Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
ADam, Sheth, Enoſh, &c.] In the book of the kings there is frequent mention of the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Iſrael and of the kings of Judah, as 1. Kings 14.19. and 1. Kings 15.23. and in many other places. But it is clear that theſe books of the Chronicles, which are a part of the ſacred Scriptures, are not the very ſame that are there mentioned, becauſe many things which are there ſaid to have been related are not here to be found, as we ſee 1. Kings 14.19. Yet theſe were happely collected out of thoſe, and that by Ezra, as it is generally thought. Their chief ſcope is to give us the hiſtory of the kings of Judah entirely by it ſelf, without intermingling the ſtory of the kings of Iſrael, as it is in the books of the kings; and eſpecially to adde ſuch remarkable paſſages concerning Judahs kingdome, as were omitted in the books of the kings: whence they are called by the Greek Interpreters Paralipomena, that is, paſſages formerly paſſed by and omitted. In the firſt foure verſes we have the line of Adam to Noah, no other of the poſterity of Adam being mentioned, becauſe they were all deſtroyed in the floud.
Verſ. 5. The ſonnes of Japheth; Gomer, &c.] See Gen. 10.1.
Verſ. 10. And Cuſh begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.] See Gen. 10.8.
Verſ. 18. And Arphaxad begat Shelah.] The Septuagint in their Greek tranſlation of the old Teſtament, do both here, and alſo Gen. 10.14. inſert one generation more then is in the Hebrew, reading the text thus, And Arphaxad begat Cainan, and Cainan begat Shelah. And yet herein according to our tranſlation Luke the Evangeliſt followeth the corrupt Septuagint tranſlation, rather then the Hebrew copies, Luke 3.35, 36. making Salah (or Shelah) the ſonne of Cainan, and Cainan the ſonne of Arphaxad. Now to this it is anſwered that the Evangeliſt did this, becauſe the Septuagint tranſlation was then of great eſteem, and of moſt frequent uſe amongſt the Jews; and therefore he would not for ſo ſmall a matter, and of no importance, miniſter any occaſion of contention, it being ſufficient for him to ſhew that Chriſt was the ſonne of David, even according to the genealogy of David ſet down by the Septuagint, which in thoſe times paſſed for currant amongſt them; and that the rather happely, becauſe even to this that clauſe may be referred, Luke 3.23. (as was ſuppoſed) namely, that in thoſe dayes it was ſuppoſed by them that followed the Septuagint tranſlation, that Shelah was the ſonne of Cainan, and Cainan the ſonne of Arphaxad. It is indeed true that ſome Interpreters do leave Cainan out of the genealogy of Luke, and alledge that in ſome Greek copies it is not found, which being granted we cannot ſay but they had ſtrong inducements to leave it out. But on the other ſide admitting our tranſlation of the Evangeliſt to be juſt and warrantable, the anſwer formerly given for the reconciling of this difference, is doubtleſſe the moſt ſatisfying that I any where find amongſt the Expoſitours both of the Old and New Teſtament.
Verſ. 35. The ſonnes of Eſau; Eliphaz, Revel, &c.] Eliphaz was the ſonne of Eſau by his wife Adah, and Revel by his wife Baſhemath, Gen. 36.10.
Verſ. 36. The ſonnes of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.] Amalek was the ſonne of Eliphaz by Timna his concubine, the ſiſter of Lotan, the ſonne of Seir; of which ſee Gen. 36.12. But this Timna here mentioned was the ſonne of Eliphaz, though of the ſame name with his concubine.
Verſ. 38. And the ſonnes of Seir; Lotan, &c.] This Seir was Prince of the Horites, who at firſt inhabited the land of Edom, till the children of Edom deſtroyed them, and dwelt in their room, Deut. 2.12. The Horims alſo dwelt in Seir before time, but the children of Eſau ſucceeded them, when they had deſtroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their ſtead; and therefore is the genealogy of the Horites here recorded, onelyonly becauſe Eſau and his ſonne Eliphaz were joyned in affinity with theſe Princes of the Horites; and perhaps thence the Edomites took ſome occaſion of quarrel againſt them, and ſo ſeized upon their countrey. The poſterity of Seir here mentioned were dukes in mount Seir, as is noted, Gen. 36.30.
Verſ. 43. Now theſe are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, &c,] See Gen. 36.31.