Text -- 1 Chronicles 7:1-19 (NET)

Issachar’s Descendants

7:1 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron– four in all. 7:2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Samuel. They were leaders of their families. In the time of David there were 22,600 warriors listed in Tola’s genealogical records. 7:3 The son of Uzzi: Izrachiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five were leaders. 7:4 According to the genealogical records of their families, they had 36,000 warriors available for battle, for they had numerous wives and sons. 7:5 Altogether the genealogical records of the clans of Issachar listed 87,000 warriors.

Benjamin’s Descendants

7:6 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, and Jediael– three in all. 7:7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. The five of them were leaders of their families. There were 22,034 warriors listed in their genealogical records. 7:8 The sons of Beker: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alameth. All these were the sons of Beker. 7:9 There were 20,200 family leaders and warriors listed in their genealogical records. 7:10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 7:11 All these were the sons of Jediael. Listed in their genealogical records were 17,200 family leaders and warriors who were capable of marching out to battle. 7:12 The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir; the Hushites were descendants of Aher.

Naphtali’s Descendants

7:13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum– sons of Bilhah.

Manasseh’s Descendants

7:14 The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, who was born to Manasseh’s Aramean concubine. She also gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead. 7:15 Now Makir married a wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. (His sister’s name was Maacah.) Zelophehad was Manasseh’s second son; he had only daughters. 7:16 Maacah, Makir’s wife, gave birth to a son, whom she named Peresh. His brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem. 7:17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh. 7:18 His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 7:19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: 1Ch 7:6

They were ten, Gen 46:25, and five of them are named, 1Ch 8:1, but here only three are mentioned, either because these were most eminent; or because the other families are now extinct.

Wesley: 1Ch 7:7

Each of them head of that family to which he belonged. For it may seem by comparing this with 1Ch 8:3, &c. that these were not the immediate sons of Belah, but his Grand - children descended each from a several father.

Wesley: 1Ch 7:14

His wife; his concubine is here opposed to her.

Wesley: 1Ch 7:15

Of the second son or grandson of Machir; for so Zelophehad was.

Wesley: 1Ch 7:15

Only daughters, and no sons.

Wesley: 1Ch 7:17

Ashriel and Zelophehad, named 1Ch 7:14-15, the relative being here referred to the remoter antecedent; as is frequent in the Hebrew.

Wesley: 1Ch 7:18

Gilead's sister.

Wesley: 1Ch 7:18

Understand, and Shemida, out of the next verse.

JFB: 1Ch 7:1

Or Job (Gen 46:13).

JFB: 1Ch 7:2

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.

JFB: 1Ch 7:3

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.

JFB: 1Ch 7:5

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].

JFB: 1Ch 7:6

Ten are named in Gen 46:21, but only five later (1Ch 8:1; Num 26:38). Perhaps five of them were distinguished as chiefs of illustrious families, but two having fallen in the bloody wars waged against Benjamin (Jdg 20:46), there remained only three branches of this tribe, and these only are enumerated.

JFB: 1Ch 7:6

Or Asbel (Genesis 46. 21).

JFB: 1Ch 7:7

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 (Num 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.

JFB: 1Ch 7:12

They are called Muppim and Huppim (Gen 46:21) and Hupham and Shupham (Num 26:39). They were the children of Ir, or Iri (1Ch 7:7).

JFB: 1Ch 7:12

"son."

JFB: 1Ch 7:12

"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, 1Ch 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 (Gen 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.

JFB: 1Ch 7:13

Or Shillem (Gen 46:24).

JFB: 1Ch 7:13

As Dan and Naphtali were her sons, Hushim, as well as these enumerated in 1Ch 7:13, were her grandsons.

JFB: 1Ch 7:14-15

Or descendants; for Ashriel was a grandson, and Zelophehad was a generation farther removed in descent (Num 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."

Clarke: 1Ch 7:2

Whose number was in the days of David - Whether this was the number returned by Joab and his assistants, when they made that census of the people with which God was so much displeased, we know not. It is worthy of remark that we read here the sum of three tribes, Benjamin, Issachar, and Asher, under the reign of David, which is mentioned nowhere else; and yet we have no account here of the other tribes, probably because the author found no public registers in which such enumeration was recorded.

Clarke: 1Ch 7:3

The sons of Izrahiah - five - There are, however, only four names in the text. Instead of five, the Syriac and Arabic read four. If five be the true reading, then Izrahiah must be reckoned with his four sons.

Clarke: 1Ch 7:6

The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher and Jediael - In Gen 46:21, ten sons of Benjamin are reckoned; viz., Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Eri, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. In Num 26:38, etc., five sons only of Benjamin are mentioned, Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shupham, and Hupham: and Ard and Naaman are there said to be the sons of Bela; consequently grandsons of Benjamin. In the beginning of the following chapter, five sons of Benjamin are mentioned, viz., Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, Nohah, and Rapha; where also Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, a second Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram, are all represented as grandsons, not sons, of Benjamin: hence we see that in many cases grandsons are called sons, and both are often confounded in the genealogical tables. To attempt to reconcile such discrepancies would be a task as endless as it would be useless. The rabbins say that Ezra, who wrote this book, did not know whether some of these were sons or grandsons; and they intimate also that the tables from which he copied were often defective, and here we must leave all such matters.

TSK: 1Ch 7:1

Gen 46:13, Phuvah, Job, Num 26:23, Num 26:24, Pua

TSK: 1Ch 7:2

whose number : This was probably the number returned by Joab and his assistants, when they made that census of the people with which God was so much displeased. We find that the effective men of Issachar amounted to 87,000 (1Ch 7:5); 22,600 of whom descended from Tola his eldest son; but whether the 36,000 (1Ch 7:4) were descendants of Tola by Uzzi, and the 22,600 his descendants by Tola’ s other sons; or whether another of Issachar’ s sons be intended, does not clearly appear; though the former seems the more obvious meaning. 1Ch 21:1-5, 1Ch 27:1, 1Ch 27:23, 1Ch 27:24; 2Sa 24:1-9

TSK: 1Ch 7:4

1Ch 12:32

TSK: 1Ch 7:6

of Benjamin : In the parallel place of Genesis, ten sons of Benjamin are reckoned, Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard; and in Numbers, five only are mentioned, Bela, Ashbel, Ahiraim, Shupham, and Hupham; and Ard and Naaman are said to be the sons of Bela, and consequently Benjamin’ s grandsons. In the beginning of the following chapter, also, five are only mentioned, Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, Nohah, and Rapha; and Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoha, another Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram, are all represented as grandsons, not sons of Benjamin. Hence we see that in many cases, grandsons are called sons, and both are often confounded in the genealogical tables. It seems, also, that the persons mentioned in the following verses were neither sons nor grandsons of Bela and Becher, but distinguished persons among their descendants. 1Ch 8:1-12; Gen 46:21; Num 26:38-41

Jediael : 1Ch 7:10, 1Ch 7:11

TSK: 1Ch 7:7

were reckoned : 1Ch 21:1-5; 2Ch 17:17, 2Ch 17:18

TSK: 1Ch 7:10

Ehud : Judg. 3:15-30

TSK: 1Ch 7:11

mighty men : 2Ch 17:13-19

TSK: 1Ch 7:12

Shuppim : 1Ch 7:15; Gen 46:21, Muppim

Huppim : Num 26:39, Shupham, Hupham

Ir : 1Ch 7:7, Iri

Aher : Aher signifies another, and it has been conjectured that these were Danites, ""the sons of another tribe;""especially as Hushim is named as the only son of Dan, Gen 46:23. And they suppose that the name of Dan was not mentioned, because his descendants first established idolatry. But Zebulun, as well as Dan, is here omitted, perhaps because none of either of these tribes returned at first from Babylon. Though the Benjamites had been almost destroyed in the first days of the judges, they soon became numerous and powerful. Num 26:38, Ahiram

TSK: 1Ch 7:13

Jahziel : Gen 46:24; Num 26:48, Jahzeel

Shallum : Gen 46:24; Num 26:49, Shillem

the sons of Bilhah : Gen 30:3-8, Gen 35:22, Gen 46:25

TSK: 1Ch 7:14

The sons : The text in these two verses seems to be strangely corrupted; and, as it stands, is scarcely intelligible. Probably it should be rendered, ""The sons of Manasseh were Ashriel, whom his Syrian concubine bore to him; and Machir the father of Gilead, whom (his wife) bore to him. Machir took for a wife Maachah, sister to Huppim and Shuppim.""This is nearly the version of Dr. Geddes.

Machir : 1Ch 2:21-23; Gen 50:23; Num 26:29-34, Num 27:1, Num 32:30-42; Deu 3:13-15; Jos 13:31, Jos 17:1-3; Jdg 5:14

TSK: 1Ch 7:15

Huppim : 1Ch 7:12

and the name : It is certain that Zelophehad was not a son, but a descendant of Manasseh’ s, three generations having intervened; for he was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

and Zelophehad : Num 26:33, Num 27:1-11, Num 36:1-12

TSK: 1Ch 7:17

Bedan : 1Sa 12:11

TSK: 1Ch 7:18

Num 26:30, Jeezer, Jdg 6:11, Jdg 6:24, Jdg 6:34, Jdg 8:2

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Ch 7:2

Whose number was in the days of David ... - The writer would seem by this passage to have had access to the statistics of the tribes collected by David, when he sinfully "numbered the people"(marginal reference). The numbers given in 1Ch 7:4-5 probably came from the same source.

Barnes: 1Ch 7:6

Three - In Genesis, ten "sons"of Benjamin are mentioned; in Numbers, five (marginal references). Neither list, however, contains Jediael who was perhaps a later chieftain. If so, "son"as applied to him means only "descendant."

It is conjectured that Becher has disappeared from the lists in 1 Chr. 8 and in Numbers, because he, or his heir, married an Ephraimite heiress, and that his house thus passed over in a certain sense into the tribe of Ephraim, in which the "Bachrites"are placed in Numbers Num 26:35. He retains, however, his place here, because, by right of blood, he really belonged to Benjamin.

Barnes: 1Ch 7:7-10

The lists here are remarkably different from those in marginal references Probably the persons here mentioned were not literally "sons,"but were among the later descendants of the founders, being the chief men of the family at the time of David’ s census.

Barnes: 1Ch 7:17

These were the sons of Gilead - i. e. these descendants of Machir were reckoned to the family of Gilead. The name "Gilead"prevailed above all others in the line of Manasseh, the term "Gileadite"almost taking the place of "Manassite."

Barnes: 1Ch 7:18

Abiezer - His descendants formed one of the most important branches of the Manassites. They furnished to Israel the greatest of the Judges, Gideon Jdg 6:11, Jdg 6:24, Jdg 6:34, and were regarded as the leading family among the so-called "sons of Gilead.

Poole: 1Ch 7:1

Jashub called, by way of contraction, Job , Gen 46:13 .

Poole: 1Ch 7:2

In the days of David when he numbered the people, 2Sa 24:1 , &c.

Poole: 1Ch 7:3

The sons for the son ; for he names but one son.

Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five including their father

Izrahiah

Poole: 1Ch 7:4

Six and thirty thousand men to wit, of the posterity of Uzzi, as the other twenty-two thousand six hundred, 1Ch 7:2 , were the posterity of Tola.

Poole: 1Ch 7:6

There were ten, Gen 46:21 , and five of them are named, 1Ch 8:1 , but here only three are mentioned, either because these were most eminent for courage or fruitfulness, or because the other families were now extinct.

Poole: 1Ch 7:7

Heads of the house of their fathers each of them head, or chief, or commander of that house or family from which he was descended, or to which he belonged. For it may seem, by comparing this with 1Ch 8:3 , &c. that these were not the immediate sons of Bela, but his grandchildren descended each from a several father; and their fathers are here omitted, peradventure because they were obscure persons, as their sons are mentioned for their eminency.

Poole: 1Ch 7:12

Shuppim also, and Huppim called Muppim and Huppim , Gen 46:21 , also Hupham and Shupham , Num 26:39 .

