6 And these are the sons H1121 of Ehud: H261 these are the heads H7218 of the fathers H1 of the inhabitants H3427 of Geba, H1387 and they removed H1540 them to Manahath: H4506
And Ehud H164 came H935 unto him; and he was sitting H3427 in a summer H4747 parlour, H5944 which he had for himself alone. And Ehud H164 said, H559 I have a message H1697 from God H430 unto thee. And he arose H6965 out of his seat. H3678 And Ehud H164 put forth H7971 his left H8040 hand, H3027 and took H3947 the dagger H2719 from his right H3225 thigh, H3409 and thrust H8628 it into his belly: H990 And the haft H5325 also went in H935 after H310 the blade; H3851 and the fat H2459 closed H5462 upon H1157 the blade, H3851 so that he could not draw H8025 the dagger H2719 out of his belly; H990 and the dirt H6574 came out. H3318 Then Ehud H164 went forth H3318 through the porch, H4528 and shut H5462 the doors H1817 of the parlour H5944 upon him, and locked H5274 them. When he was gone out, H3318 his servants H5650 came; H935 and when they saw H7200 that, behold, the doors H1817 of the parlour H5944 were locked, H5274 they said, H559 Surely he covereth H5526 his feet H7272 in his summer H4747 chamber. H2315 And they tarried H2342 till they were ashamed: H954 and, behold, he opened H6605 not the doors H1817 of the parlour; H5944 therefore they took H3947 a key, H4668 and opened H6605 them: and, behold, their lord H113 was fallen down H5307 dead H4191 on the earth. H776 And Ehud H164 escaped H4422 while they tarried, H4102 and passed beyond H5674 the quarries, H6456 and escaped H4422 unto Seirath. H8167 And it came to pass, when he was come, H935 that he blew H8628 a trumpet H7782 in the mountain H2022 of Ephraim, H669 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went down H3381 with him from the mount, H2022 and he before H6440 them. And he said H559 unto them, Follow H7291 after H310 me: for the LORD H3068 hath delivered H5414 your enemies H341 the Moabites H4124 into your hand. H3027 And they went down H3381 after H310 him, and took H3920 the fords H4569 of Jordan H3383 toward Moab, H4124 and suffered H5414 not a man H376 to pass over. H5674 And they slew H5221 of Moab H4124 at that time H6256 about ten H6235 thousand H505 men, H376 all lusty, H8082 and all men H376 of valour; H2428 and there escaped H4422 not a man. H376 So Moab H4124 was subdued H3665 that day H3117 under the hand H3027 of Israel. H3478 And the land H776 had rest H8252 fourscore H8084 years. H8141
And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 again H3254 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 when Ehud H164 was dead. H4191
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 8
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 8 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CHRONICLES 8
In this chapter the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin is reconsidered, and several of the principal men and families in it are taken notice of, which were not before; or a further account is given of them, as of the sons and grandsons of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:1, of Ehud, 1 Chronicles 8:5, of Shaharaim, 1 Chronicles 8:8, of Elpaal and Beriah, 1 Chronicles 8:12 of Shimhi, 1 Chronicles 8:19, of Shashak, 1 Chronicles 8:22, of Jeroham, 1 Chronicles 8:26, of Jehiel the father of Gibeon, 1 Chronicles 8:28, of Ner, and particularly Saul, 1 Chronicles 8:33 and of Jonathan, and his posterity, 1 Chronicles 8:34.
Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn,.... See 1 Chronicles 7:6. The genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin is reviewed, because it joined and kept close with Judah in the worship of God, went into captivity, and returned out of it with it; and this review is made chiefly for the sake of Saul, and his posterity, the first king of Israel, who was of it, and in whose posterity this genealogy ends:
Ashbel the second; supposed to be the same with Jediael, 1 Chronicles 7:6, see Genesis 46:21.
and Aharah the third; the same with Aher, 1 Chronicles 7:13, and with Ahiram, Numbers 26:38.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. Nohah is supposed by some to be the same with Becher, 1 Chronicles 7:6 and by others with Naaman, Genesis 46:21, as Rapha, the same with Rosh there.
