Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 8

Verses 1-28

"And Benjamin begat Bela his first-born, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third, Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. And Bela had sons: Addar, and Gera, and Abihud, and Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah. and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and they carried them captive to Manahath: and Naaman, and Ahijah, and Gera, he carried them captive; and he begat Uzza, and Ahihud. And Shaharaim begat children in the field of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim, and Baara were his wives. And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcam, and Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers' houses. And of Hushim he begat Abitub and Elpaal. And the sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with the towns thereof; and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath; and Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth, and Zebadiah, and Arad, and Eder, and Michael, and Ishpah, and Johah, the sons of Beriah, and Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hizki, and Heber, and Ishmerai, and Izliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal, and Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi, and Elienai, and Zillethai, and Eliel, and Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimei. and Ishpan, and Eber, and Eliel, and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan, and Hananiah, and Elam, and Anthothijah, and Iphdeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak, and Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah, and Jaareshiah, and Elijah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham. These were heads of fathers' houses throughout their generations, chief men: these dwelt in Jerusalem."

Verses 29-40

"And in Gibeon there dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah; and his first-born son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab; and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zecher. And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And they dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against their brethren. And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malcashua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal. And the son of Jonahtan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah. And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. And Ahaz begat Jehoaddah; and Jehoaddah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri begat Moza. And Moza begat Binea; and Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. And Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. And the sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his first-born, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, a hundred and fifty. All these were of the sons of Benjamin."

"The very full details given here as contrasted with most of the other tribes should not be put down as due to the availability of more information, but should be regarded as a tribute to Benjamin's loyalty to David and his dynasty."^(F1) Also it appears that special attention was given to the line of David's friend Jonathan.

It is impossible to harmonize this with the parallel list in 1 Chronicles 7:6-12; and some scholars have believed that list to be a "corrupted genealogy of Zebulun and Dan."^(F2)

All of the names given thus far in Chronicles belonged to persons of pre-exilic Israel, "The first verse of the following chapter (1 Chronicles 9:1) states that what has gone before pertains only to the official register of the families… when they were exiled. This clause separates the foregoing from what follows."^(F3) Payne did not agree with this interpretation. See further comment under 1 Chronicles 9:1.

"Ono and Lod" These cities were not mentioned in Joshua as part of Palestine originally assigned to Benjamin; but, "These places were built later. There is little doubt that Lod is the Lydda of Acts 9:22."^(F4)

Curtis and Madsen disagreed with Myers (quoted above) by affirming the lists of this chapter as post-exilic;^(F5) but the disagreement of scholars regarding such questions can be of little interest, since it really makes no difference at all exactly when the people of any of these lists actually lived.

Elmslie in The Interpreter's Bible devoted only sixteen lines to this whole chapter.^(F6)

There are many things in this chapter and in the entire O.T. that must forever remain in the realm of the mysterious and the unknown as far as modern men are concerned. For example, "Nothing is known about the exile mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:6. We do not know who exiled whom."^(F7) It is appropriate to remember in this connection that "The hidden things belong to God."