The sons of Aher ; but divers take the Hebrew word aher for a common, not proper name, and render the words thus, another son , or the son of another family or tribe, to wit, of Dan, as may be gathered,

1. From Gen 46:23 , where Hushim is mentioned as the only son of Dan, where also the word sons is used of that one man, as it is here.

2. From the clause of the next verse, the sons of Bilhah , who was mother both to Dan and Naphtali.

3. Because otherwise the genealogy of Dan is quite left out.

4. From the word another , which is used in the Hebrew writers to design an abominable thing which the writer disdained to mention; whence they call a swine, which to them was a very unclean and loathsome creature, another thing . And it must be remembered that the tribe of Dan had made themselves and their memory infamous and detestable by that gross idolatry, which began first and continued longest in that tribe, Jud 18 ; for which reason many interpreters conceive this tribe is omitted in the numbering of the scaled persons, Re 7 .

Poole: 1Ch 7:13

The sons of Bilhah i.e. the grandchildren; for Bilhah was Jacob’ s concubine, and mother both to Naphtali, the father of these last named persons, and to Dan. See Poole "1Ch 7:12" .

Poole: 1Ch 7:14

The sons of Manasseh i.e. grandchildren, as 1Ch 7:13 . For both Ashriel and Zelophehad were the grandchildren of Machir son of Manasseh, Num 26:29 &c.; Num 27:1 .

Whom she bare to wit, his wife, as may be thought, because his concubine is here opposed to her. Or, whom he got ; for the Hebrew word yalad is sometimes used of men’ s begetting, as Gen 5:18 , &c. Compare Psa 2:7 . But these and the following words may be otherwise rendered according to the Hebrew text,

whom his concubine the Aramitess bare who bare him (which ellipses are very frequent in the Hebrew) for meeth, of , or by Machir : so this was a differing Ashriel from him named Num 26:31 ; for that was Gilead’ s son, and this his brother.

The father of Gilead a person so called, as is manifest from 1Ch 7:17 Num 26:29 .

Poole: 1Ch 7:15

The sister which word is here fitly understood out of the following clause, where it is expressed, and she is called Maachah , who also is called the wife of Machir , 1Ch 7:16 . The name of the second ; of the second son or grandson of Machir; for so Zelophehad was, Num 26:29 , &c. Or Zelophehad is here called the second , because he was the younger brother of Ashriel, who was the eldest son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir.

Had daughters i.e. only daughters, and no sons.

Poole: 1Ch 7:17

These to wit, Ashriel and Zelophehad, named 1Ch 7:14,15 ; the relative being here referred to the remoter antecedent, as is frequent in the Hebrew.

Poole: 1Ch 7:18

His sister i.e. Gilead’ s sister.

Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah understand, and Shemidah , out of the next verse.

Haydock: 1Ch 7:1

Jasub, or Job. See Genesis xlvi. 13., and Numbers xxvi. 23. (Calmet) ---

Simeron, elsewhere Samron and Semran; (Menochius) which shews, either that the names have been differently pronounced, or that the transcribers have erred. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:2

Chiefs. They were at the head of distinct families. (Menochius) ---

David. We know that David took an account of his fighting men, 2 Kings xxiv. But it is not certain that this register was made at that time; as we read that Benjamin was not numbered, chap. xxi. 6. These lists were probably made when some expedition was intended by David. The author was not, perhaps, able to recover the accounts of Nephthali, Manasses, and Ephraim, no more that the genealogies of Dan (ver. 12) and Zabulon, which do not appear in this book. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:3

Sons, for "the son." (Du Hamel) ---

Izrahia. He alone deserved to be mentioned. See ver. 6, where only three sons of Benjamin appear, though there were more, chap. viii. 2. (Tirinus) ---

Five, comprising Israhia, "all chiefs," (Haydock) men of note, (Du Hamel) or one name may be lost. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:4

Children, who had numerous offspring; (Haydock) so that, in the days of David, these descendants of Thola, amounted to so many. (Menochius)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:5

War. In all, this tribe could muster 145,600 men, at that time. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:6

Benjamin; a man, perhaps, of the tribe of Issachar. See ver. 10. Or the patriarch had originally ten sons, (Genesis xlvi. 21.) or grandsons, five of whom only had children, and perhaps two of their families perished entirely in the war with the other tribes; (Judges xx. 46.) so that, under David, only three branches were acknowledged. (Calmet) ---

Jadihel, or Asbel in Genesis.

Haydock: 1Ch 7:7

Urai, a grandson, called Hir, ver. 12. (Calmet) ---

Five chiefs, but inferior to the seven original families, (Numbers xxvi. 38.; Menochius) unless the fortune of war had made great changes, or some of the lists be imperfect. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:12

And Hapham; called Mophim and Ophim, (Genesis xlvi.) and Suphim and Hupham, Numbers xxvi. 39. ---

Aher, in Hebrew means, "another" son, called Hazim: or more probably Aher ought to be Dan, the father of Husim, (Genesis xlvi. 23.) as Dan and Nephthali had both the same mother, Bala, ver. 13. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:14

Son. Hebrew, "sons....Ezriel, whom she bare." This seems imperfect. The Hebrews seldom name the mother. (Calmet) ---

Septuagint intimate that the Syrian wife was mother of both. (Haydock) ---

Galaad, whose posterity enjoyed the country of the same name, (Numbers xxii. 29., and xxxii. 41.) only Machir in mentioned as the son of Manasses.

Haydock: 1Ch 7:15

And Saphan. St. Jerome seems to have taken them for women. If they were the sons of Hir, (ver. 12) Machir probably adopted them. Hebrew, "Machir took a wife from Happhim," &c. But does one woman marry two men? Syriac and Arabic, "Machir took a wife one of the sisters of Huphim and Suphim, (the great and powerful) named Maacha." (Calmet) ---

Protestants, " the sister of Huppim....whose sister's name was Maachah." (Haydock) ---

Hebrew may have this sense, with a small alteration. (Calmet) ---

Le Clerc thinks that the name of the woman has been lost, and the text altered. ---

Second. This also seems defective, as no first had been mentioned. (Calmet) ---

Two intervened between Machir and Salphaad, namely, Galaad and Hepher, (Numbers xxvi. 29., and xxvii. 1.; Menochius) so that Salphaad was his great-grandson. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:17

Badan, perhaps the same with Jair; (Judges x. 3., and 1 Kings xii. 11.; Calmet) or rather in this last place, the Syriac, &c., read more correctly Barac, and Samson instead of Samuel, who was then speaking. See Hebrews xi. 32. There was no such deliverer as Badan, but the word has been corrupted from Barac. (Septuagint) (Kennicott)

Haydock: 1Ch 7:18

Queen. Hebrew, "Moleceth bore Ishehod." St. Jerome and the Latin Church translate these names. (Worthington) ---

Protestants, "Hammoleketh bore Ishod." (Haydock) ---

The proper names might have been as well retained, (Calmet) as in the Septuagint. (Haydock) ---

Some suppose that the mother of Josue, or Debora, may be designated. (Rabbins) ---

Abiezer, ( 19 ) Leci, are the Jeser and Chelek, Numbers xxvi. 30.

Gill: 1Ch 7:1

Now the sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. The same number is given, Gen 46:13 with a small variation of two of their names, there called Phuvah and Job, from whence so many families sprang, mentioned Num 26:23, where the names are the same as here.

Gill: 1Ch 7:2

And the sons of Tola,.... The eldest son of Issachar, whose posterity are only reckoned by name:

Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola; the principal man of his family:

they were valiant men of might in their generations, famous for their courage and military exploits, though they sprang from Tola, whose name signifies "a worm"; and which name Bochart ^k conjectures was given him by his parents, because he was so weakly that they had no hopes of raising him; and yet from him sprung such mighty men, and from them such a numerous race, as follows:

whose number was, in the days of David, two and twenty thousand and six hundred; besides those of the posterity of Uzzi, after mentioned. This was at the time Joab took the number of Israel, by the order of David, 1Ch 21:5.

Gill: 1Ch 7:3

And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah,.... Including his posterity:

and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five; together with their father, all reckoned the sons of Uzzi:

all of them chief men; in their father's house, heads of families.

Gill: 1Ch 7:4

And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war,.... Companies of men of military courage and skill, who could and did go out to war upon occasion:

six and thirty thousand men; besides the 22,600 Tolaites, 1Ch 7:2,

for they had many wives and sons; having many wives, they had many sons; polygamy was the cause of their large numbers; and that they gave into for the sake of the multiplication of Abraham's seed, according to the divine promise.

Gill: 1Ch 7:5

And their brethren among all the families of Issachar,.... As those of Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, 1Ch 7:1.

were men of might; valiant and courageous:

reckoned in all, by their genealogies, fourscore and seven thousand; that is, including with these those of Tola and Uzzi before given.

Gill: 1Ch 7:6

The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three. Benjamin had ten sons, but three only are mentioned first; the latter of these seems to be the same with Ashbel, Gen 46:21.

Gill: 1Ch 7:7

And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five,.... These are thought by some to be the grandsons of Bela, because of the different names in 1Ch 8:3,

heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; principal men in their tribe and families, and of great courage:

and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four; who sprung from these men.

Gill: 1Ch 7:8

And the sons of Becher,.... Another son of Benjamin, 1Ch 7:6,

Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth; the two last of these, according to Kimchi, gave names to two cities in Benjamin, built by them; Anathoth, the native place of Jeremiah the prophet, and Alameth, the same with Bahurim, 2Sa 16:5.

all these are the sons of Becher; before named.

Gill: 1Ch 7:9

And the number of them,.... Of the posterity of the sons of Becher:

after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; as they increased in succeeding ages, and at the time of David:

was twenty thousand and two hundred.

Gill: 1Ch 7:10

The sons also of Jediael,.... The third son of Benjamin before mentioned, 1Ch 7:6. Bilhan, including his posterity, as follows:

and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin; called so after his great grandfather:

and Ehud; who was the second judge in Israel, Jdg 3:15.

and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar; of whom we nowhere else read.

Gill: 1Ch 7:11

All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle. Which, with the above sums put together, make of the tribe of Benjamin, besides what follow, 59,430; who, if numbered by Joab, the account was not given in by him, 1Ch 21:6.

Gill: 1Ch 7:12

Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir,.... The same with Iri, 1Ch 7:7 so that these were not sons of Benjamin, as they seem to be, if they are the same with Muppim and Huppim in Gen 46:21 but his great-grandchildren, and are the same with Shupham and Hupham, from whom families of the tribe of Benjamin sprung, Num 26:39 the Targum calls them the inhabitants of a city, but of what is not said, unless Geba should be meant, 1Ch 8:6 and

Hushim, the sons of Aher: either the same with Aharah, the third son of Benjamin, 1Ch 8:1 or Ahiram, Num 26:38, though some read the words, "the sons of another"; whom they suppose to be Dan, who otherwise is omitted; and Hushim is the only son of Dan, Gen 46:23, where the same plural word is used as here; who, they think, is called another, by way of detestation, that tribe being guilty of gross idolatry; but he rather seems to belong to Benjamin.

Gill: 1Ch 7:13

The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum,.... Called Shillem, Gen 46:24,

the sons of Bilhah; Jacob's concubine; her grandsons; for Naphtali, the father of them, was her son; from these sprung so many families, after their names, Num 26:48.

Gill: 1Ch 7:14

The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare,.... The wife of Manasseh, as distinguished from his concubine in the next clause; though the Targum reads, in connection with that,"whom his Aramitess (or Syrian) concubine bare;''

and then adds:

who also bare Machir the father of Gilead; so that Ashriel and Machir were brethren; from which Ashriel sprung the family of the Ashrielites, Num 26:29 as from Machir the Machirites, Num 26:29.

Gill: 1Ch 7:15

And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah,.... He married into the tribe of Benjamin, a sister of the persons mentioned, 1Ch 7:12 whose name was Maachah:

and the name of the second was Zelophehad; the second son of Manasseh, or of his posterity mentioned; for he was not his immediate son; for he was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, Num 27:1.

and Zelophehad had daughters; but no sons, the names of his daughters are given, Num 26:33.