The sons of Bela were Addar, and Gera, and Abihud. The first of these is thought to be the same with Ard, mentioned among the sons of Benjamin, Genesis 46:21 but was one of his grandsons, see Numbers 26:40 as Gera also was.
And Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah, and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. These were all the sons of Bela; one of the name of Naaman is reckoned among the sons of Benjamin, Genesis 46:21 and from this grandson the family of the Naamanites are named, Numbers 26:40, and Ahoah is by some thought to be the same with Ehi, mentioned in Genesis 46:21 as one of Benjamin's sons. Some take the three last to be the sons of Ehud, spoken of in the next verse; but Shephuphan and Huram seem to be the same with Shupham and Hupham, Numbers 26:39.
And these are the sons of Ehud,.... Not he that was a judge in Israel, Judges 3:15 but perhaps a son of Huram the last mentioned; for not the three last are his sons, as some think, but the three following in the next verse; what follows being to be read in a parenthesis:
(these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba;) a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:24 namely, those sons of Ehud, after mentioned, were principal men in that tribe, and chief of the inhabitants of the city of Geba:
and they removed them to Manahath; the name of a country referred to in 1 Chronicles 2:52 according to Jarchi, which was in the tribe of Judah; Geba being too small, either the inhabitants of Geba removed them, or they removed themselves, or their fathers removed them, 1 Chronicles 8:7, or it may be read impersonally, they were removed thither for the sake of a better habitation; the Targum adds,"to the land of the house of Esau,'to Edom; which is not likely.
And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera,.... Or, to wit, Naaman, &c. so the words are to be connected with
these are the sons or Ehud, in the preceding verse:
he removed them; to the above place, that is, either Gera, or rather Ehud, he advised them, directed and enjoined them to go thither, as being most convenient for them:
and he begat Uzza and Ahihud; after he had removed his other sons.
And Shaharaim,.... Who was either a son of Ahihud, or rather a brother of his, another son of Ehud:
begat children in the country of Moab; whither he might go on account of the famine, as Elimelech did, 1:1, after he had sent them away; which some understand of those that were removed from Geba to Manahath, 1 Chronicles 8:6, but a different word is here used; and besides Shaharaim seems to be one of those that were removed. Kimchi takes Shilhootham, we render "had sent them away", to be the name of his first wife, of whom he begat children in Moab; but it seems best to render and interpret the words in connection with what follows: he begat children in Moab:
after he had sent them away; even Hushim and Baara his wives; after he had divorced them, for some reasons he had, he begat children of another wife, later mentioned.
And he begat of Hodesh his wife,.... That is, he, I say, begat, namely, Shaharaim; the Targum makes this Hodesh to be the same with Baara, called so because she was newly espoused; but wrongly: the sons begotten of her were the seven following;
Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcham, Jeuz, Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons; the sons of Shaharaim by his wife Hodesh:
heads of the fathers; of the houses or families of their father.
And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal. Before he sent her away, or divorced her, 1 Chronicles 8:8.
The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed,.... Besides those in 1 Chronicles 8:14.
who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof; not Shamed, but Elpaal his father, so the Targum; and the Talmudists sayF15T. Hieros. Megillah, fol. 70. 1. & T. Bab Megillah, fol. 4. 1. So the Targum. , these were walled cities from the days of Joshua the son of Nun, and were destroyed in the days of the concubine in Gibea, and Elpaal came and rebuilt them; they were inhabited by the Benjaminites, upon their return from the Babylonish captivity, Nehemiah 11:35 they were near to each other; according to a Jewish chronologerF16Juchasin, fol. 39. 2. , it was three miles from the one to the other; Lod is the same with Lydda, in Acts 9:32.
Beriah also, and Shema,.... These were sons of Elpaal:
who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon; which, though in the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:42 might afterwards come into the possession of Benjamin; or this may be another place of the same name in Benjamin; or, however, might be inhabited by Benjaminites, upon the return from captivity, who descended from those men:
who drove away the inhabitants of Gath; dispossessed them of their city, in revenge for what they had done to the Ephraimites, 1 Chronicles 7:21.
And Ahio, Shashak, and Jerimoth. These were also sons of Elpaal.
