1 Chronicles 9:34-44

9:34

family leaders <01 07218> [chief fathers.]

Jerusalem <03389> [Jerusalem.]

We have already seen the situation and extent of this ancient city, (Note on 8:28;) but the Jerusalem of sacred history is no more. After having been successively destroyed by the Babylonians and Romans, and taken by the Saracens, Crusaders, and Turks, in the possession of the latter of whom it still continues, not a vestige remains of the capital of David and Solomon, not a monument of Jewish times is standing. The very course of the walls is changed, and the boundaries of the ancient city are become doubtful. The monks pretend to shew the sites of the sacred places; but they have not the slightest pretensions to even a probable identity with the real places. The Jerusalem that now is, however, called by the Arabs {El Kouds,} or "the holy city," is still a respectable, good-looking town, of an irregular shape: it is surrounded by high embattled walls, enclosing an area not exceeding two miles and a half, and occupying two small hills, having the valley of Jehoshaphat on the east, the valley of Siloam and Gehinnom on the south, and the valley of Rephaim on the west; and containing a population variously estimated at from 20,000 to 30,000 souls.

9:35

Gibeon .... Gibeon <01391> [A.M. 2804, etc. B.C. 1200, etc. in Gibeon.]

father <01> [the father.]

wife <0802> [whose.]

Some editions read {achatho,} "his sister;" but in the parallel place ch. 8:29, it is {ishto,} "his wife," which is also the reading of the LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and Syriac here, and is undoubtedly the true reading. This repetition of part of Bemjamin's genealogy seems to have been intended merely as an introduction to the ensuing history.

9:36

Kish <07027> [Kish.]

9:37

Zechariah <02148> [Zechariah.]

Zacher is merely an abbreviation of Zechariah, by the omission of {Jah} or {Yah}, one of the names of God.

[Zacher.]

9:38

Shimeam <08043> [Shimeam.]

Shimeam seems to be a mistake for Shimeah; the only difference being [Mˆm,] {mem} final, and [Hˆ,] {hay}; and the LXX. in both places read [Samaa,] Sama„.

[Shimeah.]

9:39

Ner <05369> [Ner.]

Saul Saul <07586> [and Saul.]

[Ishui.]

Eshbaal <0792> [Eshbaal.]

9:40

Meribbaal <04807 04810> [Merib-baal.]

9:41

[Ahaz.]

9:42

father ... Jarah ... Jarah .... father .......... father <03205 03294> [begat Jarah.]

Jarah seems also to be a mistake for Jehoadah, as the LXX. read uniformly [\~Iada\~,] Iada.

[Jehoadah.]

9:43

Rephaiah <07509> [Rephaiah.]

Rapha is merely a contracted form of Rephaiah.

[Rapha.]