Gill: 1Ch 7:16

And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh,.... He had both these sons by her:

and his sons were Ulam and Rakem, that is, either the sons of Peresh or Sheresh, the nearest, as Kimchi observes.

Gill: 1Ch 7:17

And the sons of Ulam: Bedan,.... See 1Sa 12:11.

these were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh; that is, were of his posterity, or belonged to his family; for Ulam and Rakem were sons of a brother of Gilead, 1Ch 7:16.

Gill: 1Ch 7:18

And his sister Hammoleketh,.... The sister of Gilead so named; though the Targum renders it "that reigned"; and so Kimchi, that reigned in some part of Gilead; and the Vulgate Latin version translates it, "a queen bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah"; Abiezer is the same with Jeezer, from whom a family sprung of that name, Num 26:30, of which Gideon was, Jdg 6:11.

Gill: 1Ch 7:19

And the sons of Shemida,.... Another son of Gilead's sister, unless the same with Ishod; from him sprung the family of the Shemidaites, Num 26:30.

were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam; from Shechem came the family of the Shethemites, as from Likhi, if he is the same with Helek, as probably he may be, was the family of the Helekites, Num 26:30.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:2

¹ tn Many English versions spell this name “Ibsam.”

² tn Many English versions retain a form of this name closer to the Hebrew, i.e., “Shemuel.”

³ tn Heb “heads of the house of their fathers.”

⁴ tn Heb “to Tola [there were] warriors by their generations, their number in the days of David [was] 22,600.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:3

¹ tn The Hebrew text has the plural “sons,” but only one son is listed.

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:4

¹ tn Heb “and unto them by their generations to the house of their fathers [were] troops of war of battle, 36,000, for they had many wives and sons.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:5

¹ tn Heb “and their brothers, according to all the clans of Issachar, the warriors [were] 87,000 listed in the genealogical records for all.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:6

¹ tc The Hebrew text has simply “Benjamin,” but בְּנֵי (bÿney, “sons of”) has dropped out by haplography (בְּנֵי בִּנְיָמִן, bÿney binyamin).

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:10

¹ tn The Hebrew text has the plural “sons,” but only one son is listed.

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:12

¹ tn The name “Aher” appears as “Ahiram” in Num 26:38.

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:13

¹ tn The name “Jahziel” appears as “Jahzeel” in Gen 46:24.

² tc Most Hebrew mss read “Shallum”; some Hebrew mss and some LXX mss read “Shillem,” the form of the name that appears in Gen 46:24 and Num 26:49.

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:14

¹ sn See the note on the word “concubine” in 1:32.

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:15

¹ tn Some translations treat the terms שֻׁפִּים (shuppim) and חֻפִּים (khuppim) as proper names of individuals (“Huppim” and “Shuppim”), but others consider these forms to be plurals and refer to tribal or clan names.

² tn Heb “and the name of the second was Zelophehad.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 7:17

¹ tn The Hebrew text has the plural “sons,” but only one son is listed.

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 7:1

Now the sons of Issachar [were], Tola, and Puah, ^{( a )} Jashub, and Shimron, four.

^{( a )} Who also is called Job, (Gen 46:13).

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 7:2

And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, [to wit], of Tola: [they were] valiant men of might in their generations; ^{( b )} whose number [was] in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.

^{( b )} That is, their number was found to be this big when David counted the people, (2Sa 24:1).

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 7:3

And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, ^{( c )} five: all of them chief men.

^{( c )} Meaning, the four sons and the father.

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 7:6

[The sons] of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and ^{( d )} Jediael, ^{( e )} three.

^{( d )} Also called Ashbel, (Gen 46:21; Num 26:38).

^{( e )} Who were the chief: or else there were seven in all as it appears in (Gen 46:21).

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 7:12

Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, [and] Hushim, the sons of ^{( f )} Aher.

^{( f )} Meaning that he was not the son of Benjamin, but of Dan (Gen 46:23).

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 7:13

The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, ^{( g )} the sons of Bilhah.

^{( g )} These came from Dan and Naphtali, who were the sons of Bilhah, (Gen 46:23-25).

Geneva Bible: 1Ch 7:18

And ^{( h )} his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.

^{( h )} Meaning, the sister of Gilead.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Ch 7:1-40

1 The sons of Issachar;

6 of Benjamin;

13 of Naphtali;

14 of Manasseh;

15 and of Ephraim.

21 The calamity of Ephraim by the men of Gath.

23 His posterity by Beriah.

28 Their habitations.

30 The sons of Asher.

MHCC: 1Ch 7:1-40

Here is no account either of Zebulun or Dan. We can assign no reason why they only should be omitted; but it is the disgrace of the tribe of Dan, that idolatry began in that colony which fixed in Laish, and called it Dan, Judges 18 and there one of the golden calves was set up by Jeroboam. Dan is omitted, Revelation 7. Men become abominable when they forsake the worship of the true God, for any creature object.

Matthew Henry: 1Ch 7:1-19

We have here a short view given us,

I. Of the tribe of Issachar, whom Jacob had compared to a strong ass, couching between two burdens (Gen 49:14), an industrious tribe, that minded their country business very closely and rejoiced in their tents, Deu 33:18. And here it appears, 1. That they were a numerous tribe; for they had many wives. So fruitful their country was that they saw no danger of over-stocking the pasture, and so ingenious the people were that they could find work for all hands. Let no people complain of their numbers, provided they suffer none to be idle. 2. That they were a valiant tribe, men of might (1Ch 7:2, 1Ch 7:5), chief men, 1Ch 7:3. Those that were inured to labour and business were of all men the fittest to serve their country when there was occasion, The number of the respective families, as taken in the days of David, is here set down, amounting in the whole to above 145,000 men fit for war. The account, some think, was taken when Joab numbered the people, 2 Sa. 24. But I rather think it refers to some other computation that was made, perhaps among themselves, because it is said (1Ch 27:24) that that account was not inserted in the chronicles of king David, it having offended God.

II. Of the tribe of Benjamin. Some account is here given of this tribe, but much larger in the next chapter. The militia of this tribe scarcely reached to 60,000; but they are said to be mighty men of valour, 1Ch 7:7, 1Ch 7:9, 1Ch 7:11. Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf, Gen 49:27. It was the honour of this tribe that it produced Saul the first king, and more its honour that it adhered to the rightful kings of the house of David when the other tribes revolted. Here is mention (1Ch 7:12) of Hushim the sons of Aher. The sons of Dan are said to be Hushim (Gen 46:23), and therefore some read Aher appellatively, Hushim - the sons of another (that is, another of Jacob's sons) or the sons of a stranger, which Israelites should not be, but such the Danites were when they set up Micah's graven and molten image among them.

III. Of the tribe of Naphtali, 1Ch 7:13. The first fathers only of that tribe are named, the very same that we shall find, Gen 46:24, only that Shillem there is Shallum here. None of their descendents are named, perhaps because their genealogies were lost.

IV. Of the tribe of Manasseh, that part of it which was seated within Jordan; for of the other part we had some account before, 1Ch 5:23, etc. Of this tribe observe, 1. That one of them married an Aramitess, that is, a Syrian, 1Ch 7:14. This was during their bondage in Egypt, so early did they begin to mingle with the nations. 2. That, though the father married a Syrian, Machir, the son of that marriage, perhaps seeing the inconvenience of it in his father's house, took to wife a daughter of Benjamin, 1Ch 7:15. It is good for the children to take warning by their father's mistakes and not stumble at the same stone. 3. Here is mention of Bedan (1Ch 7:17), who perhaps is the same with that Bedan who is mentioned as one of Israel's deliverers, 1Sa 12:11. Jair perhaps, who was of Manasseh (Jdg 10:3), was the man.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 7:1-5

Sons and families of Issachar. - 1Ch 7:1. Instead of ולבני , we must certainly read בּני , as in 1Ch 7:14, 1Ch 7:30, or וּבני , as in 1Ch 7:20; 1Ch 5:11, and elsewhere. The לבני has come into the text only by the recollection of the copyist having dwelt on the so frequently recurring לבני in 1Ch 6:42, 1Ch 6:46-47, cf. 1Ch 6:48, 1Ch 6:56, 1Ch 6:62, for it is not possible to take ל as the ל of introduction, because the names of the sons follow immediately. The names of the four sons are given as in Num 26:23., while in Gen 46:13 the second is written פּוּה , and the third יוב ; vide on Gen. loc. cit.

1Ch 7:2

The six sons of Tola are not elsewhere met with in the Old Testament. They were "heads of their fathers'-houses of Tola." לתולע after אבותם לבית (with the suffix) is somewhat peculiar; the meaning can only be, "of their fathers'-houses which are descended from Tola."It is also surprising, or rather not permissible, that לתולדותם should be connected with חיל גּבּורי . לתולדותם belongs to the following: "(registered) according to their births, they numbered in the days of David 22,600."The suffixes ם - do not refer to ראשׁים , but to the בּית־אבות , the fathers'-houses, the males in which amounted to 22,600 souls. As David caused the people to be numbered by Joab (2 Sam 24; 1Ch 21:1), this statement probably rests on the results of that census.

1Ch 7:3-5

From Uzzi, the first-born of Tola, are descended through Izrahiah five men, all heads of groups of related households (1Ch 7:4); "and to them (i.e., besides these) according to their generations, according to their fathers'-houses, bands of the war host, 36,000 (men), for they (these chiefs) had many wives and sons."From the fact that Izrahiah is introduced as grandson of Tola, Bertheau would infer that 1Ch 7:3, 1Ch 7:4 refer to times later than David. But this is an erroneous inference, for Tola's sons did not live in David's time at all, and consequently it is not necessary that his grandson should be assigned to a later time. The only assertion made is, that the descendants of Tola's sons had increased to the number mentioned in 1Ch 7:2 in the time of David. By that time the descendants of his grandson Izrahiah might have increased to the number given in 1Ch 7:4. That the number, 36,000, of the descendants of the grandson Izrahiah was greater than the number of those descended from the sons of Tola (22,600), is explained in the clause, "for they had many wives and sons."That the two numbers (in 1Ch 7:2, 1Ch 7:4) refer to the same time, i.e., to the days of David, is manifest from 1Ch 7:5, "and their brethren of all the families of Issachar, valiant heroes; 87,000 their register, as regards everything,"i.e., the sum of those registered of all the families of Issachar. Whence we gather that in the 87,000 both the 22,600 (1Ch 7:2) and the 36,000 (1Ch 7:4) are included, and their brethren consequently must have amounted to 28,400 (22,600 + 36,000 + 28,400 = 87,000). In the time of Moses, Issachar numbered, according to Num 1:29, 54,400; and at a later time, according to Num 26:25, already numbered 64,300 men.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 7:6-11

Sons and families of Benjamin. - In 1Ch 7:6 only three sons of Benjamin-Bela, Becher, and Jediael - are mentioned; and in 1Ch 7:7-11 their families are registered. Besides these, there are five sons of Benjamin spoken of in 1Ch 8:1-2, - Bela the first, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth; while in 1Ch 7:3-5 five other בּנים are enumerated, viz., אדּר , גּרא (twice), נעמן , שׁפוּפן , and חוּרם . If we compare here the statements of the Pentateuch as to the genealogy of Benjamin, we find in Gen 46:21 the following sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi ( אחי ) and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard ( ארדּ ); and in Num 26:38-40 seven families, of which five are descended from his sons Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shephupham, and Hupham ( חוּפם ); and two from his grandsons, the sons of Bela, Ard and Naaman. From this we learn, not only that of the בּנים mentioned in Gen 46:21 at least two were grandsons, but also that the names אחי and מפּים (Gen.) are only other forms of אחירם and שׁפוּפם (Num.). It is, however, somewhat strange that among the families (in Num.) the names בּכר , גּרא , and ראשׁ are wanting. The explanation which at once suggests itself, that their descendants were not numerous enough to form separate families, and that they on that account were received into the families of the other sons, though it may be accepted in the case of Gera and Rosh, of whom it is nowhere recorded that they had numerous descendants, cannot meet the case of Becher, for in 1Ch 7:8, 1Ch 7:9 of our chapter mention is made of nine sons of his, with a posterity of 20,200 men. The supposition that the name of Becher and his family has been dropped from the genealogical register of the families in Num 26, will not appear in the slightest degree probable, when we consider the accuracy of this register in other respects. The only remaining explanation therefore is, that the descendants of Becher were in reality not numerous enough to form a משׁפּחה by themselves, but had afterwards so increased that they numbered nine fathers'-houses, with a total of 20,200 valiant warriors. The numbers in our register point unquestionably to post-Mosaic times; for at the second numbering by Moses, all the families of Benjamin together numbered only 45,600 men (Num 26:41), while the three families mentioned in our verses number together 59,434 (22,034 + 20,200 + 17,200). The tribe of Benjamin, which moreover was entirely destroyed, with the exception of 600 men, in the war which it waged against the other tribes in the earlier part of the period of the judges (Jdg 20:47), could not have increased to such an extent before the times of David and Solomon. The name of the third son of Benjamin, Jediael, occurs only here, and is considered by the older commentators to be another name of Ashbel (Gen 46:21 and Num 26:38), which cannot indeed be accepted as a certainty, but is very probable.

