Bible Commentaries
1 Chronicles 2

Introduction

1 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 2

The sons of Israel; of Judah by Tamar: the children of Jesse, 1 Chronicles 2:1-17.

Of Caleb the son of Hezron; of him by the daughter of Machir, 1 Chronicles 2:18-21.

Of Jerahmeel, 1 Chronicles 2:25-33.

Of Sheshan, 1 Chronicles 2:34-41.

Another branch of Caleb’s posterity, 1 Chronicles 2:42-49.

Of Caleb the son of Hur, 1 Chronicles 2:50-55.

Verse 3

He puts

Judah first, because the best part of the right of the first-born, to wit, the dominion, was conferred upon him, Genesis 49:8, and because the Messiah was to come out of his loins.

Verse 6

If these be the same who are mentioned as the sons of Mahol, 1 Kings 4:31, either the same man had two names, Zerah and Mahol, as was usual among the Hebrews; or one of these was their immediate father, and the other their grandfather.

Verse 7

Carmi is here mentioned, because he was the son of Zimri, who is also called Zabdi, Joshua 7:1.

Achar; called Achan, Joshua 7:1, and here Achar, with a little variation for greater significancy; for Achar signifies a troubler.

Verse 13

Eliab, called also Elihu. 1 Chronicles 27:18 unless that was another person, and the word brother to be taken largely for a kinsman, as is frequently used.

Verse 15

For though he had eight sons, 1 Samuel 16:10, one of them either died presently after that time, or is neglected for some reason now unknown, as others are. See Poole "Matthew 1:8", See Poole "Matthew 1:9".

Verse 17

The Ishmeelite, by birth or habitation, but by profession an Israelite, 2 Samuel 17:25, See Poole "2 Samuel 17:25".

Verse 18

Not that Caleb, Numbers 13:6, for he was the son of Jephunneh, of whom he speaks, 1 Chronicles 4:15; but another Caleb.

Her sons, i.e. the sons, either,

1. Of Jerioth, she being last mentioned; or rather,

2. Of Azubah, who is by way of distinction called his wife, when Jerioth probably was only his concubine, and, as it may seem, barren; and therefore upon Azubah’s death he married another wife, 1 Chronicles 2:19. And those other sons of this Caleb, mentioned below, 1 Chronicles 2:42, are his sons by some other wife distinct from all these.

Verse 21

Went in, i.e. lay with her, as that phrase is commonly used, as Genesis 4:1; Genesis 6:4.

The father of Gilead; of a man so called. Or if Gilead be the name of that known country, father is put for head or governor, as it is used 1 Samuel 24:11; 2 Kings 5:13; 2 Kings 16:7; Isaiah 22:21; or for protector or curator, as father is used Job 29:16; Jeremiah 2:27; Lamentations 5:3; this man being a man of noted valour, and the great champion in those parts.

Whom, he married, Heb. and he took her, to wit, to wife. Or, after he had taken her; for so the particle vau is used, as hath been formerly noted.

When he was threescore years old, Heb. and he was, to wit, when he went in unto her, or when he married her.

Verse 22

Which he had, though he was of the tribe of Judah, as here we see, because he married a daughter of Manasseh, Numbers 26:29, whence he is called a son of Manasseh, Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14; and because, being a man of great courage, he joined himself with that half tribe in subduing Gilead, wherein he acted so valiantly and successfully, that he had twenty-three cities or great towns given to him to possess or dispose of; or rather, to rule over them, and have some advantage from them; as a king is said to have his kingdom, although he hath not the propriety of all the lands and houses in it.

Verse 23

And he took, or, for he had taken. So this is the reason why he had so great a territory and jurisdiction given to him.

Geshur and Aram; two cities or great towns so called.

With the towns of Jair, i.e. with those twenty-three cities which he is said to have, 1 Chronicles 2:22.

From them, i.e. from the former inhabitants, which is easily understood.

With Kenath; which was taken by Nobah, one of Jair’s commanders, sent by him to take it, as may be gathered from Numbers 32:41,Numbers 32:42.

To the sons of Machir; partly to his own sons, and partly to his son-in-law Jair, who by reason of that dear affection which was betwixt them and his forsaking his own tribe and kindred to fight for them, and to dwell with them, is here reckoned as his own son.

