271 begat H3205 Jehoadah; H3085 and Jehoadah H3085 begat H3205 Alemeth, H5964 and Azmaveth, H5820 and Zimri; H2174 and Zimri H2174 begat H3205 Moza, H4162 And Moza H4162 begat H3205 Binea: H1150 Rapha H7498 was his son, H1121 Eleasah H501 his son, H1121 Azel H682 his son: H1121 And Azel H682 had six H8337 sons, H1121 whose names H8034 are these, Azrikam, H5840 Bocheru, H1074 and Ishmael, H3458 and Sheariah, H8187 and Obadiah, H5662 and Hanan. H2605 All these were the sons H1121 of Azel. H682 And the sons H1121 of Eshek H6232 his brother H251 were, Ulam H198 his firstborn, H1060 Jehush H3266 the second, H8145 and Eliphelet H467 the third. H7992 And the sons H1121 of Ulam H198 were mighty H1368 men H582 of valour, H2428 archers, H1869 H7198 and had many H7235 sons, H1121 and sons' H1121 sons, H1121 an hundred H3967 and fifty. H2572 All these are of the sons H1121 of Benjamin. H1144
The sons H1121 of Benjamin H1144 after their families: H4940 of Bela, H1106 the family H4940 of the Belaites: H1108 of Ashbel, H788 the family H4940 of the Ashbelites: H789 of Ahiram, H297 the family H4940 of the Ahiramites: H298 Of Shupham, H8197 the family H4940 of the Shuphamites: H7781 of Hupham, H2349 the family H4940 of the Huphamites. H2350 And the sons H1121 of Bela H1106 were Ard H714 and Naaman: H5283 of Ard, the family H4940 of the Ardites: H716 and of Naaman, H5283 the family H4940 of the Naamites. H5280 These are the sons H1121 of Benjamin H1144 after their families: H4940 and they that were numbered H6485 of them were forty H705 and five H2568 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred. H3967
The sons H1121 also of Jediael; H3043 Bilhan: H1092 and the sons H1121 of Bilhan; H1092 Jeush, H3274 and Benjamin, H1144 and Ehud, H164 and Chenaanah, H3668 and Zethan, H2133 and Tharshish, H8659 and Ahishahar. H300 All these the sons H1121 of Jediael, H3043 by the heads H7218 of their fathers, H1 mighty H1368 men of valour, H2428 were seventeen H7651 H6240 thousand H505 and two hundred H3967 soldiers, fit to go out H3318 for war H6635 and battle. H4421
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 7
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
1Ch 7:1-5. Sons of Issachar.
1. Jashub—or Job (Ge 46:13).
2. whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred—Although a census was taken in the reign of David by order of that monarch, it is not certain that the sacred historian had it in mind, since we find here the tribe of Benjamin enumerated [1Ch 7:6-12], which was not taken in David's time; and there are other points of dissimilarity.
3. five: all of them chief men—Four only are mentioned; so that as they are stated to be five, in this number the father, Izrahiah, must be considered as included; otherwise one of the names must have dropped out of the text. They were each at the head of a numerous and influential division of their tribe.
5. fourscore and seven thousand—exclusive of the 58,600 men which the Tola branch had produced (1Ch 7:24), so that in the days of David the tribe would have contained a population of 45,600. This large increase was owing to the practice of polygamy, as well as the fruitfulness of the women. A plurality of wives, though tolerated among the Hebrews, was confined chiefly to the great and wealthy; but it seems to have been generally esteemed a privilege by the tribe of Issachar, "for they had many wives and sons" [1Ch 7:4].
1Ch 7:6-12. Of Benjamin.
6. The sons of Benjamin—Ten are named in Ge 46:21, but only five later (1Ch 8:1; Nu 26:38). Perhaps five of them were distinguished as chiefs of illustrious families, but two having fallen in the bloody wars waged against Benjamin (Jud 20:46), there remained only three branches of this tribe, and these only are enumerated.
Jediael—Or Asbel (Genesis 46. 21).
7. the sons of Bela—Each of them was chief or leader of the family to which he belonged. In an earlier period seven great families of Benjamin are mentioned (Nu 26:38), five of them being headed by these five sons of Benjamin, and two descended from Bela. Here five families of Bela are specified, whence we are led to conclude that time or the ravages of war had greatly changed the condition of Benjamin, or that the five families of Bela were subordinate to the other great divisions that sprang directly from the five sons of the patriarch.
12. Shuppim also, and Huppim—They are called Muppim and Huppim (Ge 46:21) and Hupham and Shupham (Nu 26:39). They were the children of Ir, or Iri (1Ch 7:7).
and Hushim, the sons—"son."
of Aher—"Aher" signifies "another," and some eminent critics, taking "Aher" as a common noun, render the passage thus, "and Hushim, another son." Shuppim, Muppim, and Hushim are plural words, and therefore denote not individuals, but the heads of their respective families; and as they were not comprised in the above enumeration (1Ch 7:7, 9) they are inserted here in the form of an appendix. Some render the passage, "Hushim, the son of another," that is, tribe or family. The name occurs among the sons of Dan (Ge 46:23), and it is a presumption in favor of this being the true rendering, that after having recorded the genealogy of Naphtali (1Ch 7:13) the sacred historian adds, "the sons of Bilhah, the handmaid, who was the mother of Dan and Naphtali." We naturally expect, therefore, that these two will be noticed together, but Dan is not mentioned at all, if not in this passage.
1Ch 7:13. Of Naphtali.
13. Shallum—or Shillem (Ge 46:24).
sons of Bilhah—As Dan and Naphtali were her sons, Hushim, as well as these enumerated in 1Ch 7:13, were her grandsons.
1Ch 7:14-40. Of Manasseh.
14, 15. The sons of Manasseh—or descendants; for Ashriel was a grandson, and Zelophehad was a generation farther removed in descent (Nu 26:33). The text, as it stands, is so confused and complicated that it is exceedingly difficult to trace the genealogical thread, and a great variety of conjectures have been made with a view to clear away the obscurity. The passage [1Ch 7:14, 15] should probably be rendered thus: "The sons of Manasseh were Ashriel, whom his Syrian concubine bare to him, and Machir, the father of Gilead (whom his wife bare to him). Machir took for a wife Maachah, sister to Huppim and Shuppim."
21. whom the men of Gath … slew, &c.—This interesting little episode gives us a glimpse of the state of Hebrew society in Egypt; for the occurrence narrated seems to have taken place before the Israelites left that country. The patriarch Ephraim was then alive, though he must have arrived at a very advanced age; and the Hebrew people, at all events those of them who were his descendants, still retained their pastoral character. It was in perfect consistency with the ideas and habits of Oriental shepherds that they should have made a raid on the neighboring tribe of the Philistines for the purpose of plundering their flocks. For nothing is more common among them than hostile incursions on the inhabitants of towns, or on other nomad tribes with whom they have no league of amity. But a different view of the incident is brought out, if, instead of "because," we render the Hebrew particle "when" they came down to take their cattle, for the tenor of the context leads rather to the conclusion that "the men of Gath" were the aggressors, who, making a sudden foray on the Ephraimite flocks, killed the shepherds including several of the sons of Ephraim. The calamity spread a deep gloom around the tent of their aged father, and was the occasion of his receiving visits of condolence from his distant relatives, according to the custom of the East, which is remarkably exemplified in the history of Job (Job 2:11; compare Joh 11:19).