II. Dismissing the sons of Esau-Edom, the narrative proceeds with the sons of Israel, who are named in order, by way of introduction to their genealogies, which occupy 1 Chronicles 1-8. The rest of 1 Chronicles 2 treats of [the leading tribe of Judah, and its sub-divisions, under the heads of Zera... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF ISRAEL. — The list is apparently taken from Genesis 35:23, where the heading is, “Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.” The chronicler omits the mothers, and puts Dan before instead of after Joseph and Benjamin, as if to hint that Dan was considered Rachel’s elder son. (See Genesis 30:6.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIVE SONS OF JUDAH, FROM GENESIS 38. (3) THE DAUGHTER OF SHUA THE CANAANITESS. — Shua was the father of Judah’s wife. ER, THE FIRSTBORN OF JUDAH, WAS (_became, proved_) EVIL. — Word for word from Genesis 38:7. Suppressing other details relating to the sons of Judah, the chronicler copies this... [ Continue Reading ]
TAMAR. — Wife of Er. The story of her incest with Judah, the fruit of which was the twins Pharez (Heb., _Perez_) and Zerah (called Zarah, Genesis 38:30; and Zara, Matthew 1:3), is told in Genesis 38:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF PHAREZ. — From Gen. xlvi 12, which also names the five sons of Judah. Numbers 26:21 mentions the clans (_mishpahath_) of the Hezronites and Hamulites, as registered in a census held by Moses.... [ Continue Reading ]
ZIMRI. — This name is probably a merely accidental variant of Zabdi. Both are genuine Hebrew names occurring elsewhere. But the fact that Zimri here, and Zabdi at Joshua 7:1, are both called sons of Zerah, seems to prove their identity; especially as m is often confused with _b_, and _d_ with _r._ E... [ Continue Reading ]
(6-8) THE SONS OF ZERAH. — From this point our narrative ceases to depend entirely upon the data of Genesis.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF CARMI. — See Note on 1 Chronicles 1:41. ACHAR, THE TROUBLER OF ISRAEL. — See Joshua 7:1, where the man is called “Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.” The family of Carmi, therefore, were Zarhites. Joshua 7:24 calls him “Achan, the son of Zerah,” an e... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF ETHAN. — Nothing is known of this Ethanite Azariah. It seems plain that the writer wished to name only the historically famous members of the Zarhite branch of Judah — in 1 Chronicles 2:6, the four proverbial sages; in 1 Chronicles 2:7, Achar who brought woe upon Israel by taking of the... [ Continue Reading ]
JERAHMEEL. — _Godpitieth._ RAM. — Called _Aram_ in our Lord’s genealogy (Matthew 1) The two names are synonyms, both meaning _high,_ and are used interchangeably in Job 32:2 (Ram) and Genesis 22:21 (Aram). CHELUBAI. — Strictly, _the Chelubite_ or _Calebite,_ a gentilic term formed from Caleb (1 Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
(9-41) The Hezronites, who were sons of Pharez (1 Chronicles 2:5), and their three lines of descent, Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.... [ Continue Reading ]
I. — (10-17) The descent of David from Amminadab, of the house of Ram. The royal line naturally takes precedence of the other two. Ruth 4:18 gives this line from Pharez to David. (Compare the genealogies of Christ, Matthew 1 and Luke 3) Nahshon is called chief of Judah in Num. ii 3 (comp. 1 Chronicl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CALEB THE SON OF HEZRON BEGAT CHILDREN OF AZUBAH HIS WIFE. — The Heb. text, as it stands, does not say this. The _primâ facie_ rendering is, “And Caleb son of Hezron begat Azubah a woman, and Jerioth: and these (are) her sons; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.” But 1 Chronicles 2:19 continues: “And... [ Continue Reading ]
EPHRATH. — In 1 Chronicles 2:50 Ephratah; so also 4:4. The town of Bethlehem was so called (Micah 5:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
HUR BEGAT URI... BEZALEEL. — See Exodus 31:2, which states that: “ Bezaleel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,” was divinely qualified for building the Tent of Meeting. Bezaleel is no doubt a person, but Hur is probably a Calebite clan, established at “Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem” (Gen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTERWARD HEZRON WENT IN TO THE DAUGHTER OF MACHIR. — This appears to mean, after the birth of the three sons mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:9. MACHIR. — The firstborn of Manasseh (Genesis 1:23), to whom Moses gave the land of Gilead (Numbers 32:40; Deuteronomy 3:15). This explains the term “father... [ Continue Reading ]
