29 And by the borders H3027 of the children H1121 of Manasseh, H4519 Bethshean H1052 and her towns, H1323 Taanach H8590 and her towns, H1323 Megiddo H4023 and her towns, H1323 Dor H1756 and her towns. H1323 In these dwelt H3427 the children H1121 of Joseph H3130 the son H1121 of Israel. H3478
And the house H1004 of Joseph, H3130 they also went up H5927 against Bethel: H1008 and the LORD H3068 was with them. And the house H1004 of Joseph H3130 sent to descry H8446 Bethel. H1008 (Now the name H8034 of the city H5892 before H6440 was Luz.) H3870 And the spies H8104 saw H7200 a man H376 come forth H3318 out of the city, H5892 and they said H559 unto him, Shew H7200 us, we pray thee, the entrance H3996 into the city, H5892 and we will shew H6213 thee mercy. H2617 And when he shewed H7200 them the entrance H3996 into the city, H5892 they smote H5221 the city H5892 with the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 but they let go H7971 the man H376 and all his family. H4940 And the man H376 went H3212 into the land H776 of the Hittites, H2850 and built H1129 a city, H5892 and called H7121 the name H8034 thereof Luz: H3870 which is the name H8034 thereof unto this day. H3117 Neither did Manasseh H4519 drive out H3423 the inhabitants of Bethshean H1052 and her towns, H1323 nor Taanach H8590 and her towns, H1323 nor the inhabitants H3427 of Dor H1756 and her towns, H1323 nor the inhabitants H3427 of Ibleam H2991 and her towns, H1323 nor the inhabitants H3427 of Megiddo H4023 and her towns: H1323 but the Canaanites H3669 would H2974 dwell H3427 in that land. H776 And it came to pass, when Israel H3478 was strong, H2388 that they put H7760 the Canaanites H3669 to tribute, H4522 and did not utterly H3423 drive them out. H3423 Neither did Ephraim H669 drive out H3423 the Canaanites H3669 that dwelt H3427 in Gezer; H1507 but the Canaanites H3669 dwelt H3427 in Gezer H1507 among H7130 them.
And the lot H1486 of the children H1121 of Joseph H3130 fell H3318 from Jordan H3383 by Jericho, H3405 unto the water H4325 of Jericho H3405 on the east, H4217 to the wilderness H4057 that goeth up H5927 from Jericho H3405 throughout mount H2022 Bethel, H1008 And goeth out H3318 from Bethel H1008 to Luz, H3870 and passeth along H5674 unto the borders H1366 of Archi H757 to Ataroth, H5852 And goeth down H3381 westward H3220 to the coast H1366 of Japhleti, H3311 unto the coast H1366 of Bethhoron H1032 the nether, H8481 and to Gezer: H1507 and the goings out H8444 thereof are at the sea. H3220 So the children H1121 of Joseph, H3130 Manasseh H4519 and Ephraim, H669 took their inheritance. H5157 And the border H1366 of the children H1121 of Ephraim H669 according to their families H4940 was thus: even the border H1366 of their inheritance H5159 on the east side H4217 was Atarothaddar, H5853 unto Bethhoron H1032 the upper; H5945 And the border H1366 went out H3318 toward the sea H3220 to Michmethah H4366 on the north side; H6828 and the border H1366 went about H5437 eastward H4217 unto Taanathshiloh, H8387 and passed H5674 by it on the east H4217 to Janohah; H3239 And it went down H3381 from Janohah H3239 to Ataroth, H5852 and to Naarath, H5292 and came H6293 to Jericho, H3405 and went out H3318 at Jordan. H3383 The border H1366 went out H3212 from Tappuah H8599 westward H3220 unto the river H5158 Kanah; H7071 and the goings out H8444 thereof were at the sea. H3220 This is the inheritance H5159 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Ephraim H669 by their families. H4940 And the separate H3995 cities H5892 for the children H1121 of Ephraim H669 were among H8432 the inheritance H5159 of the children H1121 of Manasseh, H4519 all the cities H5892 with their villages. H2691 And they drave not out H3423 the Canaanites H3669 that dwelt H3427 in Gezer: H1507 but the Canaanites H3669 dwell H3427 among H7130 the Ephraimites H669 unto this day, H3117 and serve H5647 under tribute. H4522