1Ch 7:7

The five heads of fathers'-houses called sons of Bela are not sons in the proper sense of the word, but more distant descendants, who, at the time when this register was made up, were heads of the five groups of related households of the race of Bela. חילים גּבּורי is synonymous with חיל גּבּורי , 1Ch 7:9, and is a plural, formed as if from a nomen compositum , which arose after the frequent use of the words as they are bound together in the status constructus had obscured the consciousness of the relation between them.

1Ch 7:8-9

Becher's descendants. Of these nine names there are two, ענתות and עלמת , which occur elsewhere as names of cities (cf. for עלמת in the form עלּמת , 1Ch 6:45; and for ענתות , Jos 21:18; Isa 10:30; Jer 1:1). We may, without doubt, accept the supposition that in these cases the cities received their names from the heads of the families which inhabited them. In 1Ch 7:9, אבותם בּית ראשׁי stands in apposition to, and is explanatory of, לתולדותם : "And their register, according to their generations,"viz., according to the generations, that is, the birth-lists, "of the heads of their fathers'-houses, is (amounts to) in valiant heroes 20,200 men."

1Ch 7:10-11

Among the descendants of Jediael we find Benjamin and Ehud, the first of whom is named after the patriarch; but the second is not the judge Ehud (Jdg 3:15), who was indeed a Benjamite, but of the family of Gera. Chenaanah does not necessarily indicate a Canaanite family. Tharshish, which is elsewhere a precious stone, is here the name of a person; Ahishahar, that is, Brother of the Dawn, perhaps so named because sub auroram natur . - In 1Ch 7:11 the expression is contracted, as often happens in formulae which frequently recur; and the meaning is, "All these are sons of Jediael (for as sons of Bilhan the son of Jediael, they are at the same time sons of the latter), (registered) according to the heads of their fathers'-houses, valiant heroes 17,200, going forth in the host to war." האבות ראשׁי is contracted from בּית־אבות ראשׁי , vide on Exo 6:25; and the ל before ראשׁי , which Bertheau from a misinterpretation wishes to remove, depends upon the התיחשׂם (1Ch 7:9) to be supplied in thought.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 7:12

1Ch 7:12 is unintelligible to us. The first half, "And Shuppim and Huppim, sons of Ir,"would seem, if we may judge from the ו cop., to enumerate some other descendants of Benjamin. And besides, (1) the names וחפּים מפּים occur in Gen 46:21 among those of the sons of Benjamin, and in Num 26:39, among the families of Benjamin, one called שׁוּפמי from שׁפוּפם , and another חוּפמי from חוּפם , are introduced; we must consequently hold מפּים to be an error for שׁפם or שׁוּפם . And (2) the name עיר is most probably identical with עירי in 1Ch 7:7. The peculiar forms of those names, viz., וחפּם שׁפם , seem to have arisen from an improper comparison of them with וּלשׁפּים לחפּים in 1Ch 7:15, in which the fact was overlooked that the Huppim and Shuppim of 1Ch 7:15 belong to the Manassites. Here, therefore, two other families descended from the Benjamite Ir or Iri would seem to be mentioned, which may easily be reconciled with the purpose (1Ch 7:6) to mention none of the Benjamites but the descendants of Bela, Becher, and Jediael. The further statement, "Hushim, sons of Aher,"is utterly enigmatical. The name חשׁים is found in Gen 46:23 as that of Dan's only son, who, however, is called in Num 26:42 שׁוּחם , and who founded the family of the Shuhami. But as the names חוּשׁים and חשׁים are again met with in 1Ch 8:8, 1Ch 8:11 among the Benjamites, there is no need to imagine any connection between our חשּׁՀ and that family.

The word אהר , alius , is not indeed found elsewhere as a nomen proprium, but may notwithstanding be so here; when we might, notwithstanding the want of the conjunction w, take the Hushim sons of Aher to be another Benjamite family. In that case, certainly, the tribe of Dan would be omitted from our chapter; but we must not allow that to lead us into arbitrary hypotheses, as not only Dan but also Zebulun is omitted.

(Note: Bertheau's judgment in the matter is different. Starting from the facts that חשׁים (Gen 46:27) is called a son of Dan, and that further, in the enumeration of the tribes in Gen 46 and Num 26, Dan follows after Benjamin; that in Gen 46 Dan stands between Benjamin and Naphtali, and that in our chapter, in 1Ch 7:13, the sons of Naphtali follow immediately; and that the closing words of this verse, "sons of Bilhah,"can, according to Gen 46:25, refer only to Dan and Naphtali, and consequently presuppose that Dan or his descendants have been mentioned in our passage,- he thinks there can be no doubt that originally Danites were mentioned in our verse, and that חשׁם was introduced as the son of Dan. Moreover, from the word אהר , "the other,"he draws the further inference that it may have been, according to its meaning, the covert designation of a man whose proper name fear, or dislike of some sort, prevented men from using, and was probably a designation of the tribe of Dan, which set up its own worship, and so separated itself from the congregation of Israel; cf. Judg. 17f. The name is avoided, he says, in our chapter, in 1Ch 6:61 and 1Ch 6:69, and is named only in 1Ch 2:2 among the twelve tribes of Israel, and in 1Ch 12:35. The conjecture, therefore, is forced upon us, that אהר בּן חשּׁם , "Hushim the son of the other,"viz., of the other son of Bilhah, whose name he wished to pass over in silence, stands for חשּׁם דן וּבני . The name Aher, then, had so completely concealed the tribe of Dan, that later readers did not mark the new commencement, notwithstanding the want of the conjunction, and had no scruple in adding the well-known names of the Benjamites, שׁפם and חפם , to the similarly-sounding חשׁם , though probably at first only in the margin. This hypothesis has no solid foundation. The supposed dislike to mention the name of Dan rests upon an erroneous imagination, as is manifest from the thrice repeated mention of that name, not merely in 1Ch 2:2 and 1Ch 12:35, but also in 1Ch 27:22. The omission of the tribe of Dan in 1Ch 6:61, 1Ch 6:69, is only the result of a corruption of the text in these passages; for in 1Ch 6:61 the words, "Ephraim and of the tribe of Dan,"and after 1Ch 6:69 a whole verse, have been dropped out in the copying. In neither of these verses can there by any idea of omitting the name Dan because of a dislike to mention it, for in 1Ch 6:61 the name Ephraim is lacking, and in 1Ch 6:69 the names of two cities are also omitted, where even Berth. cannot suppose any "dislike."When Berth. quotes Jdg 18:30 in favour of his concealment hypothesis, where under the Keri מנשׁה the name משׁה is supposed to be concealed, he has forgotten that the opinion that in this passage משׁה has been altered into מנשׁה from a foolish dislike, is one of the rabbinic caprices, which we cannot attribute as a matter of course to the authors of the biblical writings. With this groundless suspicion falls of itself the attempt which he bases upon it "to solve the enigma of our verse."If the words in question do really contain a remark concerning the family of Dan, we must suppose, with Ewald ( Gesch . i. S. 242), that the text has become corrupt, several words having been dropped out. Yet the בּלהה בּני at the end of 1Ch 7:13 is not sufficient to warrant such a supposition. Had the register originally contained not only the sons of Naphtali, but also the sons of Dan, so that בלהה בני would have to be referred to both, the conj. ו could not have been omitted before נפתּלי בּני . The want of this conjunction is, however, in conformity with the whole plan of our register, in which all the tribes follow, one after the other, without a conjunction; cf. 1Ch 7:6, 1Ch 7:14, 1Ch 7:30. ו is found only before אפרים בּני , 1Ch 7:20, because Ephraim and Manasseh are closely connected, both continuing to form the one tribe of Joseph. We must accordingly hold נף בני , 1Ch 7:13, without ו cop., to have been the original reading, when the conjecture that בלהה בני includes also the sons of Dan is at once disposed of.)

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 7:13

The sons of Naphtali. - Only the sons of Naphtali are named, the families descended from them being passed over. The names correspond to those in Gen 46:24 and Num 26:48., except that there the first is יחצאל , and the last שׁלּם instead of שׁלּוּם .

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ch 7:14-19

Families of the half-tribe of Manasseh. - The families of Manasseh which dwelt in Gilead and Bashan have already been mentioned in 1Ch 5:23, 1Ch 5:14. Our verses deal with the families of this tribe which received their inheritance in Canaan, on this side Jordan. These were, according to Num 26:30, Num 26:34, and Jos 17:2, six families, of which, however, only two are here spoken of - Ashriel, 1Ch 7:14, and Shemidah, 1Ch 7:19; or perhaps three, if Abiezer, 1Ch 7:18, be the same person as Jeezer (Num 26:30), who is called Abiezer in Jos 17:2. The statements of 1Ch 7:14, 1Ch 7:15 are very obscure. At the head of the register of the Manassites stands Ashriel, who, according to Num 26:31, belonged to the sons of Gilead the son of Manasseh and the grandson of Joseph (cf. Gen 50:23), and founded one of the six families of the cis-Jordanic Manassites. But the words which follow are obscure; the words are וגו ילרה אשׁר , "whom his Aramaic concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead."But since Ashriel, according to this, was the great-grandson of Manasseh, while Machir was his son, the relative clause can refer only to Manasseh, to whom his concubine bore Machir. Movers and Berth. would therefore erase אשׂריאל , as a gloss arising out of a doubling of the following יל אשר . By this expedient the difficultly as to the connection of the relative clause is certainly got rid of, but the obscurities of the following verse (1Ch 7:15) are not thereby removed. The analogy of the other registers in our chapter requires, rather, that immediately after מנשּׁה בּני there should stand the name of a descendant, - a fact which speaks strongly in favour of the authenticity of אשׂריאל . It is therefore a much more probable suggestion, that after the name אשׂריאל , some additional clause, such as בּן־מנשּׁה , has been dropped, or regarded as superfluous by a copyist, and so omitted. To such an omitted מנשׁה בן , the relative sentence, which gives more details as to the descent of Ashriel, would be attacked in a simple and natural manner, since it was known from Num 26:30. that Ashriel was descended from Manasseh through Gilead.

