CHAPTER 1. falls naturally into three sections. (1) The ten generations of the first age of humanity, with a table of races and countries, given in genealogical form according to ancient conceptions (1 Chronicles 1:1). (2) The ten generations after the Flood, from Shem to Abraham, the second age of... [ Continue Reading ]
ADAM (_man_) is here treated as a proper name; in Genesis 5:1 it is an appellative. The Chaldeans also had a tradition of ten antediluvian patriarchs or kings, beginning with Alorus and ending with Xisuthrus (Hasis-Adra), the hero of the Flood. They made the duration of this first period of human h... [ Continue Reading ]
SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH. — There is no doubt that Ham means black, or sunburnt, and Japheth (Heb., _Yepheth_) is probably the fair-skinned. Shem has been compared with an Assyrian word meaning brownish (_sa’mu_). Thus the three names appear to allude to differences of racial complexion. 1 Chronicles... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF JAPHETH THE FAIR — (1 Chronicles 1:5). The Oriental theory of political and even social communities refers each to a common ancestor. The Israelites are known as “sons of Israel,” the Ammonites as “sons of Ammon” (Authorised version, “children”). In the same way, an Arab tribe is called... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF HAM, THE DARK-SKINNED OR SWARTHY (1 Chronicles 1:8). (8) CUSH. — The Greek Meroë, Assyrian Miluhha, or Kûsu, south of Egypt, in our Bibles often called Ethiopia (Isaiah 19:1). The Arabic gives _Habesh, i.e.,_ Ethiopia. MIZRAIM. — The common Hebrew name of Egypt: strictly, “the two Miçr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CITY ZIDON AND THE TEN RACES OF CANAAN (1 Chronicles 1:13). (13) CANAAN BEGAT ZIDON HIS FIRSTBORN. — Or, in modern phrase, _Zidon is the oldest city of Canaan._ It is usually mentioned along with Tyre, the ruling city in later times. Sennacherib speaks of the flight of Lulî, “king of Zidon,” fr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF SHEM, OR THE SEMITES (1 Chronicles 1:17). (17) BLAM. — The Elamtum of the Assyrian inscription, the classic Susiana, a mountainous land eastward of Babylonia, to which it was subject in the days of Abraham (Genesis 14). The names Assurû, Elamû, Kassû, and Accadû occur together in an old... [ Continue Reading ]
TEN GENERATIONS FROM SHEM TO ABRAHAM; AN ABSTRACT OF GENESIS 11:10, OMITTING ALL HISTORIC NOTICES (1 Chronicles 1:24). Between Arphaxad aud Shelah the LXX., at Genesis 11:12, insert Καίναν = Heb. _Kênan_ (1 Chronicles 1:2, above). The name is not contained in our present Hebrew text of Genesis. Kena... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THEIR GENERATIONS. — Or, _their genealogy_ or _register of births._ Before a personal name the term _Tôldôth_ denotes the “births,” _i.e.,_ the _posterity_ of the man, and the _history_ of him and his descendants. Before the name of a thing _Tôldôth_ signifies _origin, beginnings_ (Genesis... [ Continue Reading ]
DUMAH. — Isaiah 21:11, as a name of Edom. There is still a locality bearing this name, “Duma the Rocky,” on the borders of the Syrian desert and Arabia. HADAD. — The right reading here and in Genesis. TEMA. — _Taimâ’u,_ in the north of the Arabian desert. The LXX. confuses it with Teman. (Assyr. _... [ Continue Reading ]
JETUR. — The Itureans beyond Jordan (Luke 3:1). The other names are obscure.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF KETURAH. — An extract from Genesis 25:1. MEDAN is very likely a mere repetition of Midian, due to a mistake of some ancient copyist. Genesis 25:3 adds, “And the sons of Dedan were Asshuriin, and Letushim, and Leummim;” which is, perhaps, an interpolation, as the three names are of a dif... [ Continue Reading ]
The five clans or tribes of Midian. These, with the seven names of 1 Chronicles 1:31, make a total of twelve tribes for Keturah. EPHAH. — Called _Hâ’âpâ,_ or _Hayâpa_ by Tiglath-pileser.... [ Continue Reading ]
ABRAHAM BEGAT ISAAC. — From Genesis 25:19. ESAU AND ISRAEL. — Esau is named first, not as the elder, but because the tribes of Esau are to be first enumerated. (Comp. Note above on 1 Chronicles 1:28.) ISRAEL. — The more honourable appellation (Genesis 32:28) almost wholly supplanted Jacob as the n... [ Continue Reading ]
