1 Chronicles 2:46-49

II. — 1 Chronicles 2:46 : The sons of Ephah and Maachah, two concubines of Caleb.

(46) Ephah, Caleb’s concubine ... — These sons of concubines appear to represent mixed populations or tribal groups considered to be of less pure descent than the chief houses of Caleb. The same title of inferiority might cover a relation of dependence, something like that of the clients of the great Roman houses. The name Ephah occurred in 1 Chronicles 1:33 as a tribe of the Midianites. It is likely, therefore, that we have before us a record of the admixture of a Midianite element with the southern Judeans.

Haran. — Abraham’s brother (Genesis 11:26); a place in Mesopotamia where Abraham settled (Genesis 11:31). It is the Assyrian harranu (high-road). The Midianites claimed descent from Abraham (1 Chronicles 1:33), this name therefore might well be borne by a semi-Midianite clan.

Moza. — Occurs in Joshua 18:26 as a town in Benjamin.

Haran begat Gazez. — Comp. 1 Chronicles 2:24, Note. Gazez was probably a branch of the clan Haran. The LXX. (Vat.) omits the clause.

(47) The sons of Jahdai. — Heb., Yohdai, or Yehdai. The connection of these tribal groups with the foregoing is not clear; but from 1 Chronicles 2:46 it appears that they were Calebites with a foreign admixture. It is curious to find the Midianite name Ephah recurring among them.

(48) Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare ... — The Heb. is peculiar, “Caleb’s concubine Maachah — he bare Sheber,” &c. There is another reading, “she bare.” Maachah was a well-known Syrian state (Deuteronomy 3:14). (Comp. 2 Samuel 3:3; 1 Chronicles 11:43; 1 Chronicles 19:6; and 2 Kings 25:23.) These Calebites, it would seem, were of partly Aramean origin. The masculine verb “he bare” is intelligible if Maachah means not a woman, but a race. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 19:15, “Aram hath fled” = the Syrians have fled; 16, “Aram saw,” &c.)

(49) Madmannah. — A town of southern Judah, mentioned along with Ziklag in Joshua 15:31. The Shaaf who settled here are different from those mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:47.

Machbenah, an unknown place in Judah, and Gibeah in the hill-country (Joshua 15:57) were settlements of the mixed Calebites called Sheva.

The daughter of Caleb was Achsa. — In Joshua 15:13 the father of Achsah is called Caleb son of Jephunneh. This Caleb son of Jephunneh is associated with Joshua in the Pentateuch (Numbers 12:6; Numbers 12:8), and took a prominent part in the conquest of Canaan.

As he represents Judah (Numbers 12:6; comp. Judges 1:10), it is reasonable to see in Caleb son of Jephunneh the chief of the tribal division of Hezron-Caleb in the time of Joshua.

Already in these curious lists we have met with special memorials of remarkable members of clans (comp. 1 Chronicles 2:6; 1 Chronicles 2:20), and we may see in the brief clause “and Achsah, daughter of Caleb” a similar notice that this famous person was a Calebite.