Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Verſ. 6. ANd the ſonnes of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara.] Zimri as is moſt probable, was the immediate ſonne of Zerah, as being the ſame that is called Zabdi, the father of Carmi, the father of Achan, Joſh. 7.1. But the reſt, if they were the ſame Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara, mentioned, 1. Kings 4.31. that were ſo famous for their wiſedome (as it is commonly held they were) then were not theſe the immediate ſonnes of Zerah, but rekoned here amongſt his ſonnes, onelyonly becauſe they were of his poſterity, and men famous in their time; but the ſonnes of Mahol, as is expreſſely noted, 1. Kings 4.31.
Verſ. 7. And the ſonnes of Carmi, &c.] Who was the ſonne of Zimri, or Zabdi, Joſh. 7.1.
Verſ. 15. Ozem the ſixth, David the ſeventh.] It is evident that Jeſſe had eight ſonnes when David was anointed king by Samuel, 1. Sam. 16.10. but concerning that ſee the note there,
Verſ. 17. And the father of Amaſa was Jether the Iſhmeelite.] See the note 2. Sam. 17.25.
Verſ. 18. And Caleb the ſon of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth.] This was not Caleb the ſon of Jephunneh, who was but fourty years old when he ſearched Canaan, Joſh. 14.7. but another of the ſame name, the ſonne of Hezron, of whom, ſee Gen. 46.12. and his genealogy is here largely ſet down, becauſe there were many men of renown amongſt his poſterity, and the chief aim of this chapter is to ſhew how God bleſſed the tribe of Judah, according to his promiſe, Gen. 49.8, &c. Judah thou art he whom thy brethren ſhall praiſe: thy hand ſhall be in the neck of thine enemies, thy fathers children ſhall bow down before thee, ſee alſo Exod. 31.2.
Her ſonnes are theſe; Jeſher, and Shobab, and Ardon.] This may be referred either to Azubah or Jerioth; yet by moſt Expoſitours it is referred to the laſt; to wit, that theſe were the ſonnes of Jerioth, and that Calebs ſonnes by Azubah, are thoſe mentioned, verſ. 42.
Verſ. 21. And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir, the father of Gilead, &c.] See Joſh. 17.1. Numb. 26.29.
Verſ. 22. And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.] The grandfather of Jair was Hezron of the tribe of Judah, but his grandmother was of the tribe of Manaſſeh, the daughter of Machir; and it ſeems his father Segub, was by Machir his mothers father, adopted for his ſonne, and ſo Jair is called the ſonne of Manaſſeh, Deut. 3.14. and joyning with his brethren by the mothers ſide, in ſubduing that portion of land which was aſſigned to them without Jordan, he had there his portion amongſt them, though he were by the fathers ſide of the tribe of Judah, ſee the note upon Numb. 32.41.
Verſ. 23. And he took Geſhur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, &c.] That is, he took Geſhur and Aram from thoſe that were the ancient inhabitants. But this was Geſhur without Jordan, in the portion of the half tribe of Manaſſeh there ſeated; for there was another Geſhuri within Jordan, that was not ſubdued when Joſhua began to divide the land amongſt the Iſraelites, Joſh. 13.2. As for Kenath he took that (as it ſeems) by means of Nobah, who happely was one of his poſterity or captains, and fought againſt Kenath under the command of Jair, Numb. 32.41, 42. And Jair the ſonne of Manaſſeh went and took the ſmall towns thereof, and called them Havoth-jair. And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah after his own name.
Verſ. 24. Abiah Hezrons wife bare him Aſhur the father of Tekoa.] That is, the Prince of Tekoa, or rather the father of the inhabitants of Tekoa.
Verſ. 34. Now Sheſhan had no ſonnes, but daughters, &c.] Ahlai therefore the ſonne of Sheſhan mentioned, verſ. 31. died it ſeems his father yet living; or elſe, Ahlai was his daughter, whom he married to his Egyptian ſervant.
Verſ. 42. Now the ſonnes of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Meſha his firſt-born, which was the father of Ziph.] Theſe were his ſonnes by Azubah his firſt wife, of whom mention was made, verſ. 18. and Meſha his firſt-born is called the father of Ziph, becauſe he was the father of the inhabitants of Ziph.
And the ſonnes of Mareſha the father of Hebron.] That is, the ſonnes of Mareſha were alſo the poſterity of Caleb by Azubah.
Verſ 49. And the daughter of Caleb was Achſah.] Caleb the ſon of Jephunneh had a daughter alſo named Achſah, Joſh. 15.17. but this muſt needs be the daughter of Caleb the ſonne of Hezron.
Verſ. 50. Theſe were the ſonnes of Caleb the ſonne of Hur, &c.] This is the poſterity of a ſecond Caleb, the ſonne of Hur, mentioned before, verſ. 20. and the firſt mentioned is Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim, which may be underſtood as that above, verſ. 42.
Verſ. 54. The ſonnes of Salman; Beth-lehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the houſe of Joab.] Ataroth ſignifieth crowns, and ſo ſome underſtand this word as an encomium of the Netophathites, that being of the valianteſt of Joabs ſouldiers, they were the crowns of the houſe of Joab. But otherwiſe it may be taken for the inhabitants of Ataroth, a place mentioned, Joſh. 16.2. to wit, that they alſo were of the poſterity of Salmah; and thoſe words, the houſe of Joab, muſt then be added, to imply, that the poſterity of Joab were either of the inhabitants of Ataroth, or of the poſterity of Salmah; to wit, by the fathers ſide.
Verſ. 55. And the families of the Scribes which dwelt at Jabez. By Scribes here, Expoſitours underſtand ſuch as were exerciſed in the ſtudy of the law, and ſo inſtructed the people herein, whence is that, Jer. 8.8. How do we ſay, We are wiſe, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it, the pen of the Scribes is in vain, and Ezra 7.6. This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a ready ſcribe in the law of Moſes.
The Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. Theſe are the Kenites, &c.] The Kenites were doubtleſſe the poſterity of Jethro, Judg. 1.16. And the children of the Kenite Moſes father in law, went up out of the city of palm-trees, and the Suchathites (ſo called, becauſe they dwelt in Tabernacles) were Kenites (as is here expreſſely affirmed) yea and perhaps the reſt alſo, in the former words mentioned with them, and that of the poſterity of Hemath, who was alſo the father of the Rechabites, of whom we reade, Jer. 35.2. yet becauſe they dwelt with the ſonnes of Salmah, and perhaps matched themſelves with their daughters, they are here inſerted amongſt Salmahs poſterity.