(35-37) THE SONS OF ESAU. — Comp. Genesis 36:9. In 1 Chronicles 1:36 the name of Timna occurs under the general heading, “Sons of Eliphaz.” According to Genesis 36:12, Timna was a secondary wife of Eliphaz, and mother of Amalek. Strange as this difference may at first sight appear, it is in fact abs... [ Continue Reading ]
(35-42) The tribes of Esau and Seir, extracted from Genesis 36... [ Continue Reading ]
(38-42) THE SONS OF SEIR (from Genesis 36:20). — There is no apparent link between this series and the preceding. Comparison of Genesis 36:20 shows that Seir represents the indigenous inhabitants of Edom (“the inhabitants of the land,” comp. Joshua 7:9) before its conquest by the sons of Esau. In ti... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TIMNA WAS LOTAN’S SISTER. — This appears to mean that the tribe settled in the town of Timna was akin to the sons of Lotan, but not A subdivision of that tribe. Towns are feminine in Hebrew, and are sometimes called _mothers_ (2 Samuel 20:19), sometimes _daughters. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF ANAH; DISHON. — Genesis 36:25 adds, “and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.” (Comp. 1 Chronicles 1:52, “the chiliarch of Aholibamah.”) Dishon, like Ammon or Israel, being the collective name of a number of tribes or clans, there is nothing strange in the expression, “The sons of Anah; Dish... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE ANY KING REIGNED OVER THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. — Comp. Numbers 20:14, the message of Moses to the king of Edom, asking for a free passage for Israel through his domains. As the older people, and as having been earlier established in its permanent home, Edom was naturally a stage beyond Israel... [ Continue Reading ]
(43-54) The ancient kings and chiliarchs of Edom, a transcript of Genesis 36:31, with only such differences as are incidental to transcribing.... [ Continue Reading ]
(44_,_ 45) BOZRAH. — “Portress” (the _Byrsa_ of Carthage); was one of the capitals of Edom, perhaps identical with Mibzar (fortress, 1 Chronicles 1:53). Eusebius mentions Mabsara as a large town in Gebalene. It is now represented by the ruins of _Al-Bussireh_ in _Jebal._ See Amos 1:12, “I will send... [ Continue Reading ]
HADAD. — The name of a Syrian deity, a form of the sun-god. (Comp. the royal titles, Ben-hadad and Hadadezer, 1 Chronicles 18:3, and the Note on 2 Kings 5:18.) Hadad is the same as Dadi, a Syrian title of Rimmon. Perhaps the classical Attis is equivalent to Dadis. The cry of the vintagers (_hçdâd_)... [ Continue Reading ]
MASREKAH means _place of Sorek vines. _... [ Continue Reading ]
SHAUL. — _Saul,_ the name of the first king of Israel. REHOBOTH BY THE RIVER. — Probably the same as Rehoboth Ir in Genesis 10:11, _i.e.,_ the suburbs of Nineveh. The river is Euphrates.... [ Continue Reading ]
BAAL-HANAN. — _Baal bestowed._ (Comp. “Johanan,” _Iahweh bestowed;_ and “Hananiah,” and “Hannibal.”) This name and that of Hadad indicate the polytheism of ancient Edom.... [ Continue Reading ]
BAAL-HANAN. — Some MSS. have “ben Achbor,” as in Genesis 36:39; so in 1 Chronicles 1:51. “Alvah,” of Genesis, is more correct than our “Aliah.” The Hebrew margin reads “Alvah” (Alwah). PAI. — Many MSS. have “Pau,” the reading of Gen., which is right. _Hadar_ (Genesis 36:39), on the other hand, is p... [ Continue Reading ]
HADAD DIED ALSO. — Rather, _And Hadad died, and there were_ (or _arose_)_ chiliarchs of Edom, the chiliarch of Timnah, the chiliarch of Aliah,_ &c. This appears to state that Hadad was the last king of Edom, and that after his death the country was governed by the heads of the various clans or tribe... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THE DUKES (chiliarchs) OF EDOM. — Eleven names only are given, whereas there were twelve (or thirteen) chiliarchs of Edom (Genesis 36:15; see Note on 1 Chronicles 1:35). A name may have fallen out of the ancient text from which the chronicler derived the list.... [ Continue Reading ]