1 Paralipomenon viii.
Notes & Commentary:
Ver. 1. Benjamin. Some farther particulars of his genealogy are given, for the honour of Saul; (Calmet) and many of those, who returned from captivity, are mentioned, 1 Esdras x. 11. (Sanctius) — Bale, &c., are called Bela, (Menochius; chap. vii. 6.) Jadiel, and Ahiram, or Echi, Numbers xxvi. 36., and Genesis xlvi.
Ver. 2. Nohaa is probably styled Bechor; and Rapha, Ros, in Genesis.
Ver. 3. Addar, Ared or Hered. (Calmet)
Ver. 6. Ahod, the judge, Judges iii. 15. — Manahath; the Menuchat, in the tribe of Juda, (chap. ii. 54.) after the captivity. (Calmet) — Abulensis thinks Manahath was in Moab, ver. 8. (Menochius)
Ver. 7. And. Literally, “but,” autem. (Haydock) — The sentence is clearer without this particle. (Menochius) — Naaman was the first-born of Ahod; and Gera prevailed on his brethren to leave Gabaa, (Tirinus) and was probably the father of Oza. (Calmet)
Ver. 8. Saharim. His father is not specified: but his was a Benjamite. (Menochius) — Some force the Hebrew text to say that Ahod had three sons, whom he sent to form a colony at Manahath, and afterwards he had three others by his two wives, and at last, by Rodes, he had Jobab, &c. (Calmet) — Begot. Protestants, “children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away: Hushim and Baara were his wives.” But the Septuagint intimate, that “Saharim begot….after he had sent away Osim, and his wife Baara, and he begot of Ada,” &c. (Haydock) — He had perhaps retired into Moab, at the same time as Elimelech, Ruth i. (Tirinus) — Those who were sent away were men, (eos) according to the Hebrew, unless (Haydock) the word should be eas. (Du Hamel)
Ver. 11. Mehusim. Hebrew and Septuagint, “of Husim (ver. 8) he begot.”
Ver. 12. Ono was three miles from Lod, or Diospolis, (Lightfoot) built after the return from Babylon, (1 Esdras ii. 23.; Calmet) in the territory of Benjamin. (Menochius)
Ver. 13. And Sama. They are supposed to have been sons of Elphaal. (Calmet) — Aialon belonged to Dan, Josue xix. 42. But it was near Benjamin, (Menochius) and was probably occupied by people chiefly of that tribe. (Haydock) — Geth. We know not at what period.
Ver. 16. Baria, son of Elphaal. Whether the following were his brothers does not appear certain, as it seems more natural to have placed all his father’s children together, ver. 12., and 18.
Ver. 21. Semei; perhaps Sama, ver. 13. (Calmet) — Septuagint read, Samai. (Haydock)
Ver. 25. Sesac, probably mentioned in ver. 14. (Calmet) — Septuagint have “Sosek,” in both places.
Ver. 28. Families. Hebrew, “These were heads of the fathers by their generations, chief men.” (Protestants) (Haydock) — Jerusalem, probably after the captivity. We find none of these names from ver. 14, in the days of Josue; and it was not easy for people to establish themselves at Jerusalem, till David had expelled the Jebusites. (Calmet) — Yet we find that the tribes of Juda and Benjamin had seized the lower city long before, Josue xviii. 28. (Haydock)
Ver. 29. Dwelt. Literally, “they dwelt.” But Hebrew and Septuagint, “in Gabaon, dwelt the father of Gaboan,” (Haydock) who was called Jehiel, (chap. ix. 35.) or Abiel, 1 Kings ix. 1. (Calmet) — The following verses are repeated in the next chapter, (Haydock) and seem to have been originally the same; though now many variations occur, which shew that “every Hebrew letter” has not been preserved. (Kennicott)
Ver. 30. Baal. Add, “and Ner,” (ver. 33., and chap. ix. 36.) as the Septuagint have it here also.
