I CHRONICLES - CHAPTER 8
Benjamin to Saul – 1 Chronicles 8:1-40
The Tribe of Benjamin – 1 Chronicles 8:1-28
v1 Benjamin was the father of Bela, his first son. Ashbel was his second son and Aharah was his third son. v2 Nohah was his 4th son, and Rapha was his 5th son. v3-5 Bela’s sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
v6 These men were the descendants of Ehud and they were the leaders of their families in Geba. They had to leave Geba and go into exile to Manahath. v7 Ehud’s descendants were Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera forced them to leave. He was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. v8-11 And Shaharaim and his wife Hushim had sons called Abitub and Elpaal. In Moab, Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. Shaharaim and his wife Hodesh had 7 sons. These sons were Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah.
They were leaders of their families. v12-13 Elpaal’s sons were Eber, Misham, Shemed, Beriah, and Shema. Shemed built the towns called Ono and Lod and the villages round them. Beriah and Shema were leaders of the families who lived in Aijalon. They forced out from Gath the people who lived there. v14-16 Beriah’s sons were Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ishpah, and Joha. v17-18 Elpaal’s sons were Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab. v19-21 Shimei’s sons were Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath. v22-25 Shashak’s sons were Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah, and Penuel. v26-27 Jeroham’s sons were Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zicri. v28 The family records show that all these men were leaders of their families. They lived in Jerusalem.
COMMENTARY
VERSES 1-28
This chapter has more detail than the previous list of Benjamin’s family (7:6-12). It leads to the history section of the book. That history begins with the family of Saul. He was the first king of Israel and he was a descendant of Benjamin (verse 33).
Between verses 5 and 6, there was about 500 years. Ehud was the son of Gera. This Gera is not the same as in verse 5. Ehud was a judge (leader) in Israel who rescued Israel from the rule of Moab (Judges 3:12-30).
The family of Ehud was in Geba town. Then they all moved from Geba to Manahath as Gera directed them. Manahath was in the territory of Judah. This Gera was a son of Ehud.
Shaharaim (verses 8-11) was either a brother or a son of Ahihud. He went to the country called Moab. He probably went there because there was little food in Israel at that time. He had sons by two wives.
The towns called Ono and Lod (verses 12-13) existed well before the time of Joshua. It seems that they were in a poor state at this time. So, Shemed built them again. The writer mentions them here because people went to live there after the exile (Ezra 2:33).
In verse 27, one of Jeroham’s sons is Elijah. A Jewish tradition says that this is Elijah the prophet. But we cannot be sure. The Bible simply says that the prophet Elijah was from Tishbe in Gilead. It does not record his tribe.
The heads of these families lived in Jerusalem. This may refer to those leaders of Benjamin’s tribe who came back after the exile.
The Family of Saul – 1 Chronicles 8:29-40
v29 Jeiel lived in Gibeon town, where he was the leader. His wife was Maacah. v30-32 Jeiel’s first son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zeker, and Mikloth. Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. These sons also lived near their relatives in Jerusalem. v33 Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. And Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. v34 Jonathan’s son was Merib-Baal, who was the father of Micah. v35 Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. v36 Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. v37 Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Raphah’s son, and Azel was Eleasah’s son. v38 Azel had 6 sons. These sons were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were Azel’s sons. v39 Azel’s brother was Eshek. Eshek’s first son was Ulam. His second son was Jeush, and Eliphelet was his third son. v40 Ulam’s sons were brave soldiers. They were skilled with bows and arrows. They had many sons and grandsons, 150 of them in all. All these men were Benjamin’s descendants.
COMMENTARY
VERSES 29-40
From the family of Jeiel there came Ner. (The word ‘son’ often means ‘descendant’ rather than ‘the son of the father’). Ner was the father of Kish. And Kish was the father of Saul. Saul, the son of Kish, became the first king of Israel (1 Samuel chapters 9 and 10). Saul was king from 1043 BC to 1011 BC. Ner was also the father of Abner. So, Abner was an uncle of Saul. He became the leader of Saul’s army (1 Samuel 14:50).
One of Saul’s sons was Esh-Baal. Before the worship of the false god called Baal began in Israel, the word was an ordinary word for God. And people often used that word in the names of their children. But afterwards, people began to worship the false god called Baal. So people who were loyal to God did not want to use those old names. They did not even want to mention the word ‘baal’. So, they changed ‘baal’ to ‘bosheth’. The word ‘bosheth’ means ‘shame’. Then Esh-Baal became Ish-Bosheth. A son of Jonathan, Merib-baal became Mephibosheth.
Mephibosheth was 5 years old when Saul and Jonathan died. That was in 1011 BC. King David was kind to Mephibosheth because he had made a promise to Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:15-17). This list of Mephibosheth’s family continues until about the time of the exile in 586 BC.
|
|
