Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 8

Verse 1

Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,

Aharah. — Alias Ahiram, Numbers 26:38 and Ehi. Genesis 46:21

Verse 2

Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

Rapha. — Alias Rosh. Genesis 46:21

Verse 5

And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.

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

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:

And these are the sons of Ehud. — Haply of that famous Ehud. Judges 3:15

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

Verse 7

And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.

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. Genesis 25:5-6

Verse 8

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

And begat children in the country of Moab. — Where he sojourned, haply - as did Elimelech Ruth 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

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

Who drove away the inhabitants of Gath. — See 1 Chronicles 7:21 .

Verse 14

And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,

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

Verse 29

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

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

And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

And Ner begat Kish. — This Ner is also called Abiel. 1 Samuel 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. 1 Samuel 14:50-51

And Saul begat Jonathan. — Who was - as the Romans once said of Pompey - a most amiable son of an odious father. εχθρου πατρος φιλτατον τεκνον .

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

Verse 34

And the son of Jonathan [was] Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.

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 . ”