Ver. 31. Zacher, or Zacharias, chap. ix. Hebrew omits the following name, as well as (Haydock) the end of the preceding one. (Kennicott) — The Alexandrian Septuagint has the same faults. But the Vatican retains Macelloth. (Haydock)
Ver. 32. Over-against, in the vicinity, while some remained at Gabaon. See Genesis xvi. 12. (Calmet) — The family of Cis resided at Gabaa, 1 Kings x. 26. (Menochius)
Ver. 33. Ner, son of Abiel, or of Jeheil, prince of Gabaon, ver. 29. (Haydock) — From Aphia sprung Bechorah, Seror, Abiel, (1 Kings ix.) who is also called Ner and Jehiel. He had Ner, the father of Abner, and Cis, father of Saul. (Menochius) — Abinadab, or Jessui, 1 Kings xiv. 49. (Calmet) — Esbaal, alias Isboseth. (Challoner) — The Hebrews avoid pronouncing the name of the idol, and substitute boseth, “confusion.” (Calmet) — Hence it is clear that many had two names. (Du Hamel)
Ver. 34. Meribbaal, alias Mephiboseth, 2 Kings iv. 4., (Challoner) and 2 Kings ix. (Menochius)
Ver. 36. Joada, or Jara, chap. ix. 42. (Calmet) — “Strange mistakes these!” (Kennicott)
Ver. 40. Archers, particularly the natives of Gabaa, Judges xx. 16. Jonathan is praised for his skill, 2 Kings i. 22. (Menochius) — Benjamin. We might hence conclude that here ended the genealogy of that family. Yet we find it partly repeated in the following chapter, ver. 35. (Haydock)
Bible Text & Cross-references:
The posterity of Benjamin is further declared down to Saul. His issue.
1 Now *Benjamin begot Bale, his first-born, Asbel, the second, Ahara, the third,
2 Nohaa, the fourth, and Rapha, the fifth.
3 And the sons of Bale were: Addar, and Gera, and Abiud,
4 And Abisue, and Naaman, and Ahoe,
5 And Gera, and Sephuphan, and Huram.
6 These are the sons of Ahod, heads of families that dwelt in Gabaa, who were removed into Manahath.
7 And Naaman, and Achia, and Gera, he removed them, and begot Oza, and Ahiud.
8 And Saharim begot in the land of Moab, after he sent away Husim and Bara, his wives.
9 And he begot of Hodes, his wife, Jobab, and Sebia, and Mosa, and Molchom,
10 And Jehus, and Sechia, and Marma. These were his sons, heads of their families.
11 And Mehusim begot Abitob, and Elphaal.
12 And the sons of Elphaal: were Heber, and Misaam, and Samad: who built Ono, and Lod, and its daughters.
13 And Baria, and Sama, were heads of their kindreds that dwelt in Aialon: these drove away the inhabitants of Geth.
14 And Ahio, and Sesac, and Jerimoth,
15 And Zabadia, and Arod, and Heder,
16 And Michael, and Jespha, and Joha, the sons of Baria,
17 And Zabadia, and Mosollam, and Hezeci, and Heber,
18 And Jesamari, and Jezlia, and Jobab, sons of Elphaal,
19 And Jacim, and Zechri, and Zabdi,
20 And Elioenai, and Selethai, and Elial,
21 And Adaia, and Baraia, and Samareth, the sons of Semei.
22 And Jespham, and Heber, and Eliel,
23 And Abdon, and Zechri, and Hanan,
24 And Hanania, and Elam, and Anathothia,
25 And Jephdaia, and Phanuel the sons of Sesac.
26 And Samsari, and Sohoria, and Otholia,
27 And Jersia, and Alia, and Zechri, the sons of Jeroham.
28 These were the chief fathers, and heads of their families, who dwelt in Jerusalem.
29 And *at Gabaon dwelt Abigabaon, and the name of his wife was Maacha:
30 And his first-born son Abdon, and Sur, and Cis, and Baal, and Nadab,
31 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher, and Macelloth.
32 And Macelloth begot Samaa: and they dwelt over-against their brethren in Jerusalem, with their brethren.
33 *And Ner begot Cis, and Cis begot Saul. And Saul begot Jonathan and Melchisua, and Abinadab, and Esbaal.
34 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begot Micha.
35 And the sons of Micha, were Phithon, and Melech, and Tharaa, and Ahaz.
36 And Ahaz begot Joada: and Joada begot Alamath, and Azmoth, and Zamri: and Zamri begot Mosa,
37 And Mosa begot Banaa, whose son was Rapha, of whom was born Elasa, who begot Asel.
38 And Asel had six sons, whose names were Ezricam, Bochru, Ismahel, Saria, Obdia, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Asel.
39 And the sons of Esec, his brother, were Ulam, the first-born, and Jehus, the second, and Eliphalet, the third.
40 And the sons of Ulam were most valiant men, and archers of great strength: and they had many sons and grandsons, even to a hundred and fifty. All these were children of Benjamin.
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1: Genesis xlvi. 21.; 1 Paralipomenon vii. 6.
29: 1 Paralipomenon ix. 35.
33: 1 Kings xiv. 51.; 1 Paralipomenon ix. 39.