(21-24) This short section, concerning other Hezronites than those of the house of Caleb, is a parenthesis relating to a Hezronite element in Manassite Gilead.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SEGUB BEGAT JAIR ... — The Havothjair (tent-villages of Jair) are several times mentioned in the Pentateuch. In the passage Numbers 32:39 it is related — (1) That the Manassite clan of the sons of Machir took Gilead from the Amorites; (2) That Moses then formally assigned Giiead “to Machir son o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK... OF GILEAD. — Rather, _And Geshur and Aram took the Havoth-jair from them_ — _Kenath and her daughters, sixty cities: all these_ (_were_)_ sons of Machir, chief of Gilead._ GESHUR, AND ARAM. — That is, the Aramean state of Geshur, north-west of Bashan, near Hermon and the Jordan, whic... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER THAT HEZRON WAS DEAD ... — Or, “And after the death of Hezron in Caleb-ephratah — and the wife of Hezron was Abiah — and she bare him Ashur...” The text is evidently corrupt. The best suggestion is based on the reading of the LXX.: καὶ μετὰ τὸ�; “And after Hezron’s death Caleb went to Ephr... [ Continue Reading ]
RAM THE FIRSTBORN. — Not the same as the Ram, brother of Jerahmeel, of 1 Chronicles 2:9. (See Note at end of section.) AND AHIJAH. — This is probably a mistake, as the conjunction is wanting in the Hebrew. The LXX. has, “his brother” the Hebrew for which might easily be misread Ahijah. So the Syriac... [ Continue Reading ]
ATARAH. — The word means _corona,_ here and in 1 Chronicles 2:54; probably, the ring-fence or fortifications round a city. So στέφανος was used in Greek (Pindar, _Olymp. viii._ 42, of the wall of Troy). The plural Ataroth occurs as the name of a town in Numbers 32:3; Joshua 16:5. THE MOTHER OF ONAM... [ Continue Reading ]
SELED DIED WITHOUT CHILDREN. — That is, the clan _Seled_ did not multiply, and subdivide into new groups. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 2:32.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF SHESHAN; AHLAI. — See Note on 1 Chronicles 1:41, “Dishon.” Ahlai is the name of a clan, not of an individual. Others would explain such phrases by assuming that “sons of so-and-so” is a conventional expression, used even where only one person has to be registered; or that the chronic... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE WERE THE SONS OF JERAHMEEL. — Subscription of the list contained in 1 Chronicles 2:25. It is noteworthy that the total of the names from Judah to Zaza again amounts to about seventy. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 1; see also Genesis 46:27.)... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW SHESHAN HAD NO SONS, BUT DAUGHTERS. — Comp. 1 Chronicles 2:31 above, “And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.” Those who insist upon a literal understanding of these lists reconcile the two statements by making Ahlai a daughter; others suppose that the chronicler has preserved for us in the present... [ Continue Reading ]
(35-41) The line of Sheshan-Jarha is pursued for thirteen generations of direct descent, but nothing is known of any of its members from any other source. Elishama, the last name (1 Chronicles 2:41), is the twenty-fourth generation specified from Judah. The list thus extends over a period of at leas... [ Continue Reading ]
I. — 1 Chronicles 2:42 : Caleb brother of Jerahmeel = Caleb son of Hezron (1 Chronicles 2:18) = Chelubai (1 Chronicles 2:9). (42) MESHA. — The name of a king of Moab (2 Kings 3:4), whose monument of victory, the famous Moabite stone, was found in 1868 at Dibou. Here the name is probably that of a p... [ Continue Reading ]
(42-55) These verses revert to the Calebite stocks. Interpreted as merely bearing upon the extraction of individuals about whom, for the most part, nothing whatever is known beyond what these brief notices reveal, the section presents great difficulties. The key to it appears to be the assumption th... [ Continue Reading ]
II. — 1 Chronicles 2:46 : The sons of Ephah and Maachah, two concubines of Caleb. (46) EPHAH, CALEB’S CONCUBINE ... — These sons of concubines appear to represent mixed populations or tribal groups considered to be of less pure descent than the chief houses of Caleb. The same title of inferiority m... [ Continue Reading ]
III. — 1 Chronicles 2:50 : A third register of Calebite clans and settlements. (50) THE SONS OF CALEB THE SON OF HUR, THE FIRSTBORN OF EPHRATAH. — See 1 Chronicles 2:19 and Notes. The statement “These were the sons of Caleb” should be connected with 1 Chronicles 2:49, as a subscription or concluding... [ Continue Reading ]