---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  1 Chronicles 2"
description: "CHAPTER 2  1 Chronicles 2:1;
1 Chronicles 2:2. SONS
OF ISRAEL. 1 Chronicles 2:2- :. POSTERITY OF
JUDAH. 3. The sons of Judah—His
descendants are enumerate"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/1-chronicles/2"
---

CHAPTER 2

[1 Chronicles 2:1](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/2/1);
[1 Chronicles 2:2](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/2/2). SONS
OF ISRAEL.
[1 Chronicles 2:2](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/2/2). POSTERITY OF
JUDAH.

**3. The sons of Judah**—His
descendants are enumerated first, because the right and privileges of
the primogeniture had been transferred to him (), and because from his tribe the Messiah was to spring.

**6. Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and
Calcol, and Dara**—These five are here stated to be the sons of
Zerah, that is, of Ezra, whence they were called Ezrahites (). In that passage they are called "the sons of Mahol,"
which, however, is to be taken not as a proper name, but
appellatively for "sons of music, dancing," &c. The
traditional fame of their great sagacity and acquirements had
descended to the time of Solomon and formed a standard of comparison
for showing the superior wisdom of that monarch. Jewish writers say
that they were looked up to as prophets by their countrymen during
the abode in Egypt.

**7. the sons of Carmi**—He was
the son of Zimri, or Zabdi, as he is called ().
**Achar**—or Achan (). This variety in the form of the name is with great
propriety used here, since Achar means "troubler."
. CHILDREN OF
JESSE.

**15. David the seventh**—As it
appears ([1 Samuel 16:10](../../../kjv/1-samuel/16/10); [1 Samuel 17:12](../../../kjv/1-samuel/17/12))
that Jesse had eight sons, the presumption is from David being
mentioned here as the seventh son of his father, that one of them had
died at an early age, without leaving issue.

**17. Jether the Ishmaelite**—(compare
[2 Samuel 17:25](../../../kjv/2-samuel/17/25)). In that passage he
is called Ithra an Israelite; and there seems no reason why, in the
early days of David, anyone should be specially distinguished as an
Israelite. The presumption is in favor of the reading followed by the
*Septuagint,* which calls him "Jetra the Jezreelite."
The circumstance of his settling in another tribe, or of a woman
marrying out of her own tribe, was sufficiently rare and singular to
call for the statement that Abigail was married to a man of Jezreel.
[2 Samuel 17:25](../../../kjv/2-samuel/17/25). POSTERITY OF
CALEB.

**18. Caleb the son of Hezron**—The
notices concerning this person appear confused in our version. In he is said to be the father of Hur, whereas in he is called "the son of Hur." The words in this
latter passage have been transposed in the copying, and should be
read thus, "Hur the son of Caleb."
**begat children of Azubah his
wife, and of Jerioth**—The former was his spouse, while Jerioth
seems to have been a secondary wife, and the mother of the children
whose names are here given. On the death of his principal wife, he
married Ephrath, and by her had Hur [].

**21. Hezron . . . daughter of Machir
the father of Gilead**—that is, chief of that town, which with
the lands adjacent was no doubt the property of Machir, who was so
desirous of a male heir. He was grandson of Joseph. The wife of
Machir was of the tribe of Manasseh ().

**22. Jair, who had three and twenty
cities in the land of Gilead**—As the son of Segub and the
grandson of Hezron, he was of the tribe of Judah; but from his
maternal descent he is called ([Numbers 32:41](../../../kjv/numbers/32/41);
[Deuteronomy 3:14](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/3/14)) "the son of
Manasseh." This designation implies that his inheritance lay in
that tribe in right of his grandmother; in other words, his *maternal*
and *adopting* great-grandfather was Machir the son of Manasseh.
Jair, inheriting his property, was his lineal representative; and
accordingly this is expressly stated to be the case; for the village
group of "Havoth-Jair" was awarded to him in that tribe, in
consequence of his valiant and patriotic exploits. This arrangement,
however, took place previous to the law ([Deuteronomy 3:14](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/3/14)), by which it was enacted that heiresses were to marry in
their own tribe. But this instance of Jair shows that in the case of
a man obtaining an inheritance in another tribe it required him to
become thoroughly incorporated with it as a representative of the
family through which the inheritance was received. He had been
adopted into Manasseh, and it would never have been imagined that he
was other than "a son of Manasseh" naturally, had not this
passage given information supplementary to that of the passage in
Numbers.

**23. he took**—rather "he
had taken." This statement is accounting for his acquisition of
so large a territory; he got it by right of conquest from the former
possessors.
**Kenath**—This place,
along with its group of surrounding villages, was gained by Nobah,
one of Jair's officers sent by him to capture it ([Numbers 32:1](../../../kjv/numbers/32/1);
[Numbers 32:2](../../../kjv/numbers/32/2)).
**All these belonged to the
sons of Machir**—In their number Jair is included as having
completely identified himself by his marriage and residence in Gilead
with the tribe of Manasseh.

**24. Caleb-ephratah**—so called
from uniting the names of husband and wife (), and supposed to be the same as was afterwards called
Beth-lehem-ephratah.
**Ashur, the father of Tekoa**—
([2 Samuel 14:2-4](../../../kjv/2-samuel/14/2-4)). He is
called the father, either from his being the first founder, or
perhaps the ruler, of the city.

**34. Sheshan had no sons, but
daughters**—either he had no sons alive at his death, or his
family consisted wholly of daughters, of whom Ahlai () was one, she being specially mentioned on account of the
domestic relations about to be noted.

**35. Sheshan gave his daughter to
Jarha his servant to wife**—The adoption and marriage of a
foreign slave in the family where he is serving, is far from being a
rare or extraordinary occurrence in Eastern countries. It is thought,
however, by some to have been a connection not sanctioned by the law
of Moses [MICHAELIS]. But
this is not a well-founded objection, as the history of the Jews
furnishes not a few examples of foreign proselytes in the same manner
obtaining an inheritance in Israel; and doubtless Jarha had
previously embraced the Jewish faith in place of the grovelling
idolatries of his native Egypt. In such a case, therefore, there
could be no legal difficulty. Being a foreign slave, he had no
inheritance in a different tribe to injure by this connection; while
his marriage with Sheshan's daughter led to his adoption into the
tribe of Judah, as well as his becoming heir of the family property.

**42. the sons of Caleb**—(compare
[1 Chronicles 2:18](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/2/18); [1 Chronicles 2:25](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/2/25)).
The sons here noticed were the fruit of his union with a third wife.

**55. the families of the
scribes**—either civil or ecclesiastical officers of the Kenite
origin, who are here classed with the tribe of Judah, not as being
descended from it, but as dwelling within its territory, and in a
measure incorporated with its people.
**Jabez**—a place in Judah
([1 Chronicles 4:9](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/4/9)).
**Kenites that came of
Hemath**—who settled in Judah, and were thus distinguished from
another division of the Kenite clan which dwelt in Manasseh ([1 Chronicles 4:9](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/4/9)).

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