Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 7:2. Whose number in the days of David, &c. — That is, when David numbered the people, (2 Samuel 24.,) the descendants of Tola, Issachar’s firstborn, were found to be thus many; which was a very great increase.

1 Chronicles 7:6. The sons of Benjamin, three — They were ten, (Genesis 46:21,) and five of them are named 1 Chronicles 8:1, but here only three are mentioned, either because they were most eminent, or because the other families were now extinct.

1 Chronicles 7:7. Heads of the house of their fathers — Each of them head of that family to which he belonged. For it may seem, by comparing this with chap. 1 Chronicles 8:3, &c., that these were not the immediate sons of Bela, but his grand-children, descended each from a several father.

1 Chronicles 7:13-15. The sons of Bilhah — The grand-children; for Bilhah was Jacob’s concubine, and mother both to Naphtali, the father of the persons last named, and to Dan. The sons of Manasseh — Grand-children, as in the former verse. Ashriel, whom she bare — Whom his wife bare, his concubine being here opposed to her. Machir took the sister of Huppim — The word sister, though not in the Hebrew, is fitly supplied out of the following clause, where it is expressed, and she is called Maacha, and, 1 Chronicles 7:16, is said to be the wife of Machir. The name of the second, &c. — Of the second son or grand-son of Machir, for such Zelophehad was. Had daughters — That is, only daughters, and no sons.

1 Chronicles 7:17-18. These were the sons of Gilead — Namely, Ashriel and Zelophehad, named 1 Chronicles 7:14-15, the relative being here referred to the remoter antecedent, as is frequent in the Hebrew. His — Gilead’s sister. Mahalah — Understand, and Shemidah, out of the next verse.

1 Chronicles 7:21. Whom the men of Gath slew — This history is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture, but it is in the ancient Hebrew writers. The Philistines (one of whose cities Gath was) and the Egyptians were next neighbours; and in those ancient times it was usual for such to make inroads one into another’s country, and to carry thence what prey they could take. And as the Philistines had probably made such inroads formerly into Egypt, and particularly into the land of Goshen, which was the utmost part of Egypt bordering upon the Philistines’ land; so the Israelites might requite them in the like kind: and particularly the children of Ephraim, to their own loss. And this seems to have happened a little before the Egyptian persecution, and before the reign of that new king mentioned Exodus 1:8. And this clause, that were born in the land, may be added emphatically, as the motive which made them more resolute in their fight with the Ephraimites, because they fought in and for their own land, wherein all their wealth and concerns lay.

1 Chronicles 7:23. She conceived and bare a son — Thus the breach was in some measure repaired, by the addition of another son in his old age. When God thus restores comfort to his mourners, he makes glad according to the days wherein he afflicted: setting the mercies over against the crosses, we ought to observe the kindness of his providence. Yet the joy that a man was born into his family could not make him forget his grief. For he gives a melancholy name to his son, Beriah, that is, in trouble: for he was born when the family was in mourning. It is good to have in remembrance the affliction and the misery which are past, that our souls may be humbled within us.

1 Chronicles 7:24. His daughter — His descendant, his grand-child, or great-grand- child; built Beth-horon, &c. — Rebuilt or repaired them, which possibly she did in Joshua’s time. And this work may be ascribed to her, because it was done either by her design and contrivance, or by her instigation and influence upon her husband and brethren who did it.

1 Chronicles 7:28. Their possessions — That is, the portion allotted to the tribe of Ephraim: were Beth-el — Which stood in the border of Benjamin, but belonged to Ephraim. Unto Gaza — Not the Gaza of the Philistines, which belonged to another tribe, and was remote from Ephraim, but another place of the same name. Or rather Adazza, as in the margin; the particle ad, here rendered unto, being part of the name.