III.
1 Chronicles 3. resumes the genealogy of the Hezronite house of Ram,
suspended at 1 Chronicles 2:17. (1) The nine sons of David (1
Chronicles 3:1). (2) The Davidic dynasty from Solomon to Zedekiah (1
Chronicles 3:10). (3) The line of Jechoniah-Jehoiachin, continued
apparently to the ninth gene... [ Continue Reading ]
AMNON. — For his story see 2 Samuel 13
OF AHINOAM. — Literally, _to Ahin._ (1 Samuel 25:43).
THE SECOND DANIEL OF ABIGAIL THE CARMELITESS. — Better, _A second,
Daniel, to Abigail, &c._ Sam. adds, “wife of Nabal the Carmelite.”
(See 1 Samuel 25 for her story.)... [ Continue Reading ]
I. — THE SONS OF DAVID. — This section is parallel to 2 Samuel 3:2
(comp. 1 Chronicles 3:1) and 2 Samuel 5:14 (1 Chronicles 3:5), with
which comp. 1 Chronicles 14:3.
(1-4) The six sons born in Hebron. The sons and mothers agree with
those of the parallel passage in Sam., with the one exception of th... [ Continue Reading ]
ABSALOM. — David’s favourite and rebellious son (2 Samuel 15-19).
The common Heb. text has “to Absalom;” but a number of MSS. and
all the old versions read Absalom. Rabbi D. Kimchi gives the
characteristic explanation that L-ABSHALOM alludes to LO-ABSHALOM,
“not Absalom” — that is, not a “father of... [ Continue Reading ]
EGLAH (_heifer_) HIS WIFE. — Eglah is not marked out as principal
wife of David. The expression “his wife” is added simply to
balance the clause, to make up for the absence of details respecting
her connexions, such as are given in the case of some of the other
wives. Jewish expositors have groundle... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE SIX WERE BORN UNTO HIM IN HEBRON. — Literally, _Six were
born._ 2 Samuel 3:5 : “These were born.”
AND THERE HE REIGNED SEVEN YEARS. — This notice of the time David
reigned first in Hebron, the Judean capital, and then in Jerusalem
over all Israel, is not read in the parallel section of Samuel... [ Continue Reading ]
(5-8) The thirteen sons born in Jerusalem. See 2 Samuel 5:14, and 1
Chronicles 14:4, where this list is repeated with some variations (1
Chronicles 3:5). The four sons of Bath-sheba, called here Bath-shua, a
weakened form, if not a copyist’s error. By a similar change the
Elishama of 1 Chronicles 3:... [ Continue Reading ]
IBHAR. — “He” (_i.e.,_ God) “chooseth.”
ELISHAMA. — Spelt Elishua in both of the parallel passsages. (See
Note on 1 Chronicles 3:5.) The recurrence of Elishama (“God
heareth”) in 1 Chronicles 3:8 is no argument against the name here.
ELIPHELET (“God is deliverance”) also occurs twice, and David may... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIADA. — (“God knoweth”) The Beeliada (“Lord knoweth”) of 1
Chronicles 14:7 is probably more ancient, though Samuel also has
Eliada. God was of old called Baal as well as El; and the former title
was only discarded because it tended to foster a confusion between the
degrading cultus of the Canaanit... [ Continue Reading ]
SONS OF THE CONCUBINES. — David’s concubines (_pilagshim,_
πλλακαί) are mentioned several times in Samuel (_e.g.,_ 2
Samuel 12:11), but their sons here only. However repugnant to modern
ideas, it was and is part of the state of an Oriental potentate to
possess a harem of many wives.
AND TAMAR (was)... [ Continue Reading ]
II. — The kings of the house of David, as otherwise known from the
books of Kings (1 Chronicles 3:10).
(10) REHOBOAM. — So LXX. Ροβοαμ. Heb., _Rĕhab-‘âm_ (“the
Kinsman,” _i.e.,_ God hath enlarged).
ABIA. — LXX., Αβια; Heb., _Abîyâh_ (_Iah is father_)_,_ of
which Abijam (_Abîyâm_) is a _mimmated_ f... [ Continue Reading ]
JORAM — Jehorain. _Iahweh is high._
AHAZIAH. — _Iah holdeth_ (Luke 1:54, ἀντελάβετ_,_ “he
hath holpen”).
