“Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.”
Jasub, or Job. See Genesis xlvi. 13., and Numbers xxvi. 23. (Calmet) — Simeron, elsewhere Samron and Semran; (Menochius) which shews, either that the names have been differently pronounced, or that the transcribers have erred. (Haydock)
“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.”
Chiefs. They were at the head of distinct families. (Menochius) — David. We know that David took an account of his fighting men, 2 Kings xxiv. But it is not certain that this register was made at that time; as we read that Benjamin was not numbered, chap. xxi. 6. These lists were probably made when some expedition was intended by David. The author was not, perhaps, able to recover the accounts of Nephthali, Manasses, and Ephraim, no more that the genealogies of Dan (ver. 12) and Zabulon, which do not appear in this book. (Calmet)
“And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.”
Sons, for “the son.” (Du Hamel) — Izrahia. He alone deserved to be mentioned. See ver. 6, where only three sons of Benjamin appear, though there were more, chap. viii. 2. (Tirinus) — Five, comprizing Israhia, “all chiefs,” (Haydock) men of note, (Du Hamel) or one name may be lost. (Calmet)
“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.”
Children, who had numerous offspring; (Haydock) so that, in the days of David, these descendants of Thola, amounted to so many. (Menochius)
“And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.”
War. In all, this tribe could muster 145,600 men, at that time. (Calmet)
“The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.”
Benjamin; a man, perhaps, of the tribe of Issachar. See ver. 10. Or the patriarch had originally ten sons, (Genesis xlvi. 21.) or grandsons, five of whom only had children, and perhaps two of their families perished entirely in the war with the other tribes; (Judges xx. 46.) so that, under David, only three branches were acknowledged. (Calmet) — Jadihel, or Asbel in Genesis.
“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.”
Urai, a grandson, called Hir, ver. 12. (Calmet) — Five chiefs, but inferior to the seven original families, (Numbers xxvi. 38.; Menochius) unless the fortune of war had made great changes, or some of the lists be imperfect. (Calmet)
“Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim, the sons of Aher. Ir: or, Iri Aher: or, Ahiram”
And Hapham; called Mophim and Ophim, (Genesis xlvi.) and Suphim and Hupham, Numbers xxvi. 39. — Aher, in Hebrew means, “another” son, called Hazim: or more probably Aher ought to be Dan, the father of Husim, (Genesis xlvi. 23.) as Dan and Nephthali had both the same mother, Bala, ver. 13. (Calmet)
“The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: ( but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:”
Son. Hebrew, “sons….Ezriel, whom she bare.” This seems imperfect. The Hebrews seldom name the mother. (Calmet) — Septuagint intimate that the Syrian wife was mother of both. (Haydock) — Galaad, whose posterity enjoyed the country of the same name, (Numbers xxii. 29., and xxxii. 41.) only Machir in mentioned as the son of Manasses.
“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.”
And Saphan. St. Jerome seems to have taken them for women. If they were the sons of Hir, (ver. 12) Machir probably adopted them. Hebrew, “Machir took a wife from Happhim,” &c. But does one woman marry two men? Syriac and Arabic, “Machir took a wife one of the sisters of Huphim and Suphim, (the great and powerful) named Maacha.” (Calmet) — Protestants, “the sister of Huppim….whose sister’s name was Maachah.” (Haydock) — Hebrew may have this sense, with a small alteration. (Calmet) — Le Clerc thinks that the name of the woman has been lost, and the text altered. — Second. This also seems defective, as no first had been mentioned. (Calmet) — Two intervened between Machir and Salphaad, namely, Galaad and Hepher, (Numbers xxvi. 29., and xxvii. 1.; Menochius) so that Salphaad was his great-grandson. (Haydock)
“And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.”
Badan, perhaps the same with Jair; (Judges x. 3., and 1 Kings xii. 11.; Calmet) or rather in this last place, the Syriac, &c., read more correctly Barac, and Samson instead of Samuel, who was then speaking. See Hebrews xi. 32. There was no such deliverer as Badan, but the word has been corrupted from Barac. (Septuagint) (Kennicott)
“And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.”
Queen. Hebrew, “Moleceth bore Ishehod.” St. Jerome and the Latin Church translate these names. (Worthington) — Protestants, “Hammoleketh bore Ishod.” (Haydock) — The proper names might have been as well retained, (Calmet) as in the Septuagint. (Haydock) — Some suppose that the mother of Josue, or Debora, may be designated. (Rabbins) — Abiezer, (19) Leci, are the Jeser and Chelek, Numbers xxvi. 30.
“And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,”
Bared, Thahath, probably called Becher and Theken, in Numbers. Three alone are there mentioned, though the other thirteen, whose names are given, seem to have been all the immediate sons of Ephriam, (Calmet) since he mourns for them, (ver. 22.; Menochius) and has other children afterwards. (Haydock) — The dreadful slaughter made of them, is perhaps the reason why only three are mentioned in Numbers, and none in Genesis.
“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.”
Son, Ezer. Hebrew, “and Ezer and Elad.” His son, after each, seems to be twice omitted, as these were in the same degree as the rest. Septuagint agree with the Vulgate. (Haydock) — Because they, the sons of Ephraim, (Calmet, &c.) or the men of Geth. (Syriac and Arabic) (Du Hamel) (Menochius) (Tirinus) — The text is ambiguous, but the former supposition seems more rational, (Haydock) and more generally received. (Calmet)
“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.”
Beria. This name signifies, in evil, or in affliction. (Challoner) — Briáe, “in howling.” (Menochius)
“(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Bethhoron the nether, and the upper, and Uzzensherah.)”
Daughter, or great grand-daughter, repaired these three cities. (Calmet) — The last, probably, was called after her. (Haydock) — But its situation is unknown. (Calmet)
“And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,”
Thale. Hebrew, “and Thale, his son, and Thaan, his son.” These seem to have been the sons of Ephraim. The following were their descendants. (Haydock) — At least Elisama was prince in the wilderness, (Calmet) under Moses; (Numbers i. 10.; Haydock) and Josue, the sixth from Ephraim, was 54 years old, when the Israelites left Egypt. (Calmet)
“And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Bethshean 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. towns: Heb. daughters”
Daughters. Septuagint, “villages.” — Joseph, by Ephraim and Manasses, west of the Jordan. (Haydock)
“And the sons of Shamer; Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.”
Aram. Add, “and Helem,” (Calmet) unless Helem was the first-born (ver. 35) of Ahi, which signifies “brother.” Perhaps Helem was brother of Somer, called Hotham, ver. 32.
“Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.”
Jethran. Septuagint, Jether,” as v. seq.[as in the following verse, ver. 38.] (Haydock)
“And the sons of Jether; Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.”
Jephone. The father of Caleb was of the tribe of Juda. (Calmet)
“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.”
Of captains; a Hebrew idiom, to denote the most excellent. (Haydock) — Hebrew, “chief of the princes.” All mentioned from ver. 30, were at the hand of their tribe, in succession, and led their brethren to battle. (Calmet)