And the coast H1366 of Manasseh H4519 was from Asher H836 to Michmethah, H4366 that lieth before H6440 Shechem; H7927 and the border H1366 went along H1980 on the right hand H3225 unto the inhabitants H3427 of Entappuah. H5887 Now Manasseh H4519 had the land H776 of Tappuah: H8599 but Tappuah H8599 on the border H1366 of Manasseh H4519 belonged to the children H1121 of Ephraim; H669 And the coast H1366 descended H3381 unto the river H5158 Kanah, H7071 southward H5045 of the river: H5158 these cities H5892 of Ephraim H669 are among H8432 the cities H5892 of Manasseh: H4519 the coast H1366 of Manasseh H4519 also was on the north side H6828 of the river, H5158 and the outgoings H8444 of it were at the sea: H3220 Southward H5045 it was Ephraim's, H669 and northward H6828 it was Manasseh's, H4519 and the sea H3220 is his border; H1366 and they met together H6293 in Asher H836 on the north, H6828 and in Issachar H3485 on the east. H4217 And Manasseh H4519 had in Issachar H3485 and in Asher H836 Bethshean H1052 and her towns, H1323 and Ibleam H2991 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Dor H1756 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Endor H5874 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Taanach H8590 and her towns, H1323 and the inhabitants H3427 of Megiddo H4023 and her towns, H1323 even three H7969 countries. H5316
The kings H4428 came H935 and fought, H3898 then fought H3898 the kings H4428 of Canaan H3667 in Taanach H8590 by the waters H4325 of Megiddo; H4023 they took H3947 no gain H1215 of money. H3701
And they put H7760 his armour H3627 in the house H1004 of Ashtaroth: H6252 H1045 and they fastened H8628 his body H1472 to the wall H2346 of Bethshan. H1052
And this is the reason H1697 of the levy H4522 which king H4428 Solomon H8010 raised; H5927 for to build H1129 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and his own house, H1004 and Millo, H4407 and the wall H2346 of Jerusalem, H3389 and Hazor, H2674 and Megiddo, H4023 and Gezer. H1507
But when Ahaziah H274 the king H4428 of Judah H3063 saw H7200 this, he fled H5127 by the way H1870 of the garden H1588 house. H1004 And Jehu H3058 followed H7291 after H310 him, and said, H559 Smite H5221 him also in the chariot. H4818 And they did so at the going up H4608 to Gur, H1483 which is by Ibleam. H2991 And he fled H5127 to Megiddo, H4023 and died H4191 there.
Nevertheless Josiah H2977 would not turn H5437 his face H6440 from him, but disguised H2664 himself, that he might fight H3898 with him, and hearkened H8085 not unto the words H1697 of Necho H5224 from the mouth H6310 of God, H430 and came H935 to fight H3898 in the valley H1237 of Megiddo. H4023
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 7
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
1Ch 7:1-5. Sons of Issachar.
1. Jashub—or Job (Ge 46:13).
2. whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred—Although a census was taken in the reign of David by order of that monarch, it is not certain that the sacred historian had it in mind, since we find here the tribe of Benjamin enumerated [1Ch 7:6-12], which was not taken in David's time; and there are other points of dissimilarity.
3. five: all of them chief men—Four only are mentioned; so that as they are stated to be five, in this number the father, Izrahiah, must be considered as included; otherwise one of the names must have dropped out of the text. They were each at the head of a numerous and influential division of their tribe.
5. fourscore and seven thousand—exclusive of the 58,600 men which the Tola branch had produced (1Ch 7:24), so that in the days of David the tribe would have contained a population of 45,600. This large increase was owing to the practice of polygamy, as well as the fruitfulness of the women. A plurality of wives, though tolerated among the Hebrews, was confined chiefly to the great and wealthy; but it seems to have been generally esteemed a privilege by the tribe of Issachar, "for they had many wives and sons" [1Ch 7:4].
