1 Paralipomenon vii.
Notes & Commentary:
Ver. 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)
Ver. 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)
Ver. 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, comprizing Israhia, “all chiefs,” (Haydock) men of note, (Du Hamel) or one name may be lost. (Calmet)
Ver. 4. Children, who had numerous offspring; (Haydock) so that, in the days of David, these descendants of Thola, amounted to so many. (Menochius)
Ver. 5. War. In all, this tribe could muster 145,600 men, at that time. (Calmet)
Ver. 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.
Ver. 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)
Ver. 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)
Ver. 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.
Ver. 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)
Ver. 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)
Ver. 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.
Ver. 20. Bared, Thahath, probably called Becher and Theken, in Numbers. Three alone are there mentioned, though the other thirteen, whose names are given, seem to have been all the immediate sons of Ephriam, (Calmet) since he mourns for them, (ver. 22.; Menochius) and has other children afterwards. (Haydock) — The dreadful slaughter made of them, is perhaps the reason why only three are mentioned in Numbers, and none in Genesis.
Ver. 21. Son, Ezer. Hebrew, “and Ezer and Elad.” His son, after each, seems to be twice omitted, as these were in the same degree as the rest. Septuagint agree with the Vulgate. (Haydock) — Because they, the sons of Ephraim, (Calmet, &c.) or the men of Geth. (Syriac and Arabic) (Du Hamel) (Menochius) (Tirinus) — The text is ambiguous, but the former supposition seems more rational, (Haydock) and more generally received. (Calmet)
Ver. 23. Beria. This name signifies, in evil, or in affliction. (Challoner) — Briáe, “in howling.” (Menochius)
Ver. 24. Daughter, or great grand-daughter, repaired these three cities. (Calmet) — The last, probably, was called after her. (Haydock) — But its situation is unknown. (Calmet)
Ver. 25. Thale. Hebrew, “and Thale, his son, and Thaan, his son.” These seem to have been the sons of Ephraim. The following were their descendants. (Haydock) — At least Elisama was prince in the wilderness, (Calmet) under Moses; (Numbers i. 10.; Haydock) and Josue, the sixth from Ephraim, was 54 years old, when the Israelites left Egypt. (Calmet)
Ver. 29. Daughters. Septuagint, “villages.” — Joseph, by Ephraim and Manasses, west of the Jordan. (Haydock)
Ver. 34. Aram. Add, “and Helem,” (Calmet) unless Helem was the first-born (ver. 35) of Ahi, which signifies “brother.” Perhaps Helem was brother of Somer, called Hotham, ver. 32.
Ver. 37. Jethran. Septuagint, Jether,” as v. seq.[as in the following verse, ver. 38.] (Haydock)
Ver. 38. Jephone. The father of Caleb was of the tribe of Juda. (Calmet)
Ver. 40. Of captains; a Hebrew idiom, to denote the most excellent. (Haydock) — Hebrew, “chief of the princes.” All mentioned from ver. 30, were at the hand of their tribe, in succession, and led their brethren to battle. (Calmet)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
Genealogies of Issachar, Benjamin, Nephthali, Manasses, Ephraim, and Aser.
1 Now *the sons of Issachar were, Thola, and Phua, Jasub, and Simeron, four.
2 The sons of Thola: Ozi, and Raphaia, and Jeriel, and Jamai, and Jebsem, and Samuel, chiefs of the houses of their kindreds. Of the posterity of Thola, were numbered in the days of David, two and twenty thousand six hundred most valiant men.
3 The sons of Ozi: Izrahia, of whom were born Michael, and Obadia, and Joel, and Jesia, five, all great men.
4 And there were with them by their families and peoples, six and thirty thousand most valiant men ready for war: for they had many wives and children.
5 Their brethren also throughout all the house of Issachar, were numbered fourscore and seven thousand most valiant men for war.
