1 Chronicles 8:1-40

15. THE DESCENDANTS OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN (1 Chronicles 8:1-40)

TEXT

1 Chronicles 8:1. And Benjamin begat Bela his first-born, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third, 2. Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. 3. And Bela had sons: Addar, and Gera, and Abihud, 4. and Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah, 5. and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. 6. And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of fathers-' houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and they carried them captive to Manahath; 7. and Naaman, and Ahijah, and Gera, he carried them captive; and he begat Uzza and Ahihud. 8. And Shaharaim begat children in the field 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 Malcam, 10. and Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers-' houses. 11. And of Hushim he begat Abitub and Elpaal. 12, And the sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with the towns thereof; 13, and Beriah, and Shema, who were heads of fathers-' houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhaitants of Gath; 14. and Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth, 15. and Zebadiah, and Arad, and Eder, 16. and Michael, and Ishpah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah, 17. and Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hizki, and Heber, 18. and Ishmerai, and Izliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal, 19. and Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi, 20. and Elienai, and Zillethai, and Eliel, 21. and Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimei, 22. and Ishpan, and Eber, and Eliel, 23. and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan, 24. and Hananiah, and Elam, and Anthothijah, 25. and Iphdeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak, 26. and Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah, 27. and Jaareshiah, and Elijah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham. 28. These were heads of fathers-' houses throughout their generations, chief men: these dwelt in Jerusalem.

29. And in Gibeon there dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah; 30. and his first-born son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab, 31. and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zecher. 32. and Mikloth begat Shimeah. And they also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against their brethren. 33. And Ner begat Kish and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal. 34. And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal begat Micah. 35. And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. 36. And Ahaz begat Jehoaddah; and Jehoaddah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza. 37. And Moza begat Binea; Raphah 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: Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. 40. And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons, and sons-' sons, a hundred and fifty. All these were of the sons of Benjamin.

PARAPHRASE

1 Chronicles 8:1. The sons of Benjamin, according to age, were: Bela, the first; Ashbel, the second; Aharah, the third; Nohah, the fourth; Rapha, the fifth. 3, 4, 5. The sons of Bela were: Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, Huram. 6, 7. The sons of Ehud, chiefs of the subclans living at Geba, were captured in war and exiled to Manahath. They were: Naaman, Ahijah, Gera (also called Heglam), the father of Uzza and Ahihud. 8, 9, 10. Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara, but he had children in the land of Moab by Hodesh, his new wife: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachia, Mirmah. These sons all became chiefs of subclans. 11. His wife Hushim had borne him Abitub and Elpaal. 12. The sons of Elpaal were: Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod and their surrounding villages). 13. His other sons were Beriah and Shema, chiefs of subclans living in Aijalon; they chased out the inhabitants of Gath. 14. Elpaal's sons also included: Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth. 15, 16. The sons of Beriah were: Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ishpah, Joshua 17:18. The sons of Elpaal also included: Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Izliah, Jobab. 19, 20, 21. The sons of Shime-i were: Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, Eli-enai, Zille-thai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, Shimrath. 22-25. The sons of Shashak were: Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah, Penuel. 26, 27. The sons of Jeroham were: Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah, Zichri. 28. These were the chiefs of the subclans living at Jerusalem.

29. Je-iel, the father of Gibeon, lived at Gibeon; and his wife's name was Maacah. 30, 31, 32. His oldest son was named Abdon, followed by: Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, Mikloth who was the father of Shimeah. All of these families lived together near Jerusalem. 33. Ner was the father of Kish, and Kish was the father of Saul; Saul's sons included: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab. Eshbaal. 34. The son of Jonathan was Mephibosheth; The son of Mephibosheth was Micah. 35. The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, Ahaz. 36. Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah was the father of: Alemeth, Azmaveth, Zimri. Zimri's son was Moza. 37. Moza was the father of Bine-a, whose sons were: Raphah, Eleasah, Azel. 38. Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, She-ariah, Obadiah, Hanan. 39. Azel's brother Eshek had three sons: Ulam, the first; Jeush, the second; Eliphelet, the third. 40. Ulam's sons were prominent warriors who were expert marksmen with their bows. These men had 150 sons and grandsons, and they were all from the tribe of Benjamin.

COMMENTARY

Some attention had already been given to the tribe of Benjamin in chapter 1 Chronicles 7:6-12 as this tribe took its place among the other descendants of Israel. Inasmuch as some special attention is now focused on Saul, the first king of Israel, a more complete genealogy of Benjamin is in order. Benjamin was the youngest of Jacob's sons and he was the son of the beloved Rachel. His mother died in giving him birth (Genesis 35:16-20). Ten sons of Benjamin are named in Genesis 46:21. Some of these were actually grandsons. Any variations in the Genesis record and this record may be accounted for on the basis of the use of different genealogical records, some of which are more complete than others. Ehud is identified as a great grandson of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:10). Ehud, son of Gera, a Benjamite, was the left handed warrior judge who slew Eglon, king of Moab (Judges 3:15). Geba was a village in Benjamin prominently mentioned in the days when Saul was fighting the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:3). 1 Chronicles 8:9-11 name seven unknown persons of the tribe of Benjamin. 1 Chronicles 8:12-28 list the descendants of Elpaal. Lod (Lydda) was in the Plain of Sharon, southeast of Joppa. The village of Ono was near Lod. Once Nehemiah was invited to the plain of Ono by those who would hinder his rebuilding program in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 6:2). Aijalon was the valley northwest of Jerusalem where Joshua fought the enemy the day the sun stood still. Some of the names such as Shimei, Hananiah, Athaliah, and Elijah are quite familiar from other connections and in other days. Their use here only indicates that these were popular names from early times among the Hebrew people. Jerusalem was within the limits of the territory of Benjamin.

The nearer relatives of Saul are included in the review in 1 Chronicles 8:29-40. Chapter 1 Chronicles 9:35-44 presents a similar account of Saul's house. Eight sons of Jeiel are listed in 1 Chronicles 8:30-31. Ner is presented here as the grandfather of Saul.[24] 1 Samuel 9:1 would seem to list Abiel as the grandfather instead of the greatgrandfather. That is not unusual in genealogical references. 1 Samuel 14:51 appears to identify Ner as Saul's uncle, but may be read in such a way as to make him Saul's grandfather. Kish, the Benjamite, was Saul's father. It was he who had the estate at Gibeah and it was he who owned the lost asses for which Saul was searching when he found Samuel. It is evident from the Bible records that Saul was the father of nine children: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, Eshbaal, Merab, Michal (1 Samuel 14:49), Ishvi (1 Samuel 14:49), Armoni and Mephibosheth, sons of Rizpah, the concubines (2 Samuel 21:8). Jonathan was Saul's eldest son and was in line to succeed him on the throne in Israel. Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, is the one known as the lame prince. He was crippled at five years of age when he was dropped by his nurse (2 Samuel 4:4). Mephibosheth is called Merib-baal here in Chronicles. He had a son named Micah (Mica). Zimri is a famous name in Hebrew history. This Zimri (1 Chronicles 8:36) may be identified as the man in 1 Kings 16:9-20 who slew Elah and who committed suicide when pressed by Tibni. The Benjamite men through all the years were regarded as strong, fearless warriors. It is significant that Jehovah turned to this tribe when he selected Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul was called to be king that he might deliver his people from the power of the Philistines.

[24] Spence, H. P. M., The Pulpit Commentary, I Chronicles, p. 109.