Bible Commentaries

14. The father of the valley of Charashim — That is, father of those who dwelt there, and founder, so to speak, of the institution which gave the place its name. The inhabitants of this valley were craftsmen, and were descended from Joab, the son of Seraiah; so the business of engraving and working in wood and metals was the institution of the place. The location of this valley is unknown, but Nehemiah 11:35, and the Talmud, would seem to place it in the vicinity of Lod, or Lydda.

21. The house of them that wrought fine linen — These descendants of Ashbea were noted for working in linen, or byssus, as the sons of Joab were famed artificers. The writer records the fact as a fragment of ancient tradition, and mentions in the next verse, its if to explain why nothing more is said or known about the matter, that “these are ancient things,” old fragments of tradition, whose more minute details are lost.

23. Dwelt among plants and hedges — These words should be rendered as proper names, inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah.

They dwelt with the king for his work — They occupied the royal lands and laboured in manual service for the king. In the excavations made at the southeast angle of the Haram enclosure, remains of ancient pottery were found, bearing in Phenician letters the words, To King Zepha; King Shat. On one piece was a part of the word “Melek,” king. On the other pieces the letters had become obliterated.

39. They went to… Gedor — So the Simeonites, like the Danites, (Judges xviii,) enlarged their possessions by conquest. Whether this Gedor is the same as that in the mountains of Judah, (Joshua 15:58,) which Dr. Robinson identifies with Jedur north of Hebron, is uncertain. Ewald proposes to amend by reading, with the Septuagint, Gerar, the city where Abraham and Isaac dwelt. Genesis 20:1; Genesis 26:1. But wherever the place, the Simeonites found there the rich pastures they desired, and did not hesitate to destroy the tents of the peaceful occupants, and to take forcible possession of their fields, as the Danites did in the case of the inhabitants of Laish.

41. The habitations that were found there — Rather, the Meunim, or Meunites, who were found there. These seem to have been an Arabian tribe of nomads from the vicinity of Mount Seir. Compare 2 Chronicles 26:7.

43. The Amalekites that were escaped — Supposed to be those who escaped the sword of Saul and David. 1 Samuel 14:48; 2 Samuel 8:12.