1Ch 7:15-17

1Ch 7:15 is literally, "And Machir took a wife to Huppim and Shuppim, and the name of his sister was Maachah, and the name of the second Zelophehad."According to 1Ch 7:16, on the contrary, Maachah is the wife of Machir, and we should consequently expect to find in 1Ch 7:15 only the simple statement, "And Machir took a wife whose name was Maachah."From the words מעכה אחתו מעכה sdrow eh ולשׁפים לחפים no meaning which harmonizes with the context can be obtained. Since ל אשּׁה לקח signifies "to take a wife for one"(cf. Jdg 14:2), we can only suppose that by the names Huppim and Shuppim Machir's sons are meant, to whom he, as their father, gave wives. But we cannot suppose that the sons of Machir are referred to, for the birth of the sons is first mentioned in 1Ch 7:16. But we have found the names חפם and שׁפם spoken of as descendants of Benjamin; and Bertheau consequently conjectures that these names have been brought thence into our verse by some gloss, and that the beginning of our verse originally stood thus: המלכת אחתו ושׁם מעכם ושׁמה אשׁה לקח ומכיר לקח אשׁה ושׁם , "And Machir took a wife whose name is Maachah, and the name of his sister if Hammoleketh"(the last according to 1Ch 7:18). By this means we certainly bring some meaning into the words; but we cannot venture to maintain that this conjecture corresponds to the original text, but rather incline to doubt it. For, in the first place, the following words, "And the name of the second (is) Zelophehad,"do not suit the proposed reading. Berth. must here alter השּׁני into אהיו (the name of his brother). But even after this alteration, the mention of the brother of Machir is not suitable to the context; and moreover Zelophehad was not a true brother, but only a nephew of Machir, the son of his brother Hepher; cf. Num 26:33; Num 27:1. And besides this, according to the concluding formula, "These are the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh"(1Ch 7:17), we should expect to find in 1Ch 7:15, 1Ch 7:16, not merely sons or descendants of Machir, but rather descendants of Gilead. We therefore hold the statement of 1Ch 7:15, "And the name of the second if Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had (only) daughters,"to be correct and beyond criticism, and the first part of 1Ch 7:15 to be corrupt and defective; and conjecture that a son of Gilead's was mentioned in it, to whose name the words, "And the name of the second,"etc., belonged. This son who was mentioned in the text, which has been handed down to us only in a defective state, was probably the Ashriel mentioned in 1Ch 7:14, a son of Gilead, whose descent from Machir was given more in detail in the corrupt and consequently meaningless first half of 1Ch 7:15. In 1Ch 7:15, 1Ch 7:17, other descendants of Machir by his wife Maachah are enumerated, which favours the probable conjecture that the wife whom Machir took, according to 1Ch 7:15, was different from Maachah, that Machir had two wives, and that in 1Ch 7:15 originally the sons of the first were enumerated, and in 1Ch 7:16, 1Ch 7:17, the sons of the second. Peresh and Shelesh are mentioned only here. בּנין , "his sons"(that is, the sons of the last-named, Shelesh), were Ulam and Rakem, names which are also met with only here. The name בּדן is found in our Masoretic text, 1Sa 12:11, as the name of a judge, but probably בּרק should be read instead.

1Ch 7:18

A third branch of the descendants of Gilead were descended from Machir's sister Hammoleketh, a name which the Vulgate has taken in an appellative sense. Of her sons, Ishod, i.e., "man of splendour,"is not elsewhere mentioned. The name Abiezer occurs, Jos 17:2, as that of the head of one of the families of Manasseh. In Num 26:30, however, he is called Jeezer, which is probably the original reading, and consequently our Abiezer is different from that in Jos 17:2. Another circumstance which speaks strongly against the identification of the two men is, that the family descended from Jeezer holds the first place among the families of Manasseh, which is not at all consonant with the position of the son of Machir's sister here mentioned. Of the family of Abiezer came the judge Gideon, Jdg 11:15. A daughter of Zelophehad is called Mahlah in Num 26:33; Num 27:1, but she is not the person here mentioned.

1Ch 7:19

The sons of Shemida, the founder of the fourth family of the Manassites, Num 26:32. His four sons are nowhere else referred to, for שׁכם , the founder of a family of the Manassites (Num 26:31 and Jos 17:2), is to be distinguished from the Shechem of our verse; nor is there any greater reason to identify Likhi with Helek, Num 26:30 (Berth.), than there is for connecting אניעם with נעם , the daughter of Zelophehad, Num 26:33; Jos 17:3.

Constable: 1Ch 1:1--9:44

I. ISRAEL'S HISTORICAL ROOTS chs. 1--9

"The fact that the author of 1 and 2 Chronicles devoted nine chapters out of sixty-five to genealogies (1 Chr 1-9) makes clear that these were of great importance to him and bear significantly on his purpose in writing his work. This purpose needs to be understood by any commentator who would elucidate the nature of these volumes.

"We may define a genealogy as a written or oral expression of the descent of a person or persons from an ancestor or ancestors.'¹⁸ They may display breadth (These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,' 1 Chr 2:1) and depth (the sons of Solomon: Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son,' 1 Chr 3:10). This latter genealogy and others of its type that display depth alone are termed linear.' Biblical genealogies, like the extrabiblical ones, are normally quite limited in depth, rarely extending beyond ten or twelve generations but often from four to six. In 1 Chronicles 2-9 we have an exception. Perhaps the writer sometimes joined separate genealogies.

"If a genealogy displays breadth as well as depth, it is termed segmented,' or mixed.' In Chronicles multiple descendants of an ancestor are frequently named, but not all the lives are pursued to later generations. Genealogies may proceed from parent to child (descending, as in 1 Chr 9:39-44) or from child to parent (ascending, as in 1 Chr 9:14-16).

"The two types of genealogy, linear and segmented, serve different purposes. The linear genealogy seeks to legitimize an individual by relating him to an ancestor whose status is established. The segmented genealogy is designed to express relationships between the various branches of a family."¹⁹

"Their function, broadly speaking, is to show that the promises and purposes of God continue."²⁰

The aim of the genealogies "is to paint a portrait of the people of God in its ideal extent as a symbol of both the particularity of his election and the breadth of his grace."²¹

". . . it should be noted that a further theme of Chr., that of the Lord's willingness to start afresh with his errant people, is also tucked away almost unnoticed in the genealogies."²²

Constable: 1Ch 4:1--7:40

B. The House of Israel chs. 4-7

The writer's next concern was to trace the line of people to whom and through whom God promised to bring blessing and salvation. That nation was Israel, the descendants of Jacob. The writer viewed Israel as consisting of 12 tribes, not just the tribes represented by the returnees from Babylonian exile. The nation as a whole would have a future.

Constable: 1Ch 7:1-40

5. The remaining families of Israel ch. 7

The tribes the writer listed were Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher. Why did he omit Dan and Zebulun? The inclusion of these tribes would have resulted in a total of 14 tribes since he had counted Levi and had dealt with both halves of Manasseh separately. Evidently to keep the whole number of tribes at 12 he omitted these.³¹ Another possibility is that perhaps the tribes of Dan and Zebulun had little influence or relevance among the Jews who made up the returned exiles.³² That there were 12 tribes seems to have been more important to the writer than how he reckoned them as 12. The writers of both the Old and New Testaments used many different combinations each totalling 12 in the many lists of the 12 tribes that appear in Scripture. By listing 12 tribes the Chronicler emphasized that the whole nation was intact. The term "all Israel" occurs over 40 times in Chronicles, and there are also many occurrences of the phrases "all the house of Israel" and "all the tribes of Israel."

In these chapters (4-7) the writer stressed the following central features of God's covenant relationship with Israel. The leadership of Judah that even swallowed up another tribe came to a head in David and his descendants. The transjordanian tribes experienced the results of unfaithfulness to God. The tribe of Levi enjoyed the privilege of priesthood in Israel. The writer also drew attention to the 12-tribe structure of the one Israelite nation.

Guzik: 1Ch 7:1-40

1 Chronicles 4 through 8 - The Tribes of Israel and their Descendents

D. The other tribes of Israel.

1. (7:1-5) The descendents of Issachar.

The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron; four in all. The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house. The sons of Tola were mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred. The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishiah. All five of them were chief men. And with them, by their generations, according to their fathers' houses, were thirty-six thousand troops ready for war; for they had many wives and sons. Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all.

a. Thirty-six thousand troops ready for war: "For Israhiah and his four sons, even with 'many wives,' to have '36,000' warriors seems unlikely, as does the total (vv. 2-5) of 145,600 for just one tribe of the Twelve. This appears to be the first of nine passages in Chronicles where elep ('thosuand') might be better interpreted as allup ('chief')." (Payne)

2. (7:6-12) The descendents of Benjamin.

The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael; three in all. The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri; five in all. They were heads of their fathers' houses, and they were listed by their genealogies, twenty-two thousand and thirty-four mighty men of valor. The sons of Becher were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jerimoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these are the sons of Becher. And they were recorded by genealogy according to their generations, heads of their fathers' houses, twenty thousand two hundred mighty men of valor. The son of Jediael was Bilhan, and the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tharshish, and Ahishahar. All these sons of Jediael were heads of their fathers' houses; there were seventeen thousand two hundred mighty men of valor fit to go out for war and battle. Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, and Hushim was the son of Aher.

a. Ehud: This was the famous leader for Israel noted in Judges 3:12-30.

b. The son of Aher: Many believe that is better rendered the sons of Aher and is a veiled reference to the tribe of Dan, who is not otherwise mentioned in this genealogy.

i. "The sons of Aher; but divers take the Hebrew word aher for a common, not proper name, and render the words this, another son, or the son of another family or tribe, to wit, of Dan, as may be gathered." (Poole)

ii. There are at least four things that support the idea that this is a veiled reference to the tribe of Dan:

· In Genesis 46:23 Hushim is mentioned as the son of Dan.

· The next verse in 1 Chronicles (7:13) mentions the sons of Bilhah, who was mother to both Dan and Naphtali, also mentioned in that verse.

· Otherwise the genealogy of Dan is left out.

· Hebrew writers sometimes used the word another (aher) to describe "an abominable thing which the writer disdained to mention; whence they call a swine, which to them was a very unclean and loathsome creature, another thing."

iii. "And it must be remembered that the tribe of Dan had made themselves and their memory infamous and detestable by that gross idolatry, which began first and continued longest in that tribe, Judges 18." (Poole)

3. (7:13) The descendents of Naphtali.

The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

4. (7:14-19) The descendents of the Western Tribe of Manasseh.

The descendants of Manasseh: his Syrian concubine bore him Machir the father of Gilead, the father of Asriel. Machir took as his wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose name was Maachah. The name of Gilead's grandson was Zelophehad, but Zelophehad begot only daughters. (Maachah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. The son of Ulam was Bedan.) These were the descendants of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. His sister Hammoleketh bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. And the sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

a. But Zelophehad begot only daughters: Zelophehad is one mentioned in Numbers 26:33, 27:1-11 and 36:1-12 when the question came to Moses about female inheritance rights.

5. (7:20-29) The descendents of Ephraim.

The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in that land killed them because they came down to take away their cattle. Then Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house. Now his daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah; and Rephah was his son, as well as Resheph, and Telah his son, Tahan his son, Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Nun his son, and Joshua his son. Now their possessions and dwelling places were Bethel and its towns: to the east Naaran, to the west Gezer and its towns, and Shechem and its towns, as far as Ayyah and its towns; and by the borders of the children of Manasseh were Beth Shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel.

a. The sons of Ephraim: "The Ephraimites were famous for their wealth, power, and prowess; but withal they are noted for insolent, proud, and quarrelsome." (Trapp)

6. (7:30-40) The descendents of Asher.

The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. And Heber begot Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and their sister Shua. The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the children of Japhlet. The sons of Shemer were Ahi, Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. And the sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Jithran, and Beera. The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara. The sons of Ulla were Arah, Haniel, and Rizia. All these were the children of Asher, heads of their fathers' houses, choice men, mighty men of valor, chief leaders. And they were recorded by genealogies among the army fit for battle; their number was twenty-six thousand.

a. Their sister Serah . . . their sister Shua: "The rabbins say that the daughters of Asher were very beautiful, and were all matched with kings or priests." (Clarke)

Introduction / Outline

JFB: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF CHRONICLES were also considered as one by the ancient Jews, who called them "words of days," that is, diaries or journals, being probably compiled from those registers that were kept by the king's historiographers of passing occurrences. In the Septuagint the title given them is Paraleipomenon, "of things omitted," that is, the books are supplementary because many things unnoticed in the former books are here recorded; and not only the omissions are supplied, but some narratives extended while others are added. The authorship is commonly ascribed to Ezra, whose leading object seems to have been to show the division of families, possessions, &c., before the captivity, with a view to the exact restoration of the same order after the return from Babylon. Although many things are restated and others are exact repetitions of what is contained in Kings, there is so much new and important information that, as JEROME has well said, the Chronicles furnish the means of comprehending parts of the New Testament, which must have been unintelligible without them. They are frequently referred to by Christ and the Apostles as forming part of "the Word of God" (see the genealogies in Mat. 1:1-16; Luk. 3:23-38; compare 2Ch 19:7 with 1Pe 1:17; 2Ch 24:19-21 with Mat 23:32-35).

