Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 1:1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh,

"CHRONICLES" we call these two books, - anciently but one, - which is the same in effect with that of the Hebrews’ Dibr ehaiamim, Words, or Deeds, of Days. Paralipomena, or Remains, the Greeks call them, because they take up many things not recorded in the Books of Kings. Yet are they not those "Books of Chronicles of Israel and Judah" we so often read of in the Books of Kings, for they long since perished, but a divine authentic epitome of them. Yea, Jerome doubteth not to call these two Books of Chronicles Instrumenti Veteris Epitomen, et totius divinae historiae Chronicum. Munster calleth them, A sacred diary, The Church’s annals. They begin as high as Adam the Protoplast, - of whom nothing is read in human histories, as neither indeed of anything else that is truly ancient till the Theban and Trojan wars, as Diodorus Siculus confesseth, - and show how by him the world was populated, according to that first promise, [Genesis 1:28] and the descant of some ancients upon the name of Adam. A, that is, Aνατολη, or the east; D, that is, Dυσμος, the west; A, that is, Aρτος, the north; and M, that is, Mεσημβρια, the south: for all these four quarters of the world were and are populated by Adam’s posterity, some of whom, as the antediluvian patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his sons - all except Dan and Zebulon - are registered in these first eight chapters. In the first four verses of this chapter we have the line of Adam to Noah, no other of the posterity of Adam being mentioned, because, saith one, they were all destroyed in the flood: whereunto may be added, that the genealogy of the second Adam is here mainly intended, and his progenitors principally mentioned.

Ver. 1. Adam, Sheth, Enosh.] Thus this prompt scribe and perfect genealogist, Ezra, as is generally thought, beginneth his holy history.

“ Primaque aborigine mundi,

Ad sua perpetuum deducit secla volumen. ”

{a} In prolo. Galeat.

1 Chronicles 1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Ver. 4. Shem, Ham, Japheth.] Of these three, Shem is supposed to have peopled the east, Ham the south, Japheth the north.

1 Chronicles 1:5 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

Ver. 5. Gomer.] Of whom came the Cymbrians and Danes.

Magog.] From whom are the Scythians, Sarmatians, Tartars.

Madai.] The father of the Medes, as Javan is conceived to be of the Grecians, Tubal of the Spaniards, Meshech of the Muscovites, Tiras of the Thracians, Ashchenaz of the Germans (Tuiscones Dutchmen), Riphath of the Paphlagones, Togarmah of the Turks, Elishah of the Eolians, Tarshish of the Cilicians, Kittim the Cyprians, Dodanim or Rodahim the Rhodians, &c.

1 Chronicles 1:10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.

Ver. 10. He began to be mighty.] See on Genesis 10:8. Nimrod is thought to be the same with Belus, founder of the Babylonian monarchy.

1 Chronicles 1:18 And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.

Ver. 18. Beget Eber.] From whom came the Hebrews.

1 Chronicles 1:20 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

Ver. 20. And Joktan begat Almodad and Sheleph, &c.] These thirteen sons of Joktan were captains of those colonies that went out of the land of Shinar, upon the dispersion of the nations into various parts of the world, according to their different languages. [Genesis 11:1-9] Whether they fell from the true religion professed by their grandfather Heber is uncertain; but from them is supposed to descend the people of East India, and of America also.

1 Chronicles 1:36 The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.

Ver. 36. And Timna.] This was the son of Eliphaz, but of the same name with his concubine Timna, who haply might thereby seek the propagating of her name, like as our Queen Mary did, when, being godmother to many of her servants’ sons, she gave her own name, Anthony-Maria, Edward-Maria, &c., as an addition to their names received at baptism. ^(a)

1 Chronicles 1:43 Now these [are] the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before [any] king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city [was] Dinhabah.

Ver. 43. Now these are the kings.] {See Trapp on "Genesis 36:31"} Kings were crowned, dukes were not. Israel had first judges, who were as dukes; after that, kings; and then dukes again, or governors, viz., after the captivity. So had Edom. See 1 Chronicles 1:51-52.

1 Chronicles 1:44 And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

Ver. 44. Jobab the son of Zerah reigned.] This Jobab was Job the patient, say some, who, while he was prosperous, was called Jobab; but when in distress, contracted into Job. See the like change, Genesis 17:5, Ruth 1:20.

1 Chronicles 1:50 And when Baalhanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city [was] Pai; and his wife’s name [was] Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

Ver. 50. Baalhanan.] Or Hannibal.

1 Chronicles 1:51 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,

Ver. 51. Hadad died also.] And with him the kingly government, as it did at Rome with Tarquin the tyrant.

1 Chronicles 1:52 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,

Ver. 52. See on Genesis 36:43.