Bible Commentaries

The Line of the Tribe of Benjamin

v. 1. Now, Benjamin begat Bela, his firstborn, Ashbel, the second, and Aharah, the third,

v. 2. Nohah, the fourth, and Rapha, the fifth. The fact that many names in the list following are different from those given by Moses is due either to the custom of having more than one name or to the use of the word "sons" in the wider sense, which includes grandsons and even descendants farther removed.

v. 3. And the sons of Bela were Addar (or Ard), and Gera, and Abihud,

v. 4. and Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,

v. 5. and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. Cf Gen 46:21; Num 26:38-39.

v. 6. And these are the sons of Ehud; these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, a Levitical city otherwise known as Gibea of Benjamin, 1Sa 13:3-16, and they removed them to Manahath;

v. 7. and Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, it was under his direction that the transfer to Manahath was effected, and begat Uzza and Ahihud.

v. 8. And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, where he may have gone during one of the famines in the time of the Judges, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives. It appears that he forsook his wives for the time of the famine and married a Moabite woman, returning afterward, however, to his first wives.

v. 9. And he begat of Hodesh, his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,

v. 10. and Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers, powerful and influential leaders of large divisions in the tribe.

v. 11. And of Hushim he begat Ahitub and Elpaal.

v. 12. The sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono and Lod with the towns thereof, these being cities on the extreme western boundary of Benjamin;

v. 13. Beriah also and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, in the neighborhood of the other cities, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath, the Philistine city-state at some distance to the west;

v. 14. and Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,

v. 15. and Zebadiah, and Arad, and Ader,

v. 16. and Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;

v. 17. and Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hezeki, and Heber,

v. 18. Ishmerai also, and Jezliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal;

v. 19. and Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,

v. 20. and Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel,

v. 21. and Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi (or Shema);

v. 22. and Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel,

v. 23. and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,

v. 24. and Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,

v. 25. and Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;

v. 26. and Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,

v. 27. and Jaresiah, and Eliah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.

v. 28. These were heads of the fathers by their generations, chief men, the registration lists showed them to be leaders in their respective divisions. These dwelt in Jerusalem, whose upper city was really in the tribe of Benjamin.

v. 29. And at Gibeon, some eight miles northwest of Jerusalem, dwelt the father of Gibeon, whose wife's name was Maachah;

v. 30. and his first-born son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,

v. 31. and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher (or Zachariah). V. 32. And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them, in a special quarter near them. The tribe of Benjamin recovered in a very remarkable manner after the events which almost resulted in its extermination, Judges 20, 21.

The Family of Saul and Jonathan

v. 33. And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, 1Sa 14:51, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal (or Ishbosheth).

v. 34. And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal (or Mephibosheth); and Merib-baal begat Micah, 2Sa 9:12.

v. 35. And the sons of Micah were Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.

v. 36. And Ahaz begat Jehoadah (or Jarah); and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;

v. 37. and Moza begat Binea. Rapha was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

v. 38. And Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

v. 39. And the sons of Eshek, his brother, were: Ulam, his first-born, Jehush, the second, and Eliphelet, the third.

v. 40. And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, who needed great strength and skill to handle the bow, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty, large families at that time being rightly regarded as special blessings of the Lord. All these are the sons of Benjamin. It proved of benefit to this small tribe that it became affiliated with the tribe of Judah and the true worship.