JFB: 1 Chronicles (Outline)

• ADAM'S LINE TO NOAH. (1Ch. 1:1-23)
• SHEM'S LINE TO ABRAHAM. (1Ch 1:24-28)
• SONS OF ISHMAEL. (1Ch 1:29-31)
• SONS OF KETURAH. (1Ch 1:32-33)
• POSTERITY OF ABRAHAM BY ESAU. (1Ch 1:34-42)
• POSTERITY OF JUDAH. (1Ch 2:3-12)
• CHILDREN OF JESSE. (1Ch 2:13-17)
• POSTERITY OF CALEB. (1Ch. 2:18-55)
• SONS OF DAVID. (1Ch 3:1-9)
• HIS LINE TO ZEDEKIAH. (1Ch 3:10-16)
• SUCCESSORS OF JECONIAH. (1Ch 3:17-24)
• POSTERITY OF JUDAH BY CALEB THE SON OF HUR. (1Ch 4:1-8)
• OF JABEZ, AND HIS PRAYER. (1Ch 4:9-20)
• POSTERITY OF SHELAH. (1Ch 4:21-23)
• OF SIMEON. (1Ch. 4:24-43)
• THE LINE OF REUBEN. (1Ch 5:1-10)
• THE LINE OF GAD. (1Ch. 5:11-26)
• LINE OF THE PRIESTS. (1Ch. 6:1-48)
• OFFICE OF AARON AND HIS SONS. (1Ch. 6:49-81)
• SONS OF ISSACHAR. (1Ch 7:1-5)
• OF BENJAMIN. (1Ch 7:6-12)
• OF NAPHTALI. (1Ch 7:13)
• OF MANASSEH. (1Ch. 7:14-40)
• SONS AND CHIEF MEN OF BENJAMIN. (1Ch. 8:1-32)
• STOCK OF SAUL AND JONATHAN. (1Ch 8:33-40)
• ORIGINAL REGISTERS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH'S GENEALOGIES. (1Ch. 9:1-26)
• SAUL'S OVERTHROW AND DEATH. (1Ch 10:1-7)
• THE PHILISTINES TRIUMPH OVER HIM. (1Ch 10:8-14)
• DAVID MADE KING. (1Ch 11:1-3)
• HE WINS THE CASTLE OF ZION FROM THE JEBUSITES BY JOAB'S VALOR. (1Ch 11:4-9)
• A CATALOGUE OF HIS WORTHIES. (1Ch. 11:10-47)
• THE COMPANIES THAT CAME TO DAVID AT ZIKLAG. (1Ch. 12:1-22)
• THE ARMIES THAT CAME TO HIM AT HEBRON. (1Ch. 12:23-40)
• DAVID FETCHES THE ARK FROM KIRJATH-JEARIM. (1Ch 13:1-8)
• HIRAM'S KINDNESS TO DAVID; DAVID'S FELICITY. (1Ch 14:1-2)
• HIS WIVES. (1Ch 14:3-7)
• HIS VICTORIES OVER THE PHILISTINES. (1Ch 14:8-17)
• DAVID BRINGS THE ARK FROM OBEDEDOM. (1Ch. 15:1-24)
• DAVID'S FESTIVAL SACRIFICE AND LIBERALITY TO THE PEOPLE. (1Ch 16:1-6)
• HIS PSALM OF THANKSGIVING. (1Ch. 16:7-43)
• DAVID FORBIDDEN TO BUILD GOD A HOUSE. (1Ch 17:1-10)
• DAVID SUBDUES THE PHILISTINES AND MOABITES. (1Ch 18:1-2)
• DAVID SMITES HADADEZER AND THE SYRIANS. (1Ch 18:3-17)
• DAVID'S MESSENGERS, SENT TO COMFORT HANUN, ARE DISGRACEFULLY TREATED. (1Ch 19:1-5)
• JOAB AND ABISHAI OVERCOME THE AMMONITES. (1Ch 19:6-15)
• SHOPHACH SLAIN BY DAVID. (1Ch 19:16-19)
• RABBAH BESIEGED BY JOAB, SPOILED BY DAVID, AND THE PEOPLE TORTURED. (1Ch 20:1-3)
• THREE OVERTHROWS OF THE PHILISTINES AND THREE GIANTS SLAIN. (1Ch 20:4-8)
• DAVID SINS IN NUMBERING THE PEOPLE. (1Ch 21:1-13)
• HE BUILDS AN ALTAR. (1Ch 21:18-30)
• DAVID PREPARES FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE. (1Ch 22:1-5)
• HE INSTRUCTS SOLOMON. (1Ch 22:6-19)
• DAVID MAKES SOLOMON KING. (1Ch 23:1)
• NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE LEVITES. (1Ch 23:2-6)
• SONS OF GERSHON. (1Ch 23:7-11)
• OF KOHATH. (1Ch 23:12-20)
• OF MERARI. (1Ch 23:21-23)
• OFFICE OF THE LEVITES. (1Ch 23:24-32)
• DIVISION OF THE SONS OF AARON INTO FOUR AND TWENTY ORDERS. (1Ch. 24:1-19)
• NUMBER AND OFFICE OF THE SINGERS. (1Ch 25:1-7)
• THEIR DIVISION BY LOT INTO FOUR AND TWENTY ORDERS. (1Ch. 25:8-31)
• DIVISIONS OF THE PORTERS. (1Ch 26:1-12)
• THE GATES ASSIGNED BY LOT. (1Ch 26:13-19)
• LEVITES THAT HAD CHARGE OF THE TREASURES. (1Ch 26:20-28)
• OFFICERS AND JUDGES. (1Ch 26:29-32)
• TWELVE CAPTAINS FOR EVERY MONTH. (1Ch 27:1-15)
• PRINCES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. (1Ch 27:16-24)
• DAVID EXHORTS THE PEOPLE TO FEAR GOD. (1Ch 28:1-8)
• HE ENCOURAGES SOLOMON TO BUILD THE TEMPLE. (1Ch 28:9-20)
• DAVID CAUSES THE PRINCES AND PEOPLE TO OFFER FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD. (1Ch 29:1-9)
• HIS REIGN AND DEATH. (1Ch 29:26-30)

TSK: 1 Chronicles 7 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

1Ch 7:1, The sons of Issachar; 1Ch 7:6, of Benjamin; 1Ch 7:13, of Naphtali; 1Ch 7:14, of Manasseh; 1Ch 7:15, and of Ephraim; 1Ch 7:21, The calamity of Ephraim by the men of Gath; 1Ch 7:23, His posterity by Beriah; 1Ch 7:28, Their habitations; 1Ch 7:30, The sons of Asher.

Poole: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES

THE ARGUMENT

THESE Books of the CHRONICLES are not the same which are so called, 1Ki 14:19 , and elsewhere, (because some passages said to be there mentioned are not found here,) but other books, and written by other persons, and for other ends. Yet this same writer took out of those books such historical passages as were most useful or necessary. They were written after the Babylonish captivity, as appears from 2Ch 36:20 , &c., by Ezra; as may be gathered not only from the same words used in the place now quoted, and in the beginning of that book which goeth under the name of Ezra, but also from some other passages, which we may observe hereafter, and from the exactness and diligence here used in making catalogues of persons and families, which also is used in the Book of Ezra. If one or two passages seem to be of a later date, those were added by some other prophets; there being some few such additional passages in the Books of Moses. The chief design of these books is, to complete the history of the kings of Judah, and to gather up the fragments of sacred history which were omitted in the Books of Samuel and Kings, and to explain some passages there mentioned, and to give an exact account of the genealogies; which (though ignorant or inconsiderate persons may think trivial and useless) was a work of great necessity, to preserve the distinction of the tribes and families, that so it might appear that Christ came of that nation, and tribe, and family, of which he was to be born. And this account having been hitherto neglected, is most seasonably mentioned in these books, because this was to be in a manner the last part of the sacred and canonical history of the Old Testament, and therefore the fittest place to record those genealogies, upon which the truth and authority of the New Testament ill some sort depends. And whereas many things in these genealogies to us are obscure and doubtful, they were not so to the Hebrews; and all the persons here named were known to them by those very particular and exact genealogies, which they kept in their several families and in public registers; from whence this sacred penman, by the direction of God’ s Spirit, took those things which were of most importance.

Poole: 1 Chronicles 7 (Chapter Introduction)

CHRONICLES CHAPTER 7

The sons of Issachar, 1Ch 7:1-5 . Of Benjamin, 1Ch 7:6-12 . Of Naphtali, 1Ch 7:13 . Of Manasseh, 1Ch 7:14-19 . Of Ephraim; their calamity; and habitations, 1Ch 7:20-29 . Of Asher, 1Ch 7:30-40 .

MHCC: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

The books of Chronicles are, in a great measure, repetitions of what is in the books of Samuel and of the Kings, yet there are some excellent useful things in them which we find not elsewhere. The FIRST BOOK traces the rise of the Jewish people from Adam, and afterward gives an account of the reign of David. In the SECOND BOOK the narrative is continued, and relates the progress and end of the kingdom of Judah; also it notices the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity. Jerome says, that whoever supposes himself to have knowledge of the Scriptures without being acquainted with the books of Chronicles, deceives himself. Historical facts passed over elsewhere, names, and the connexion of passages are to be found here, and many questions concerning the gospel are explained.

MHCC: 1 Chronicles 7 (Chapter Introduction)

Genealogies.

Matthew Henry: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Book of Chronicles

In common things repetition is thought needless and nauseous; but, in sacred things, precept must be upon precept and line upon line. To me, says the apostle, to write the same things is not grievous, but for you it is safe, Phi 3:1. These books of Chronicles are in a great measure repetition; so are much of the second and third of the four evangelists: and yet there are no tautologies either here or there no vain repetitions. We may be ready to think that of all the books of holy scripture we could best spare these two books of Chronicles. Perhaps we might, and yet we could ill spare them: for there are many most excellent useful things in them, which we find not elsewhere. And as for what we find here which we have already met with, 1. It might be of great use to those who lived when these books were first published, before the canon of the Old Testament was completed and the particles of it put together; for it would remind them of what was more fully related in the other books. Abstracts, abridgments, and references, are of use in divinity as well as law. That, perhaps, may not be said in vain which yet has been said before. 2. It is still of use, that out of the mouth of two witnesses every word may be established, and, being inculcated, may be remembered. The penman of these books is supposed to be Ezra, that ready scribe in the law of the Lord, Ezr 7:6. It is a groundless story of that apocryphal writer (2 Esdr. 14:21, etc.) that, all the law being burnt, Ezra was divinely inspired to write it all over again, which yet might take rise from the books of Chronicles, where we find, though not all the same story repeated, yet the names of all those who were the subjects of that story. These books are called in the Hebrew words of days - journals or annals, because, by divine direction, collected out of some public and authentic records. The collection was made after the captivity, and yet the language of the originals, written before, it sometimes retained, as 2Ch 5:9, there it is unto this day, which must have been written before the destruction of the temple. The Septuagint calls it a book Paraleipomenōn - of things left, or overlooked, by the preceding historians; and several such things there are in it. It is the rereward, the gathering host, of this sacred camp, which gathers up what remained, that nothing might be lost. In this first book we have, I. A collection of sacred genealogies, from Adam to David: and they are none of those which the apostle calls endless genealogies, but have their use and end in Christ, ch. 1-9. Divers little passages of history are here inserted which we had not before. II. A repetition of the history of the translation of the kingdom from Saul to David, and of the triumph of David's reign, with large additions, ch. 10-21. III. An original account of the settlement David made of the ecclesiastical affairs, and the preparation he made for the building of the temple, ch. 22-29. These are words of days, of the oldest days, of the best days, of the Old Testament church. The reigns of kings and dates of kingdoms, as well as the lives of common persons, are reckoned by days; for a little time often gives a great turn, and yet all time is nothing to eternity.

