1.
Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
1Ch 7:1 Now the sons of Issachar [were], Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
Ver. 1. Jashub. ] Alias Job; Gen 46:13 but not Job the patient, as some would have it.
2.
And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.
1Ch 7:2 And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father’s house, [to wit], of Tola: [they were] valiant men of might in their generations; whose number [was] in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.
Ver. 2. They were valiant men of might. ] And yet this tribe, for the generality, were asinus osseus Gen 49:14 dull, and desirous of peace.
In the days of David. ] See 1 Chronicles 12:32 ; 1 Chronicles 27:18 .
3.
And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.
1Ch 7:3 And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.
Ver. 3. And the sons of Uzzi, ] i.e., The son; for it is likely that Uzzi had more sons, but nothing so famous as was Izrahiah.
4.
And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.
1Ch 7:4 And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, [were] bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand [men]: for they had many wives and sons.
Ver. 4. Were bands of soldiers for war. ] Though they affected peace, as 1 Chronicles 7:2 , yet they were apti et parati ad bellum, ready pressed for war.
For they had many wives and sons. ] Polygamy passed for current in the Church, because Abraham used it; though directly against the institution, and that plain law, Lev 18:18 neither was it cast out of the Church till the captivity of Babylon.
5.
And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.
1Ch 7:5 And their brethren among all the families of Issachar [were] valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.
Ver. 5. Reckoned in all. ] Omnes Iscariotae, saith Vatablus.
6.
The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.
1 Chronicles 7:6 [The sons] of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.
Ver. 6. The sons of Benjamin. ] The genealogies of Dan and Zebulon are left out, for causes unknown; haply, because at their return out of Babylon their genealogies were not found. Dan is also - for their apostasy, likely, and idolatry - not reckoned among the rest that were sealed. Rev 7:5-8 That Antichrist should be one of this tribe, is a fiction rightly exploded. We read of Hushim, 1Ch 7:12 the sons of Aher, which signifieth Another - and so some render it - by Another, understanding Dan, compare Gen 46:23 whom the penman of this book held not worth the naming. The Hebrews, when they would show their detestation of any person or thing, they call it acher; a sow they call dabshar acher, that is, another thing; so leaven at the passover, &c. a
a Elias Thisbit.
7.
And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.
8.
And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.
9.
And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of the fathers, mighty men of valour, was twenty thousand and two hundred.
10.
The sons also of Jediael; Bilhan: and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.
11.
All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.
12.
Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim, the sons of Aher.
1Ch 7:12 Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, [and] Hushim, the sons of Aher.
Ver. 12. Shuppim also, and Huppim. ] Alias Shupham and Hupham Num 26:39
The sons of Aher. ] See on 1 Chronicles 7:6 .
13.
The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
1Ch 7:13 The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
Ver. 13. The sons of Bilhah, ] i.e., Her grandsons.
14.
The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:
1Ch 7:14 The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: ([but] his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:
Ver. 14. Whom she bare, ] i.e., The wife of Gilead bare.
15.
And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.
1Ch 7:15 And Machir took to wife [the sister] of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name [was] Maachah;) and the name of the second [was] Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.
Ver. 15. And Zelophehad had daughters, ] i.e., Daughters only, whose case, brought before the Lord, occasioned those two judicial laws in Numbers 27:1-11 ; Numbers 36:2-12 .
16.
And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
17.
And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.
1Ch 7:17 And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These [were] the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.
Ver. 17. Bedan. ] Whom some suppose to be the same with Judge Jair, the Gileadite. Judges 10:3 1Sa 12:11
18.
And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.
1Ch 7:18 And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.
Ver. 18. And his sister, ] i.e., Gilead’s sister.
19.
And the sons of Shemida were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.
1Ch 7:19 And the sons of Shemida were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.
Ver. 19. Likhi. ] Alias Helek, Num 26:30 by transposition of letters.
20.
And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,
1Ch 7:20 And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,
Ver. 20. And the sons of Ephraim, ] The Ephraimites were famous for their wealth, power, and prowess; but withal they are noted for insolent, proud, and quarrelsome. See Judges 8:1 ; Judges 12:1 .
21.
And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.
1Ch 7:21 And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath [that were] born in [that] land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.
Ver. 21. Whom the men of Gath … slew.] And no marvel; because, belike, being weary of the Egyptian servitude, and remembering that Palestina was promised to their forefathers for an inheritance, they would needs take possession thereof before the time, which rash adventure of these sons of Ephraim cost them their lives, and perhaps occasioned that cruel decree of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, against the Israelites. Exo 1:9-11 See to this purpose, Psalms 78:9 . This happened about the birth of Aaron. It is not safe to break God’s prison.
22.
And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.
1Ch 7:22 And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.
Ver. 22. And Ephraim their father. ] Who must needs be now a very old man.
Mourned many days. ] His grief was the greater, if they went against the Gittites without his consent, as many young men are headlong and headstrong, &c.
And his brethren came to comfort him. ] The Benjamites also set upon the men of Gath, and took their city from them. 1Ch 8:13 Atque sic ulti sunt fratres suos Ephraemitas.
23.
And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.
1Ch 7:23 And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.
Ver. 23. And when he went in to his wife. ] A modest expression of the marriage duty. The apostle forbiddeth filthy speaking; Ephesians 4:25 ; Ephesians 4:29 ; Eph 5:4 so doth Cicero, in his "Offices," inveighing against the Cynics for their obscene language.
She conceived, and bare a son. ] Of whom came a large offspring. This was a great mercy to the good old man.
And he called his name Beriah. ] a That is, In affliction. Hereby he would immind himself and his posterity of the evil which had befallen his house, that they might hear, and fear, and do no more so. b
a A malo et ululatu. - Lavat.
b Optimum est aliena frui insania.
24.
(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)
1 Chronicles 7:24 (And his daughter [was] Sherah, who built Bethhoron the nether, and the upper, and Uzzensherah.)
Ver. 24. And his daughter was Sherah. ] A gallant woman, famous in her generation for beautifying and fortifying of sundry cities. Thus also God made up Ephraim’s loss.
25.
And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,
26.
Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,
27.
Non his son, Jehoshua his son.
28.
And their possessions and habitations were, Bethel and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:
29.
And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth-shean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.
30.
The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.
1Ch 7:30 The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.
Ver. 30. And Serah their sister. ] The Vulgate calleth her Sarah; as likewise that other eminent woman. 1Ch 7:23
31.
And the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzavith.
32.
And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.
33.
And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.
34.
And the sons of Shamer; Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.
35.
And the sons of his brother Helem; Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.
1Ch 7:35 And the sons of his brother Helem; Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.
Ver. 35. Helem. ] Thought to be the same with Hotham. 1Ch 7:32
36.
The sons of Zophah; Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,
37.
Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.
38.
And the sons of Jether; Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.
1Ch 7:38 And the sons of Jether; Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.
Ver. 38. Jether. ] Called Ithran. 1Ch 7:37
39.
And the sons of Ulla; Arah, and Haniel, and Rezia.
40.
All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father's house, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men.
1Ch 7:40 All these [were] the children of Asher, heads of [their] father’s house, choice [and] mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war [and] to battle [was] twenty and six thousand men.
Ver. 40. Chief of the princes. ] Duces ducum, to whom the princes were to give an account. See Daniel 6:1-2 .
Was twenty and six thousand. ] So happy was Asher, according to Moses’s blessing left with him. Deu 33:24-25