Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 8

Verses 1-31

The Line of the Tribe of Benjamin

v. 2. Nohah, the fourth, and Rapha, the fifth. The fact that many names in the list following are different from those given by Moses is due either to the custom of having more than one name or to the use of the word "sons" in the wider sense, which includes grandsons and even descendants farther removed.

v. 3. And the sons of Bela were Addar (or Ard), and Gera, and Abihud,

v. 5. and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. Cf Genesis 46:21; Numbers 26:38-39.

v. 6. And these are the sons of Ehud; these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, a Levitical city otherwise known as Gibea of Benjamin, 1 Samuel 13:3-16, and they removed them to Manahath;

v. 7. and Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, it was under his direction that the transfer to Manahath was effected, and begat Uzza and Ahihud.

v. 8. And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, where he may have gone during one of the famines in the time of the Judges, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives. It appears that he forsook his wives for the time of the famine and married a Moabite woman, returning afterward, however, to his first wives.

v. 10. and Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers, powerful and influential leaders of large divisions in the tribe.

v. 12. The sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono and Lod with the towns thereof, these being cities on the extreme western boundary of Benjamin;

v. 13. Beriah also and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, in the neighborhood of the other cities, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath, the Philistine city-state at some distance to the west;

v. 21. and Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi (or Shema);

v. 28. These were heads of the fathers by their generations, chief men, the registration lists showed them to be leaders in their respective divisions. These dwelt in Jerusalem, whose upper city was really in the tribe of Benjamin.

v. 29. And at Gibeon, some eight miles northwest of Jerusalem, dwelt the father of Gibeon, whose wife's name was Maachah;

v. 31. and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher (or Zachariah). V . 32. And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them, in a special quarter near them. The tribe of Benjamin recovered in a very remarkable manner after the events which almost resulted in its extermination, Judges 20, 21.

Verses 32-40

The Family of Saul and Jonathan

v. 33. And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, 1 Samuel 14:51, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal (or Ishbosheth).

v. 34. And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal (or Mephibosheth); and Merib-baal begat Micah, 2 Samuel 9:12.

v. 36. And Ahaz begat Jehoadah (or Jarah); and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;

v. 40. And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, who needed great strength and skill to handle the bow, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty, large families at that time being rightly regarded as special blessings of the Lord. All these are the sons of Benjamin. It proved of benefit to this small tribe that it became affiliated with the tribe of Judah and the true worship.