Matthew Henry: 1 Chronicles 7 (Chapter Introduction)

In this chapter we have some account of the genealogies, I. Of Issachar (1Ch 7:1-5). II. Of Benjamin (1Ch 7:6-12). III. Of Naphtali (1Ch 7:13). IV. Of Manasseh (1Ch 7:14-19). V. Of Ephraim (1Ch 7:20-29). VI. Of Asher (1Ch 7:30-40). Here is no account either of Zebulun or Dan. Why they only should be omitted we can assign no reason; only it is the disgrace of the tribe of Dan that idolatry began in that colony of the Danites which fixed in Laish, and called Dan, and there one of the golden calves was set up by Jeroboam. Dan is omitted, Rev. 7.

Constable: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Title

The earliest Hebrew title for the Books of Chronicles translates as, "The Things Left Behind." This name describes Chronicles as containing remnants of the monarchy history not recorded in the preceding Old Testament historical books. A later title that appears in most copies of the Hebrew Bible is, "The Accounts of the Days," or "Daily Matters." This title emphasizes the nature of Chronicles as official annals (cf. Esth. 2:23; 1 Kings 14:19). Chronicles contains the official records of the kings of Israel, especially those of the Southern Kingdom after the kingdom split. The English title "Chronicles" comes down to us from this later Hebrew one.

As was true of Samuel and Kings, the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the Hebrew Old Testament was responsible for dividing the single Book of Chronicles into 1 and 2 Chronicles. Scribes divided these long books to make them easier for copyists, publishers, and readers to handle. We could translate the Septuagint title as, "Things Omitted." This title implies that Chronicles contains material left out of other inspired histories of Israel. This is true. Of course, it also contains much material that the former historical books included.

Writer and Date

Early Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud ascribed the authorship of Chronicles to Ezra. Recent studies of the linguistic differences that exist between the Books of Ezra and Chronicles have led some modern scholars to reject this ancient view.¹ Internal evidence suggests that if the writer was not Ezra he was probably a contemporary of Ezra.

There is quite a bit of difference of opinion even among conservative evangelical scholars regarding the date of composition. Most of these people place it within Ezra's lifetime (ca. 450-400 B.C.).² This date would make Chronicles one of the last if not the last historical book of the Old Testament. The date of composition of Ezra was probably about 446 B.C. The Book of Nehemiah probably came into existence between 420 and 400 B.C. The date of writing of Esther was probably shortly after 473 B.C.

"It is now clear from comparison of Chronicles with the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek translations of the Pentateuch that the text Chronicles used was more like these texts than the MT [Masoretic Text]."³

Scholars vary greatly in their ideas concerning the date of composition. Some of them hold a date as early as the middle of the fifth century B.C. (450 B.C.) while others date Chronicles as late as 200 B.C.⁴

Scope and Purpose

Chronicles covers a broader period of history than any other Old Testament book. It begins with Adam and ends with Anani who lived eight generations after King Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:24). If we allow 25 years for each generation, the birth of Anani would have been between 425 and 400 B.C.

"In Near Eastern antiquity, the generation (that is the years between a man's birth and his begetting his first-born son) is ordinarily 25 years or less."⁵

Since the writer had great interest in David's family it is unlikely that any of David's descendants after Anani were alive when he wrote the book. If they had been, the writer probably would have included their names.

Other Old Testament books, especially Genesis, Samuel, and Kings, cover over half the material that Chronicles contains. There are two main reasons for this repetition. First, the writer wanted to give his readers another version of those events. In this respect Chronicles and the other historical books are similar to the Gospels in the New Testament. Each gives a unique interpretation and emphasis. Each writer selected the historical materials that would present what he wanted to emphasize. Chronicles is more similar to John's Gospel than the other Gospels. Both books are very sermonic, and each has a purpose that is easy to identify (John 20:30-31; 2 Chron. 7:14). Chronicles is also similar to Deuteronomy, the last book of the Pentateuch, which also preaches by recalling history.

Second, the writer of Chronicles explained and expounded the meaning of many events in Israel's history much as the writers of modern commentaries do. This was especially important since the original readers of Chronicles needed to remember their history and the spiritual issues that had molded and would mold their destiny. These observations would guide them as they sought to reestablish Israel in the Promised Land after the Babylonian captivity.

"The purpose of these two volumes [1 and 2 Chronicles] is to review the history of Israel from the dawn of the human race to the Babylonian captivity and Cyrus' edict of restoration. This review is composed with a very definite purpose in mind, to give to the Jews of the Second Commonwealth the true spiritual foundations of their theocracy as the covenant people of Jehovah. This historian's purpose is to show that the true glory of the Hebrew nation was found in its covenant relationship to God, as safeguarded by the prescribed forms of worship in the temple and administered by the divinely ordained priesthood under the protection of the divinely authorized dynasty of David. Always the emphasis is upon that which is sound and valid in Israel's past as furnishing a reliable basis for the task of reconstruction which lay ahead. Great stress is placed upon the rich heritage of Israel and its unbroken connection with the patriarchal beginnings (hence the prominence accorded to genealogical lists)."⁶

". . . the Chronicler' is no mere chronicler! He is a theologian, sharing with all the biblical writers the burden of interpreting God's ways to human beings."⁷

The writer saw principles operating in history. He selected unmistakable instances of them and applied them to his own times.

"If Kings, composed after the final collapse of the kingdom in 586 B.C., concentrates on how sin leads to defeat (2 Kings 17:15, 18), then Chronicles, coming after the two returns from exile in 537 and 458 B.C., recounts, from the same record, how faith is the victory' (2 Chron. 20:20, 22)."⁸

". . . the Chronicler goes even further than the Deuteronomic historian [i.e., the writer of 1 and 2 Kings] in attempting to correlate blessing with faithfulness and judgment with disobedience within each separate generation."⁹

Another statement of the purpose of Chronicles is as follows:

". . . to rally the returned remnant to hopeful temple worship . . . by demonstrating their link with the enduring Davidic promises."¹⁰

"The past is explained so that its institutions and religious principles become relevant to the present, and the ways of the present are legitimized anew by being connected to the prime source of authority--the formative period in the people's past."¹¹

Three major features of Chronicles appear when we isolate the material the writer included that is not in Samuel or Kings. First, the genealogies reflect the writer's goal of encouraging Israel's racial and religious purity. Second, the emphases on the temple, ark, and worship show his desire that the returned exiles reestablish worship according to the Mosaic Law.¹² Third, the record of David's glories and the victories God gave his successors were his way of encouraging his original readers as they sought to reestablish their nation in the Promised Land.¹³

Conservative students of Chronicles differ in their opinion concerning the amount of Messianic expectation the Chronicler held out to his readers. My belief is that he did present some hope of a coming Messiah who would fulfill the promises given to David in the Davidic Covenant. I will point this out at the appropriate places in the notes that follow.¹⁴

Passages Unique to Chronicles (In probable chronological order)15
Genealogies	The genealogical tables	1 Chron. 1-9
David	The list of the men who came to David at Ziklag	1 Chron. 12:1-7
	The list of the men who joined David on his way to Ziklag	1 Chron. 12:19-22
	Data concerning the number of warriors who made David king	1 Chron. 12:23-40
	The Gadites who "separated themselves unto David"	1 Chron. 12:8-15
	David's hymn of praise when he moved the ark	1 Chron. 16:4-36
	David's final preparations for the building of the temple	1 Chron. 22:1-19
	The national convention	1 Chron. 23:1-9:22
Solomon	The making of the altar of brass	2 Chron. 4:1
	The close of Solomon's dedicatory prayer	2 Chron. 6:40-42
Rehoboam	The adherence of the Levites in all Israel to Rehoboam	2 Chron. 11:13-14
	The immigration of other pious Israelites to Judah	2 Chron. 11:16-17
	Rehoboam's fortifications	2 Chron. 11:5-12
	Rehoboam's family	2 Chron. 11:18-23
Abijah	Abijah's family	2 Chron. 13:21
Asa	The ten years of peace under Asa	2 Chron. 14:1
	Asa's defense policy	2 Chron. 14:6-8
	Asa's victory over Zerah the Ethiopian	2 Chron. 14:9-15
	The warning of the prophet Azariah	2 Chron. 15:1-7
	The four years of peace under Asa	2 Chron. 15:19
	The renewal of the covenant	2 Chron. 15:9-15
	The warning of the prophet Hanani	2 Chron. 16:7-9
	Asa's transgression	2 Chron. 16:10
Jehoshaphat	Jehoshaphat's strengthening of his kingdom	2 Chron. 17:1-7
	The mission of the princes, Levites and priests	2 Chron. 17:7-9
	Jehoshaphat's increasing power	2 Chron. 17:10-8:1
	The prophet Jehu's judgment on Jehoshaphat	2 Chron. 19:1-3
	Jehoshaphat's further reforms in worship and law	2 Chron. 19:4-11
	The deliverance from Moab and Ammon on Mt. Seir	2 Chron. 20:1-30
Jehoram	The posthumous message of Elijah to Jehoram	2 Chron. 21:12-15
	The invasion of the Philistines and Arabians	2 Chron. 21:16-17
	Jehoram's illness	2 Chron. 21:18
Joash	Joash's matrimonial affairs	2 Chron. 24:3
	The temple worship	2 Chron. 24:14
	The death of Jehoiada	2 Chron. 24:15-16
	The sins of Joash	2 Chron. 24:17-19
	The stoning of Zechariah	2 Chron. 24:20-22
	The reverses of Judah due to Hazael's operations	2 Chron. 24:23-24
Amaziah	Amaziah's planned expedition against Edom	2 Chron. 25:5
	Amaziah's hiring of 1000 mercenaries out of Israel and dismissing them	2 Chron. 25:6-10
	The pillage of the cities of Judah by the dismissed mercenaries	2 Chron. 25:13
	Amaziah's further wickedness	2 Chron. 25:14-16
Uzziah	Uzziah's success in war	2 Chron. 26:6-8
	Uzziah's building and farming	2 Chron. 26:9-10, 15
	Uzziah's army	2 Chron. 26:11-14
	Uzziah's fame	2 Chron. 26:8, 15
Jotham	Jotham's subjugation of the Ammonites	2 Chron. 27:5-6
Ahaz	Obed the prophet's obtaining the release of the Jewish captives during Ahaz's war with Rezin and Pekah	2 Chron. 28:9-15
	The Edomite and Philistine invasions under Ahaz	2 Chron. 28:17-19
Hezekiah	The cleansing of the temple by Hezekiah	2 Chron. 29:3-19
	The consecration of the temple	2 Chron. 29:20-36
	Preparations for the Passover	2 Chron. 30:1-12
	The keeping of the Passover	2 Chron. 30:13-22
	The keeping of "other seven days"	2 Chron. 30:23-27
	Hezekiah's further religious reforms	2 Chron. 31:2-21
	Hezekiah's wealth and building	2 Chron. 32:27-30
	Sennacherib's second entry into Judah for invasion	2 Chron. 32:1
	Hezekiah's precautions in view of Sennacherib's second entry into Judah for invasion	2 Chron. 32:2-8
	Hezekiah's renewed prosperity	2 Chron. 32:23
Manasseh	Manasseh's captivity	2 Chron. 33:11
	Manasseh's repentance and restoration	2 Chron. 33:12-13
	The acts of Manasseh after his restoration	2 Chron. 33:14-16
	The spiritual condition of the people	2 Chron. 33:17
Josiah	Josiah's early reformations	2 Chron. 34:3-7
Captivity	The length of the captivity	2 Chron. 36:20-21
	Cyrus' proclamation permitting return from the captivity	2 Chron. 36:22-23

Message¹⁶

The central subject of 1 and 2 Chronicles is the temple of God. Someone evidently wrote these books at the end of the Babylonian exile to encourage the Israelites to reestablish Israel's national life in the Promised Land. In view of this purpose the northern kingdom of Israel was of little interest to the writer. Judah is the kingdom in view, and David is the king in view. The central passion in David's life is in view, namely the building of the temple. Furthermore the reason for David's passion for the temple is in view. He saw that the recognition of God is of supreme importance in national life.