JOASH. — (?) _Iahweh is a hero._ Cf. _Ashbel_ = “man of Bel,”
and Exodus 15:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
AMAZIAH. — _Iah is strong._
AZARIAH. — _Iah helpeth._
JOTHAM. — _Iahweh is perfect.
_... [ Continue Reading ]
AHAZ. — Abbreviation of Jehoahaz, which = Ahaziah.
HEZEKIAH. — Heb., _Hizkiyâhû,_ “my strength is Iahu.”
MANASSEH (?) Perhaps of Egyptian origin.... [ Continue Reading ]
AMON. — Probably the Egyptian sun-god Amen or Amun.
JOSIAH. — _Iah comforteth._
In this line of fifteen successive monarchs, the usurper Athaliah is
omitted between Ahaziah and Joash (1 Chronicles 3:11).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF JOSIAH. — The regular succession by primogeniture
ceases with Josiah.
THE FIRSTBORN JOHANAN (_Iahweh bestowed_) never ascended the throne of
his fathers. He may have died early. He is not to be identified with
Jehoahaz, who was two years younger than Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:31; 2
King... [ Continue Reading ]
JECONIAH (_Iah establish!_)= Jehoiachin (_Iahweh establisheth_)_ =_
Coniah (Jeremiah 22:24; Jeremiah 22:28 — an abbreviation of
Jeconiah), was carried captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings
24:15), and Zedekiah his father’s brother, became king in his stead.
Hence the supposition that “Zedeki... [ Continue Reading ]
III. — The posterity of Jeconiah after the exile (1 Chronicles
3:17). This section is peculiar to the chronicle.
(17) ASSIR. — This word means prisoner, captive; literally,
_bondman._ It so occurs in Isaiah 10:2; Isaiah 24:22. Accordingly the
verse may be rendered, “And the sons of Jeconiah when cap... [ Continue Reading ]
MALCHIRAM ALSO, AND PEDAIAH. — According to our present Hebrew text
these six persons, arranged as two trios, are sons of Jeconiah, and
brothers of Shealtiel.
SHENAZAR — Heb., _Shen’azzar;_ LXX., Σανεσάρ — is a
compound Babylonian name, like Belteshazzar (Daniel 1:7), of which the
last part means “... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF PEDAIAH WERE, ZERUBBABEL, AND SHIMEI. — Zerubbabel,
the famous prince who, with Joshua the high priest, led the first
colony of restored exiles from Babylon to Canaan, under the edict of
Cyrus (B.C. cir. 536). Zerubbabel (LXX., Σοροβάβελ), means
_born at Babel._ His father is appropr... [ Continue Reading ]
These five sons form a second group of Zerubbabel’s children,
probably by another wife. The _v_ of union seems to have fallen out
before the last name, Jushab-hesed.
The names of the last kings (Shallum, _recompense;_ Zedekiah, _Iah is
righteousness_) were parables of the judgment that should come t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SONS OF HANANIAH; PELATIAH, AND JESAIAH. — Heb., _son;_ but
some MSS. and all the versions read _sons._ Pelatiah means _Iah is
deliverance._ Jesaiah is the same name as Isaiah, meaning _Iah is
salvation._
THE SONS OF REPHAIAH. — The ancient versions represent here an
important various readi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF SHECHANIAH; SHEMAIAH. — See Note on 1 Chronicles 1:41.
HATTUSH. — Probably the Hattush “of the sons of David, of the sons
of Shechaniah,” mentioned by Ezra as one of those who went up with
him from Babylon in the second return, 457 B.C. (Ezra 8:2). If we have
rightly understood 1 Chroni... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIOENAI — _unto Iah_ (_are_)_ mine eyes,_ Psalms 123:1 — is an
expansion of the same idea. (Comp. also Psalms 25:15.) An Elioenai
went up with Ezra (Ezra 8:4).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF ELIOENAI... HODAIAH. — These sons of Elioenai are the
sixth generation from Zerubbabel (536-515 B.C.), that is to say, they
were living about 345 B.C., under Artaxerxes Ochus. If the reading of
the LXX. in 1 Chronicles 3:21 be correct, their date is four
generations later, or about 225 B... [ Continue Reading ]