And Zebadiah,.... And all that follow in this and the next verse were the sons of Beriah the son of Elpaal; namely:
Arad, Ader, Michael, Ispah, and Joha.
And Zebadiah, and Meshullam,.... These, with those that follow:
Hezeki, Heber, Ishmerai, Jezliah, and Jobab, were the sons of Elpaal
And Jakim,.... With all the rest in these verses, namely:
Zichri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zilthai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath, were the sons of Shimhi, the same with Shema brother of Beriah, and son of Elpaal, 1 Chronicles 8:13.
And Ishpan, and Heber,.... And all that follow to the end of these verses:
Eliel, Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Antothijah, Iphedeiah, and Penuel, were the sons of Shashak, another son of Elpaal, 1 Chronicles 8:14.
And Shamsherai,.... Who, with those next mentioned:
Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaresiah, Eliah, and Zichri, were the sons of Jeroham, who perhaps is the same with Jerimoth, another son of Elpaal, 1 Chronicles 8:14 who makes a considerable figure in this genealogy. Kimchi observes that it is a traditionF17Shemoth Rabba, sect. 40. fol. 138. 4. that this Eliah is Elijah the prophet, who was of the seed of Rachel.
These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men,.... All from 1 Chronicles 8:14, the sons of Elpaal and their sons:
these dwelt in Jerusalem; part of which always belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, see Joshua 15:63.
And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon,.... The builder of the city, and prince of the inhabitants of it, which was in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25 whose name was Jehiel, 1 Chronicles 9:35,
(whose wife's name was Maachah;) of which name were many, see 1 Chronicles 2:48.
And his firstborn son Abdon,.... That is, Jehiel's, the father or prince of Gibeon; other sons follow:
Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, and Zacher; called Zechariah, 1 Chronicles 9:37 and between Baal and Nadab, Ner is placed, 1 Chronicles 9:36 and another son is added at the end of 1 Chronicles 9:37, Mikloth next mentioned.
And Mikloth begat Shimeah,.... Called Shimeam, 1 Chronicles 9:38.
and these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them; in another part of the city, right beside them.
And Ner begat Kish,.... Who also is called Abiel, as the Targum here adds; for Ner had two names, as other Jewish writers likewise sayF18Vajikra Rabba, sect. 9. fol. 152. 4. , see 1 Samuel 9:1,
and Kish begat Saul; the first king of Israel, for whose sake chiefly the genealogy of Benjamin is revised and enlarged in this chapter:
and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal, see 1 Samuel 31:2. Abinadab is called Ishui, 1 Samuel 14:49 and Eshbaal is the same with Ishbosheth, 2 Samuel 2:8, so Baal and Bosheth are used of the same idol of which they are names, Hosea 9:10.
And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal,.... The same with Mephibosheth, 2 Samuel 4:4 so Jerubbaal is called Jerubbesheth, Judges 6:32.
and Meribbaal begat Micah; called his young son in David's time, 2 Samuel 9:12.
And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. The last but one is called Tahrea, 1 Chronicles 9:41, where Ahaz is left out, though supplied in our version.
And Ahaz begat Jehoadah,.... Called Jarah, 1 Chronicles 9:42.
and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza; the same account is given, 1 Chronicles 9:42.
And Moza begat Binea; Rapha was his son,.... Called Rephaiah, 1 Chronicles 9:43.
Elasah his son; whose name is Eleasah, 1 Chronicles 9:43.
Azel his son.
And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bochim, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan,.... Which make the said number:
all these were the sons of Azel; his family was large.
And the sons of Eshek his brother,.... The brother of Azel; who he was is not known, unless he is the same with Elasah, as is conjectured:
were Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.
And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour,.... Men of great fortitude and courage, though their names are not expressed:
archers; skilful in the use of the bow and arrows, as the Benjaminites formerly were famous for slinging stones:
and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty; so that the posterity of Jonathan, whose genealogy is drawn down from 1 Chronicles 8:34 hither, were very great; and greater still, according to the Vulgate Latin version, in which the number is 150,000 in the edition of Sixtus the fifth, and so in most MSS of that versionF19See James of the Contrariety of the Popish Bibles, p. 294. .
all these are of the sons of Benjamin; his posterity, whose names are given in this chapter.