Bible Commentaries

1 Chronicles 8:1. Now Benjamin begat Bela — He had spoken something of this tribe before, chap. 1 Chronicles 7:6; but now he treats of it again, and that more fully and exactly: partly for Saul’s sake, who was of this tribe; and partly because this tribe adhered to David, and the kingdom of Judah, and went with Judah into Babylon; and now were returned from thence in greater numbers than the other tribes, except Judah. Bela his firstborn — So called by Moses: but the names of the rest vary from those in Moses. Therefore either these were Benjamin’s grand-children, or the same person had two or more names, which was not unusual.

1 Chronicles 8:6. These are the sons of Ehud — These following, 1 Chronicles 8:7, because he here speaks of them who were removed. He describes the sons of Benjamin by the places of their habitation, without an exact account of their parents; because their genealogies were broken by that almost total extirpation of this tribe, Judges 20.

1 Chronicles 8:28. Heads of the fathers, &c: these dwelt at Jerusalem — All these named from 1 Chronicles 8:14 to this place. Particular notice is taken of these, that others, at their return from captivity, might be induced to settle there too, which it seems few were willing to do, because it was the post of danger. Many great and mighty nations were then upon earth, and many illustrious men in them, whose names are buried in perpetual oblivion, while the names of multitudes of the Israel of God are here carefully preserved in everlasting remembrance: a figure of God’s writing the names of his spiritual Israel in the Lamb’s book of life.

1 Chronicles 8:32. These also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem — With those other Benjamites spoken of 1 Chronicles 8:28; over against them — In some street or part of Jerusalem, which was over against that where their brethren dwelt.

1 Chronicles 8:40. Archers — Hebrew, that tread the bow: for the bows of steel, which these used, required great strength to bend them; which therefore they did by treading the bow with their feet, and pulling the string with both their hands.