Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 8:1 Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,

Ver. 1. Aharah.] Alias Ahiram, [Numbers 26:38] and Ehi. [Genesis 46:21]

1 Chronicles 8:2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

Ver. 2. Rapha.] Alias Rosh. [Genesis 46:21]

1 Chronicles 8:5 And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.

Ver. 5. And Gera.] Who haply was the son of the former Gera; or the former might die soon, and this be called after his name.

1 Chronicles 8:6 And these [are] the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:

Ver. 6. And these are the sons of Ehud.] Haply of that famous Ehud. [ 3:15]

And they removed them.] The governors did; but when, how, or wherefore, we find not.

1 Chronicles 8:7 And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.

Ver. 7. He removed them.] Ut de haereditate singulis ante obitum prospiceret, saith Junius: that he might provide inheritances for them before his death. Abraham did the like. [Genesis 25:5-6]

1 Chronicles 8:8 And Shaharaim begat [children] in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara [were] his wives.

Ver. 8. And begat children in the country of Moab.] Where he sojourned, haply - as did Elimelech [Ruth 1:1] - because of the famine.

After he had sent them away.] Or, After he had sent away Hushim and Basra, his wives, quas repudiavit propter causas quae tacentur, saith Vatablus.

1 Chronicles 8:13 Beriah also, and Shema, who [were] heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:

Ver. 13. Who drove away the inhabitants of Gath.] See 1 Chronicles 7:21.

1 Chronicles 8:14 And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,

Ver. 14. Here we have a list of the chieftains of the Benjamites who dwelt at Jerusalem after the captivity.

1 Chronicles 8:29 And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon; whose wife’s name [was] Maachah:

Ver. 29. Whose wife’s name was Maachah.] Who was surely an honour to her husband, with whom she is therefore once and again memorised. See 1 Chronicles 7:15-16.

1 Chronicles 8:33 And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

Ver. 33. And Ner begat Kish.] This Ner is also called Abiel. [1 Samuel 9:1] The Hebrews tell us that his proper name was Abiel; and that he was called Ner - that is, a lamp or torch - because he outshone others in holiness. He had another son besides Kish, the father of Saul, viz., Ner, the father of Abner. [1 Samuel 14:50-51]

And Saul begat Jonathan.] Who was - as the Romans once said of Pompey - a most amiable son of an odious father. ^(a)

And Eshbaal.] Alias Ishbosheth; so 1 Chronicles 8:34. Meribbaal, alias Mephibosheth. Baal is by Hosea called "That shame."

1 Chronicles 8:34 And the son of Jonathan [was] Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.

Ver. 34. And Meribbaal begat Micah.] From hence to the end of this chapter is a catalogue of Jonathan’s progeny. Of the rest of Saul’s children we read not that they had any posterity. That old verse is well known and daily verified,

“ Eυσεβεων παιδεαυι τα λωια, δυαυεβεων δ ου.”