1 Chronicles 8:1-40
1 Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,
2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
3 And the sons of Bela were, Addar,a and Gera, and Abihud,
4 And Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,
5 And Gera, and Shephuphan,b and Huram.
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:
7 And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.
8 And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.
9 And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,
10 And Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers.
11 And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.
12 The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof:
13 Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:
14 And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,
15 And Zebadiah, and Arad, and Ader,
16 And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;
17 And Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hezeki, and Heber,
18 Ishmerai also, and Jezliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal;
19 And Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,
20 And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel,
21 And Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi;c
22 And Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel,
23 And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
24 And Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,
25 And Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;
26 And Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,
27 And Jaresiah, and Eliah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.
28 These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.
29 And at Gibeon dwelt the fatherd of Gibeon; whose wife's name was Maachah:
30 And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,
31 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher.e
32 And Mikloth begat Shimeah.f And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.
33 And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab,g and Eshbaal.
34 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal;h and Meribbaal begat Micah.
35 And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea,i and Ahaz.
36 And Ahaz begat Jehoadah;j and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza,
37 And Moza begat Binea: Raphak was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son:
38 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.
39 And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.
40 And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.
1 Chronicles 8:1. Benjamin, whose posterity are here copiously recorded, because of Saul's family; because they remained in the kingdom of Judah after the secession of the ten tribes, and because they returned with Judah from Babylon.
1 Chronicles 8:7. He removed them; that is, Gera removed them. When in grammar there are many antecedents, the verb is governed by that which immediately presedes.
1 Chronicles 8:29. The father of Gibeon, the prince of the city of his birthright.
1 Chronicles 8:34. The son of Jonathan was Meribbaal, the surname of Mephibosheth, for Jonathan had but one son. 2 Kings 2:4; 2 Kings 9:6.
REFLECTIONS.
Benjamin, as is largely recorded in the twentieth of Judges, was reduced to six hundred men. But when iniquity is purged, the blessings of the covenant seem to flow with a larger torrent for a temporary obstruction. Benjamin soon recovered; and as we here find, cut a considerable figure in the population of the kingdom. Past visitations have a good effect in causing a thoughtful mind to fear future sins.
Though the regal covenant was transferred from Saul to David, because of disobedience; and though his sons fell in battle, or died without issue; yet the loving, the faithful, and the valiant Jonathan had a branch preserved to perpetuate the faithfulness and lovingkindness of the Lord to his servant. Here we find this branch flourishing in the tenth generation, and in two great families which are named, and in others no doubt which are not named. Hence the covenant which Jonathan contracted with David, that David should not cut off his seed after the manner of victorious candidates for the throne, which covenant was renewed in the wood, 1 Samuel 23:16; this covenant, it now appears, was ratified in heaven. David was faithful on his part; and though Jonathan fell, God still lived, the witness and the guardian on the other part. Let us learn hence never to doubt the great and precious promises of grace, and never to distrust the care of providence which extends to all generations. How vain is the genealogy of princes. Their castles, their mausoleums, their posterity are moved away like the shepherd's tent, or the Arab's habitation. Let us look for a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.