Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 8

Verse 1

1Ch 8:1 Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,

Ver. 1. Aharah. ] Alias Ahiram, Num 26:38 and Ehi. Gen 46:21

Verse 2

1Ch 8:2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

Ver. 2. Rapha. ] Alias Rosh. Gen 46:21

Verse 5

1Ch 8:5 And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.

Ver. 5. And Gera. ] Who haply was the son of the former Gera; or the former might die soon, and this be called after his name.

Verse 6

1Ch 8:6 And these [are] the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:

Ver. 6. And these are the sons of Ehud. ] Haply of that famous Ehud. Jdg 3:15

And they removed them. ] The governors did; but when, how, or wherefore, we find not.

Verse 7

1Ch 8:7 And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.

Ver. 7. He removed them. ] Ut de haereditate singulis ante obitum prospiceret, saith Junius: that he might provide inheritances for them before his death. Abraham did the like. Gen 25:5-6

Verse 8

1Ch 8:8 And Shaharaim begat [children] in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara [were] his wives.

Ver. 8. And begat children in the country of Moab. ] Where he sojourned, haply - as did Elimelech Rth 1:1 - because of the famine.

After he had sent them away. ] Or, After he had sent away Hushim and Basra, his wives, quas repudiavit propter causas quae tacentur, saith Vatablus.

Verse 13

1Ch 8:13 Beriah also, and Shema, who [were] heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:

Ver. 13. Who drove away the inhabitants of Gath. ] See 1 Chronicles 7:21 .

Verse 14

1Ch 8:14 And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,

Ver. 14. Here we have a list of the chieftains of the Benjamites who dwelt at Jerusalem after the captivity.

Verse 29

1Ch 8:29 And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon; whose wife’s name [was] Maachah:

Ver. 29. Whose wife’s name was Maachah.] Who was surely an honour to her husband, with whom she is therefore once and again memorised. See 1 Chronicles 7:15-16 .

Verse 33

1Ch 8:33 And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

Ver. 33. And Ner begat Kish. ] This Ner is also called Abiel. 1Sa 9:1 The Hebrews tell us that his proper name was Abiel; and that he was called Ner - that is, a lamp or torch - because he outshone others in holiness. He had another son besides Kish, the father of Saul, viz., Ner, the father of Abner. 1Sa 14:50-51

And Saul begat Jonathan. ] Who was - as the Romans once said of Pompey - a most amiable son of an odious father. a

And Eshbaal. ] Alias Ishbosheth; so 1 Chronicles 8:34 . Meribbaal, alias Mephibosheth. Baal is by Hosea called "That shame."

a εχθρου πατρος φιλτατον τεκνον .

Verse 34

1Ch 8:34 And the son of Jonathan [was] Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.

Ver. 34. And Meribbaal begat Micah. ] From hence to the end of this chapter is a catalogue of Jonathan’s progeny. Of the rest of Saul’s children we read not that they had any posterity. That old verse is well known and daily verified,

“ Eυσεβεων παιδεαυι τα λωια, δυαυεβεων δ ου . ”