Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 4

Verses 1-43

Genealogies (continued)

This chapter enumerates further descendants of Judah, and the descendants of Simeon.

1. Sons] rather, ’descendants.’ Carmi] probably an accidental substitution (from 1 Chronicles 5:3) for Chelubai or Caleb: see 1 Chronicles 2:9, 1 Chronicles 2:18.

2. Reaiah] the Haroeh of 1 Chronicles 2:52, whence the posterity of Shobal is continued.

9. And his mother.. sorrow] better,’ though his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow’ (Heb. ozeb). The sorrow implied by his ominous name was averted by his prayer.

17, 18. And she bare] It has been conjectured that the last clause of 1 Chronicles 4:18 (And these are .. Mered took) should be inserted before these words, Bithiah and Jehudijah (or ’the Jewess’) being the two wives of Mered. The daughter of Pharaoh] If Pharaoh here means the king of Egypt, Mered must have been a person of distinction. The name Bithiah (lit. ’daughter of Jehovah’) suggests that his Egyptian wife at her marriage adopted the religion of her husband.

19. His wife Hodiah] RV ’the wife of Hodiah.’

22. Who had the dominion in Moab] better, ’who married in Moab’ (like Mahlon and Chilion, Ruth 1:1-4). And Jashubi-lehem] The Vulgate suggests the reading, ’and returned to Beth-lehem.’

23. And those.. hedges] RV ’and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah.’ Dwelt with the king] i.e. on the royal estate as workmen.

24. The Simeonites are mentioned here because they shared Judah’s inheritance (Joshua 19:9).

31. Unto the reign of David] The writer seems to be quoting from some account belonging to the time of David, in whose reign a census was taken of the people (2 Samuel 24): cp. 1 Chronicles 7:2.

41. These written byname] probably those enumerated in 1 Chronicles 4:34-37. The habitations] RV ’the Meunim’ (who are the Maonites of Judges 10:12).

43. The rest of the Amalekites] In spite of Saul’s destruction of them, as related in 1 Samuel 15, a certain number survived: see 1 Samuel 27:8; 1 Samuel 30:1; 2 Samuel 8:12. Unto this day] The phrase, like the parallel expressions in Kings, refers to the date of the source which the writer is incorporating in his own work.