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Bible Encyclopedias
Pahath-Moab
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Heb. Pach'ath Modib', מוֹאָב פִּחִת, governor [lit. pasha] of Moab; Sept. Φαὰθ [v.r. Φαλάθ, etc.] Μωάβ; Vulg. Phahath-Moab, "governor of Moab")on the head of one of the chief houses of the tribe of Judah, who signed his.name to the sacred covenant of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:14). B.C. 410. "As we read in 1 Chronicles 4:22, of a family of Shilonites, of the tribe of Judah, who in very early times ‘ had dominion in Moab,' it may be conjectured that this was the origin of the name. It is perhaps a slight corroboration of this conjecture that we find in Ezra 2:6 that the sons of Pahath-Moab had among their number ‘ children of Joab;' so also in 1 Chronicles 4 we find these families who had dominion in Moab very much mixed with the sons of Caleb, among whom, in 1 Chronicles 2:54; 1 Chronicles 4:14, we find the house of Joab. It may further be conjectured that this dominion of the sons of Shelah in Moab had some connection with the migration of Elimelech and his sons into the country of Moab, as mentioned in the book of Ruth; nor should the close resemblance of the names עָפְרָה (Ophrah), 1 Chronicles 4:14, and, עָרְפָּה (O.)pah), Ruth 1:4, be overlooked. Jerome, indeed, following doubtless his Hebrew master, gives a mystical interpretation to the names in 1 Chronicles 4:22, and translates the strange word Jashubi-leem ‘ they returned to Leem' (Bethlehem). The author of Quaest. Heb. in Lib. Paraleip. (printed in Jerome's works) follows up this opening, and makes Jokim (qui starefecit solemn) to mean Eliakim, and the men of Chozeba (viri mendacii), Joash and Saraph (securus et incendeons), to mean Mahlon and Chilion, who took wives (בָּעֲלוּ ) in Moab, and returned (i.e. Ruth and Naomi did) to the plentiful bread of Bethlehem (house of bread); interpretations which are so far worth noticing, as they point to ancient traditions connecting the migration of Elimelech and his sons with the Jewish dominion in Moab mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:21. However, as regards the name Pahath Moab, this early and obscure connection of the families of Shelah, the son of Judah. with Moab seems to supply a not improbable origin for the name itself, and to throw some glimmering upon the association of the children of Joshua and Joab with the sons of Pahath-Moab.
That this family was of high rank in the tribe of Judah we learn from their appearing fourth in order in the two lists (Ezra 2:6; Nehemiah 7:1), and from their chief having signed second among the lay princes (Nehemiah 10:14). It was also the most numerous (2818 [2812]) of all the families specified, except the Benjamite house of Senaah (Nehemiah 7:38). The name of the chief of the house of Pahath-Moab:in Nehemiah's time was Hashub; and, in exact accordance with the numbers of his family, we find him repairing two portions of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:11; Nehemiah 3:23). It may also be noticed, as slightly confirming the view of Pahath-Moab being. a Shilonite family, that whereas in 1 Chronicles 9:5-7 and Nehemiah 11:5-7, we find the Benjamite families in close juxtaposition with the-Shilonites, so in the building of the wall, where each family built the portion over against their own habitation, we find Benjamin and Hashub the Pahath-Moabite coupled together (Nehemiah 3:23)., The only other notices of the family are found in Ezra 8:4, where two hundred of its males are said to have accompanied Elihoenai, the son of Zerahiah, when he came up with Ezra from Babylon; and in Ezra 10:30 where eight of the sons of Pahath- Moab are named a; having taken strange wives in the time of Ezra's government." (See PASHA).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Pahath-Moab'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/p/pahath-moab.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