Verse 24

Caleb-ephratah; a place then so called by a conjunction of the names of the man and his wife; afterwards supposed to be called Beth-lehem Ephratah. Others translate the words thus, When Caleb took Ephratah. So it is an ellipsis of the verb, which is here to be understood out of 1 Chronicles 2:19, where it is expressed.

Abiah bare him Ashur, after the father’s death.

The father of Tekoa; a known place, 2 Samuel 14:2,2 Samuel 14:4; Jeremiah 6:1; Amos 1:1; whose father he is called, because he was either the progenitor of the people inhabiting there, or their prince and ruler, or the builder of the city.

Verse 25

Or, of (the prefix, mere being oft understood)

Ahijah; his wife so called, as may seem probable from the next verse, where he mentions another wife.

Verse 31

The sons of Appaim; an expression oft used, both afterwards in this verse, and elsewhere, and in profane authors too, where there is but one son. It is an enallage of the number, which is frequent in the Hebrew.

Verse 34

Sheshan had no sons, to wit, living when he died, his son Ahlai, 1 Chronicles 2:31, dying before him; unless Ahlai was the name of a daughter.

Verse 42

The sons of Caleb, to wit, of that Caleb mentioned 1 Chronicles 2:18, as appears by comparing that verse with 1 Chronicles 2:21. And these are his sons by another and his third wife. See Poole "1 Chronicles 2:18".

Ziph; the name either of a man, or of a place, of which see Joshua 15:24,Joshua 15:55; and then father is to be understood here, as 1 Chronicles 2:23,1 Chronicles 2:24.

The father of Hebron; not the place so called, but a man, as is evident, because his sons here follow.

Verse 45

A place in Judah, Joshua 15:58, See Poole on "1 Chronicles 2:23".

Verse 47

The sons of Jahdai, the son of Gazez last mentioned; which is implied, because he follows next after him in the genealogy. Or, the sons of Moza; whose name might be changed into Jahdai for some reason now unknown.

Verse 49

Madmannah: this and divers other following names are the names of places in Judah, and

father is meant as 1 Chronicles 2:23,1 Chronicles 2:24.

Verse 51

Salma the father of Beth-lehem, to wit, in part; for Boaz descended from another Salmon, who was the son of Nahshon, 1 Chronicles 2:11.

Hareph the father of Beth-gader, called also Penuel the father of Gedor, 1 Chronicles 4:4.

Verse 52

Haroeh; which may signify an overseer, a prophet, or teacher, or ruler; but here is a proper name, as appears from 1 Chronicles 4:2, where he is called Reaiah, with no great variation in the Hebrew.

Verse 53

The families of Kirjath-jearim; or, in Kirjath-jearim; all which descended from Shobal, 1 Chronicles 2:50.

Of them, i.e. of the family of the Mishraites, last mentioned.

The Eshtaulites; the inhabitants of two places called Zoreah and Eshtaol, Joshua 15:33.

Verse 54

The sons of Salma; of that Salma mentioned 1 Chronicles 2:51.

Beth-lehem, i.e. the inhabitants of Beth-lehem.

Ataroth; the name of a person or people.

The house of Joab; the progenitors of Joab’s family.

Half of the Manahethites; the other half being mentioned 1 Chronicles 2:52.

Zorites, for, to wit, the Zorites.

Verse 55

The scribes; either civil, who were public notaries, who wrote and signed legal instruments; or ecclesiastical. And these were either Levites, or Simeonites, or rather Kenites, and are here mentioned not as if they were of the tribe of Judah, but because they dwelt among them, and probably were allied to them by marriages, and so in a manner incorporated with them.

Which dwelt, or rather, dwelt; Heb. were dwellers. For the other translation, which dwelt, may seem to insinuate that these were descendants of Judah, which they were not; but this translation only signifies their cohabitation with them, for which cause they are here named with them.

At Jabez; a place in Judah, so named probably from that famous Jabez of that tribe, 1 Chronicles 4:9.

The Kenites that came of Hemath; who dwelt in Judah, Judges 1:16. Thus they are distinguished from the other branch of the Kenites, who dwelt in the tribe of Manasseh, Judges 4:11.