1Ch 7:6-12. Of Benjamin.
6. The sons of Benjamin—Ten are named in Ge 46:21, but only five later (1Ch 8:1; Nu 26:38). Perhaps five of them were distinguished as chiefs of illustrious families, but two having fallen in the bloody wars waged against Benjamin (Jud 20:46), there remained only three branches of this tribe, and these only are enumerated.
Jediael—Or Asbel (Genesis 46. 21).
7. the sons of Bela—Each of them was chief or leader of the family to which he belonged. In an earlier period seven great families of Benjamin are mentioned (Nu 26:38), five of them being headed by these five sons of Benjamin, and two descended from Bela. Here five families of Bela are specified, whence we are led to conclude that time or the ravages of war had greatly changed the condition of Benjamin, or that the five families of Bela were subordinate to the other great divisions that sprang directly from the five sons of the patriarch.
12. Shuppim also, and Huppim—They are called Muppim and Huppim (Ge 46:21) and Hupham and Shupham (Nu 26:39). They were the children of Ir, or Iri (1Ch 7:7).
and Hushim, the sons—"son."
of Aher—"Aher" signifies "another," and some eminent critics, taking "Aher" as a common noun, render the passage thus, "and Hushim, another son." Shuppim, Muppim, and Hushim are plural words, and therefore denote not individuals, but the heads of their respective families; and as they were not comprised in the above enumeration (1Ch 7:7, 9) they are inserted here in the form of an appendix. Some render the passage, "Hushim, the son of another," that is, tribe or family. The name occurs among the sons of Dan (Ge 46:23), and it is a presumption in favor of this being the true rendering, that after having recorded the genealogy of Naphtali (1Ch 7:13) the sacred historian adds, "the sons of Bilhah, the handmaid, who was the mother of Dan and Naphtali." We naturally expect, therefore, that these two will be noticed together, but Dan is not mentioned at all, if not in this passage.
1Ch 7:13. Of Naphtali.
13. Shallum—or Shillem (Ge 46:24).
sons of Bilhah—As Dan and Naphtali were her sons, Hushim, as well as these enumerated in 1Ch 7:13, were her grandsons.
1Ch 7:14-40. Of Manasseh.
14, 15. The sons of Manasseh—or descendants; for Ashriel was a grandson, and Zelophehad was a generation farther removed in descent (Nu 26:33). The text, as it stands, is so confused and complicated that it is exceedingly difficult to trace the genealogical thread, and a great variety of conjectures have been made with a view to clear away the obscurity. The passage [1Ch 7:14, 15] should probably be rendered thus: "The sons of Manasseh were Ashriel, whom his Syrian concubine bare to him, and Machir, the father of Gilead (whom his wife bare to him). Machir took for a wife Maachah, sister to Huppim and Shuppim."
21. whom the men of Gath … slew, &c.—This interesting little episode gives us a glimpse of the state of Hebrew society in Egypt; for the occurrence narrated seems to have taken place before the Israelites left that country. The patriarch Ephraim was then alive, though he must have arrived at a very advanced age; and the Hebrew people, at all events those of them who were his descendants, still retained their pastoral character. It was in perfect consistency with the ideas and habits of Oriental shepherds that they should have made a raid on the neighboring tribe of the Philistines for the purpose of plundering their flocks. For nothing is more common among them than hostile incursions on the inhabitants of towns, or on other nomad tribes with whom they have no league of amity. But a different view of the incident is brought out, if, instead of "because," we render the Hebrew particle "when" they came down to take their cattle, for the tenor of the context leads rather to the conclusion that "the men of Gath" were the aggressors, who, making a sudden foray on the Ephraimite flocks, killed the shepherds including several of the sons of Ephraim. The calamity spread a deep gloom around the tent of their aged father, and was the occasion of his receiving visits of condolence from his distant relatives, according to the custom of the East, which is remarkably exemplified in the history of Job (Job 2:11; compare Joh 11:19).