This is the message of the book. The recognition of God is of supreme importance in national life formally as well as really. The writer demonstrated this fact in the genealogies, and he illustrated it in David's life in the rest of 1 Chronicles.

The genealogies demonstrate the supreme importance of recognizing God in national life.

What was the writer emphasizing by his selective genealogy? This genealogy (chs. 1-9) shows that God has chosen to bless some individuals and not others. This was His plan from Adam to Nehemiah. God also chose to bring blessing to those who obeyed Him regardless of their other personal abilities or disabilities. Obedience is key to success. We can see a heart for God in obedience to God's will. There are two reasons God blesses people: His sovereign choice to bless, and our obedience to Him. Character grows out of obedience. Likewise God chose to bring cursing on those who were disobedient to Him regardless of their other personal rights and privileges.

The reason God chose to bless some individuals was to accomplish one ultimate goal. This goal was the fulfillment of His plans for His own glorification including the fulfillment of His promises to humanity. All the details of His choices of individuals contributed to His ultimate goal.

The genealogies teach us this lesson. The way to achieve permanence and success in individual life, and the way to achieve stability and success in national life, is to recognize God in life. Throughout history people and nations have succeeded or failed as they recognized God. This is a major point the writer was demonstrating in the genealogies. God has been selecting, changing, interrupting, and moving through history inexorably toward His ultimate goal.

The life of David, as narrated here, illustrates the supreme importance of recognizing God in national life (chs. 10-29).

The writer presented David as a strong model king. He selected four pictures from David's life. The first of these was his crowning that shows God's choice of him. The second was his capture of Jerusalem that was the victory that led to the temple. The third picture was his mighty men. It shows his influence on personal character and his true power. The fourth was the gathering of multitudes behind his leadership that shows his influence on the masses. All of these pictures are in a sense background for what follows concerning David.

What made David the great king he was? The writer showed that it was his attitude toward God that expressed itself in his attitude toward the temple. David's care for the ark (a symbol of God's grace) and his desire to build the temple (a symbol of worship that responds to God's grace) reveal his deepest passion in life. His master passion was that Israel should never forget the God who had chosen her for special blessing in the world. We can see that his great desire was not simply to build the temple. When God told him through Nathan not to build it, David accepted this. He was content to gather materials and to make plans because he saw the temple as a way of helping Israel remember her God.

The writer of 1 Chronicles wanted to show the importance of what the temple symbolized, namely Israel's national recognition of God. David's great desire was that Israel recognize God and express that recognition publicly.

As king, David ruled under the authority of God. As warrior, he executed the will of God. As poet, he constantly extolled the reign of God. He glorified God in every aspect of his life. He also appreciated the importance of recognizing God nationally.

The message of this book is still a timeless one for us today. The recognition of God is still extremely important in life nationally and individually. Just as God governs all individuals, He also governs all nations, not just Israel. Amos made the point that God governs all nations, not just Israel. All nations are accountable to Him (cf. Deut. 32). Even today one of the Jews' favorite names for God is "king of the universe."

It is important that we recognize God because of His selective activity that the genealogies highlight. Throughout all of history God has been choosing, selecting, lifting up, and casting down. He selects new people in every generation. If they fail, He selects others and keeps moving ahead. If the person we would normally expect God to use is not ready or is unqualified, God will choose another (cf. Saul and David). If the person with privilege does not respond to his opportunity, God will pass him by, find some other perhaps obscure person, and move on. How foolish it is for nations and individuals not to recognize Him in view of God's sovereign progress.

It is also important that we recognize God because of the effect recognizing Him has on life. Take God out of the life of nations and individuals and what happens? There is no moral standard. An English politician once said, "If there is no Bible, where is your textbook of morals? There is the supreme difficulty. We must teach morals, and there is no textbook or standard in the world if we take the Bible away."¹⁷

When we lose our moral standard we lose individual character. When we lose individual character we lose the basis for civilized society. These things build on each other. Awareness of the throne of God and the government of God is foundational for any social order.

It is extremely important for every nation to build the temple of God, to recognize God in its life. This creates an opportunity for people to deal with God. Movements that advocate removing recognition of God from national life are pernicious. The person who points people to God is the true patriot. David wrote, "Zeal for your house has eaten me up." What is God's temple today? It is the church (Matt. 16:18). As the church we must point people to God. This was the "point" of church steeples in the past, to point people to God.

Constable: 1 Chronicles (Outline)

Outline

I. Israel's historical roots chs. 1-9

A. The lineage of David chs. 1-3

B. The house of Israel chs. 4-7

1. The family of Judah 4:1-23

2. The family of Simeon 4:24-43

3. The families of Transjordan ch. 5

4. The family of Levi ch. 6

5. The remaining families of Israel ch. 7

C. The lineage of Saul chs. 8-9

II. The reign of David chs. 10-29

A. The death of Saul ch. 10

B. David's coronation and capital 11:1-9

C. David's mighty men 11:10-12:40

D. David and the ark chs. 13-16

1. The removal of the ark from Kiriath-jearim ch. 13

2. Restoring fellowship with Yahweh ch. 14

3. The importance of the priests and Levites 15:1-15

4. The joy produced by God's presence 15:16-16:6

5. David's concern for the universal worship of Yahweh 16:7-43

E. God's covenant promises to David chs. 17-29

1. The first account of God's promises to David chs. 17-21

2. The second account of God's promises to David chs. 22-27

3. The third account of God's promises to David chs. 28-29

(Continued in notes on 2 Chronicles)

Constable: 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST BOOK OF PARALIPOMENON.

INTRODUCTION.

These Books are called by the Greek Interpreters, Paralipomenon; ( Greek: Paraleipomenon, ) that is, of things left out, or omitted; because they are a kind of supplement of such things as were passed over in the Books of Kings. The Hebrews call them, Dibre Hajamim; that is, The words of the days, or The Chronicles. Not that they are the books which are so often quoted in the Kings, under the title of, The Words of the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Juda; for the Books of Paralipomenon were written after the Books of Kings; but because, in all probability, they have been abridged from those ancient words of the days, by Esdras, or some other sacred author. (Challoner) --- The author of this compilation refers to the same works, 2 Paralipomenon xvi. 11., &c. These journals were principally composed by prophets, though there were other people appointed to write the most important occurrences, 2 Kings viii. 16., and 4 Kings xviii. 18. The genealogies of families, particularly of the Levites, and the interests of piety and religion, are kept most in view. (Calmet) --- The variations which appear between this work and the other parts of Scripture, are owing to the faults of transcribers; and, though they could not be satisfactorily explained, it would be rashness to condemn the author of inaccuracy, at this distance of time, when we know so little of those transactions. (Haydock) --- Who calls in question the history of Alexander, though the different authors of it scarcely agree in one calculation of the number of troops, nations conquered, &c.?" Yet the work before us is of far higher authority, as it was dictated by the Holy Ghost. (Calmet) --- "Without it, a person would in vain pretend to understand the Scriptures." It is "an epitome of the Old Testament," and "explains many difficulties of the gospels." (St. Jerome) --- The author does not, however, seem to have designed to draw up an exact epitome, or to supply the deficiencies of the other works. (Calmet) --- The first nine chapters contain various genealogical histories. In the 10th, we have the election and death of Saul; and in the remainder of the first book, the transactions of David, (Worthington) till the year [of the world] 2990, where the second book commences with the reign of Solomon, and brings us to the end of the captivity. (The year of the world 3468.; Calmet)

Gill: 1 Chronicles (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES

This and the following book were reckoned by the Jews as one book, as appears by the Masoretic note at the end of the second book, and as is affirmed by Origen ^a and Jerom ^b; and they were by the ancients ^c called Chronicles, as they are by us; but they are different from the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel and Judah, so often mentioned in the preceding books, seeing several things there referred to, as in them, are not to be found here; though no doubt many things here recorded were taken from thence under a divine direction. In the Greek version, and so in the Vulgate Latin version after that, they are called "Paralipomena", that is, things passed over or omitted, because they contain several anecdotes which are not to be found in the books of Samuel and Kings. The Hebrew title of them is, "Dibre Hayamim", words of days, day books or diaries, and what the Greeks call "Ephemerides"; though, as "yamim" sometimes signifies years, they may be named "annals"; and so the Arabic inscription is,

"the Books of Annals;''

and because they chiefly respect the kings of Judah, the Syriac inscription is,

"the Book of the Things that were done in the Times of the Kings of Judah.''

The Targum is,

"the Book of Genealogies, the Words of Days, which were from the Days of the World;''

because the first ten chapters consist of genealogies beginning from Adam. The inspired penman of these books must live after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, since he carries down the genealogy of the kings and princes of Judah beyond that time, 1Ch 3:17. It is generally thought by the Jews and Christians that Ezra was the writer of them, with which agrees the age in which he lived; and as it may seem, from the last of these books ending with the same words with which that under his name begins: so the Talmudists ^d say, that Ezra wrote his own book, and the genealogy of the chronicles unto his own, or unto Velo, "and he had brethren", 2Ch 21:2 and Jarchi affirms that he wrote them by the hand or means of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, inspired prophets; though some Jewish writers ^e suppose they were written partly by him, and partly by Nehemiah; that all to 2Ch 21:2 were written by Ezra, and the rest by Nehemiah. Kimchi thinks that Ezra was not the first author and writer of these books, but that the books of Chronicles and Annals of the kings of Judah, and of the kings of Israel, were separately written before him; but that he only revised them, and with the men of the great synagogue added the genealogies, and put them into the canon of the Scriptures ^f. Spinosa ^g fancies they were written after Judas Maccabaeus had restored the temple, since the historian tells what families dwelt in Jerusalem in the times of Ezra, 1Ch 9:1 and speaks of the porters, 1Ch 9:17 two of which are mentioned, Neh 11:19 as if Ezra could not describe the families that lived when he did, or name the porters of the temple, since it was finished and dedicated in his time, Ezr 6:15, but however there is no doubt to be made of the authenticity of these books, since not only they have always been acknowledged by the Jews as a part of the canonical Scripture, and by ancient Christians, as appears by the catalogues of Melito ^h and Origen ⁱ; but there are plain references to them in the New Testament. The genealogy of Christ, by the evangelists, is formed out of them; the doxology in Rev 5:12 as some have observed, comes very near to what is used by David, 1Ch 29:11 and the passages in Act 7:48 contain the sense of what is expressed in 2Ch 2:5. The use and design of these books are chiefly to give a larger account of the kingdom of Judah, especially after the division of it from the ten tribes, and of the kings thereof, than what is given in the preceding books, as in the last of these books; and particularly they ascertain the genealogy of Christ, that it might be clear and plain of what tribe and family the Messiah came, that he descended from the tribe of Judah, and from the kings of the house of David, as in this first book. They both contain an history from Adam, to the deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. The first of these books reaches, according to Hottinger ^k, to A. M. 2985, and the latter is an history of four hundred and seventy two years. According to Bishop Usher ^l the former contains a course of 2990 years, and the latter of four hundred and seventy eight.

Gill: 1 Chronicles 7 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 7

In this chapter are given the genealogies of the tribes of Issachar, 1Ch 7:1 of Benjamin, 1Ch 7:6 Naphtali, 1Ch 7:13, of Manasseh, 1Ch 7:14 of Ephraim, 1Ch 7:20 and of Asher, 1Ch 7:30, even of the chief men of them; and their numbers are reckoned as in the times of David. The tribes of Dan and Zebulun are omitted.