Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Verſ. 1. NOw Benjamin begat Bela his firſt-born, &c.] Some thing was before ſaid concerning three of Benjamins ſonnes, chap. 7.6. but here the genealogie of Benjamin is more fully expreſſed. 1. Becauſe the tribe of Benjamin did alwayes moſt conſtantly adhere to the houſe and kingdome of David. And ſecondly to diſcover the ſtock of Saul the firſt king of Iſrael. Indeed Gen. 46.21. there are ten ſonnes of Benjamin named, but the genealogie of five of them onelyonly is here recorded; becauſe happely of the others there were no men of any great renown, or perhaps becauſe their genealogies were leſt, Aſhbel the ſecond, is called alſo Jediael, chap. 7.6. and Aharah Ahiram. Numb. 26.38. and Ehi, Gen. 46.21. and Nohah Naaman, Gen. 46.21. and Rapha Roſh, Gen. 46.21.
Verſ. 3. And the ſonnes of Bela were, Addar, and Gera, &c.] Five other ſonnes of Bela are mentioned, chap. 7.7. to which here are added nine more, neither is it neceſſary that we ſhould think that all theſe were the immediate ſonnes of Bela; (for here we ſee are two Geraes mentioned, and men do not uſe to call two ſonnes by one name) but onelyonly that they were men of renown of his poſterity.
Verſ. 6. And theſe are the ſonnes of Ehud, &c.] The meaning of this place (I conceive) is, that ſome of theſe before mentioned that were of the poſterity of Bela, were more immediately the ſonnes of Ehud, chief of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, who finding that place too ſtrait for them, removed themſelves to Manahath, together with Naaman, and Ahiah called Ahoah verſ. 4. and Gera, and dwelt there.
Verſ. 7. He removed them, and begat Ʋzza, and Ahihud.] That is, Ehud or Gera removed them, and being ſeated in Manahath, he begat Uzza and Ahihud.
Verſ. 8. And Shaharaim begat children in the countrey of Moab, after he had ſent them away.] That is, after Ehud or Gera had ſent away this colony from Geba to Manahath, Shaharaim (who was it ſeems one of them) begat children in the land of Moab, whither it ſeems upon ſome occaſion he was removed.
Huſhim and Baara were his wives.] Huſhim called alſo Hodeſh, verſ. 9.
Verſ. 12. The ſonnes of Elpaal; Eber, &c.] To wit, beſides thoſe that dwelt in Jeruſalem mentioned, verſ. 17, 18, 28.
Verſ. 13. Beriah alſo and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath.] To wit, that they might dwell in their room; yet ſome underſtand it, that they came upon the men of Gath, when they had ſlain the ſonnes of Ephraim, and put them to flight, ſo revenging the death of their brethren.
Verſ. 14. And Ahio, Shaſhak, and Jerimoth, &c.] Here begins the catalogue of the heads of the ſeverall families of Benjamin that inhabited Jeruſalem. Firſt, the ſonnes of Beriah the ſonne of Elpaal, verſ. 14, 15, 16. Secondly, the ſonnes of Elpaal, verſ. 17, and 18. Thirdly the ſonnes of Shimhi, or verſ. 13. Shema the ſonne of Elpaal, verſ. 19, 20, 21. Fourthly, the ſonnes of Shaſhak, verſ. 22, 23, 24, 25. who was a ſonne of Beriah, verſ. 14. And fifthly, the ſonnes of Jeroham, who is no where elſe mentioned, verſ. 26, and 27.
Verſ. 33. And Ner begat Kiſh, &c.] This Ner the grandfather of Saul, was alſo called Abiel, 1. Sam. 9.1. Now there was a man of Benjamin whoſe name was Kiſh, the ſonne of Abiel, the ſonne of Zeror, &c. and he had (beſides Kiſh) a ſonne alſo called Ner, the father of Abner, 1. Sam. 14.50.51.
Verſ. 36. And Ahaz begat Jehoadah.] Called alſo Jarah, chap. 9.42.
Verſ. 37. Rapha was his ſonne.] Called alſo Rephaiah, chap. 9.43.