Discovery Box1 Chronicles 4:31-43
Context4:31 Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. 4:32 Their settlements also included Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan – five towns. 4:33 They also lived in all the settlements that surrounded these towns as far as Baal. 1 These were their settlements; they kept genealogical records.
4:34 Their clan leaders were: 2
Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 4:35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel), 4:36 Eleoenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 4:37 Ziza son of Shipi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah). 4:38 These who are named above were the leaders of their clans.
Their extended families increased greatly in numbers. 4:39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east of the valley, looking for pasture for their sheep. 4:40 They found fertile and rich pasture; the land was very broad, undisturbed and peaceful. Indeed some Hamites had been living there prior to that. 4:41 The men whose names are listed came during the time of King Hezekiah of Judah and attacked the Hamites’ settlements, 3 as well as the Meunites they discovered there, and they wiped them out to this very day. They dispossessed them, 4 for they found pasture for their sheep there. 4:42 Five hundred men of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to the hill country of Seir 4:43 and defeated the rest of the Amalekite refugees; 5 they live there to this very day.
[4:33] 1 tc Some LXX
[4:34] 2 tn The words “their clan leaders were” are added in the translation for clarification. See v. 38a, which makes this clear.
[4:41] 3 tn The Hebrew text reads “their tents,” apparently referring to those of the Hamites mentioned at the end of v. 40. Some prefer to emend the text to read, “the tents of Ham.”
[4:41] 4 tn Heb “and they lived in place of them.”
[4:43] 5 tn Heb “and struck down the remnant that had escaped belonging to Amalek.”