6 The sons of *Benjamin were, Bela, and Bechor, and Jadihel, three.
7 The sons of Bela: Esbon, and Ozi, and Ozial, and Jerimoth, and Urai, five chiefs of their families, and most valiant warriors, and their number was twenty-two thousand and thirty-four.
8 And the sons of Bechor were, Zamira, and Joas, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Amri, and Jerimoth, and Abia, and Anathoth, and Almath: all these were the sons of Bechor.
9 And they were numbered by the families, heads of their kindreds, most valiant men for war, twenty thousand and two hundred.
10 And the son of Jadihel: Balan. And the sons of Balan: Jehus, and Benjamin, and Aod, and Chanana, and Zethan, and Tharsis, and Ahisahar.
11 All these were sons of Jadihel, heads of their kindreds, most valiant men, seventeen thousand and two hundred, fit to go out to war.
12 Sepham also, and Hapham, the sons of Hir: and Hasim, the sons of Aher.
13 *And the sons of Nephthali; were Jasiel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Sellum, sons of Bala.
14 And the son of Manasses, Ezriel: and his concubine, the Syrian, bore Machir, the father of Galaad.
15 And Machir took wives for his sons Happhim, and Saphan, and he had a sister, named Maacha: the name of the second was Salphaad, and Salphaad had daughters.
16 And Maacha, the wife of Machir, bore a son, and she called his name Phares; and the name of his brother was Sares: and his sons were, Ulam and Recen.
17 And the son of Ulam, Badan. These are the sons of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses.
18 And his sister, named Queen, bore Goodlyman, and Abiezer, and Mohola.
19 And the sons of Semida were, Ahin, and Sechem, and Leci and Aniam.
20 And the sons of Ephraim: were Suthala, Bared, his son, Thahath, his son, Elada, his son, Thahath, his son, and his son Zabad,
21 And his son, Suthala, and his son, Ezer, and Elad: and the men of Geth, born in the land, slew them, because they came down to invade their possessions.
22 And Ephraim, their father, mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.
23 And he went in to his wife: and she conceived, and bore a son, and he called his name Beria; because he was born when it went evil with his house:
24 And his daughter was Sara, who built Bethoron, the nether and the upper, and Ozensara.
25 And Rapha was his son, and Reseph, and Thale, of whom was born Thaan,
26 Who begot Laadan: and his son was Ammiud, who begot Elisama,
27 Of whom was born Nun, who had Josue for his son.
28 And their possessions and habitations were Bethel, with her daughters, and eastward Noran, and westward Gazer and her daughters, Sichem also, with her daughters, as far as Asa, with her daughters.
29 And by the borders of the sons of Manasses, Bethsan, and her daughters, Thanach, and her daughters, Mageddo, and her daughters, Dor, and her daughters: in these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel.
30 The children of *Aser were, Jemna, and Jesua, and Jessui, and Baria, and Sara, their sister.
31 And the sons of Baria: Heber, and Melchiel: he is the father of Barsaith.
32 And Heber begot Jephlat, and Somer, and Hotham, and Suaa, their sister.
33 The sons of Jephlat: Phosech, and Chamaal, and Asoth: these are the sons of Jephlat.
34 And the sons of Somer: Ahi, and Roaga, and Haba, and Aram.
35 And the sons of Helem, his brother: Supha, and Jemna, and Selles, and Amal.
36 The sons of Supha: Sue, Harnapher, and Sual, and Beri, and Jamra,
37 Bosor, and Hod, and Samma, and Salusa, and Jethran, and Bera.
38 The sons of Jether: Jephone, and Phaspha, and Ara.
39 And the sons of Olla: Aree, and Haniel, and Resia.
40 All these were sons of Aser, heads of their families, choice and most valiant captains of captains: and the number of them that were of the age that was fit for war, was six and twenty thousand.
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1: Genesis xlvi. 13.
6: Genesis xlvi. 13.
13: Genesis xlvi. 21.
30: Genesis xlvi. 24.