“Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,”
Benjamin. Some farther particulars of his genealogy are given, for the honour of Saul; (Calmet) and many of those, who returned from captivity, are mentioned, 1 Esdras x. 11. (Sanctius) — Bale, &c., are called Bela, (Menochius; chap. vii. 6.) Jadiel, and Ahiram, or Echi, Numbers xxvi. 36., and Genesis xlvi.
“Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.”
Nohaa is probably styled Bechor; and Rapha, Ros, in Genesis.
“And the sons of Bela were, Addar, and Gera, and Abihud, Addar: or, Ard.Gen.26.21”
Addar, Ared or Hered. (Calmet)
“And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:”
Ahod, the judge, Judges iii. 15. — Manahath; the Menuchat, in the tribe of Juda, (chap. ii. 54.) after the captivity. (Calmet) — Abulensis thinks Manahath was in Moab, ver. 8. (Menochius)
“And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.”
And. Literally, “but,” autem. (Haydock) — The sentence is clearer without this particle. (Menochius) — Naaman was the first-born of Ahod; and Gera prevailed on his brethren to leave Gabaa, (Tirinus) and was probably the father of Oza. (Calmet)
“And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.”
Saharim. His father is not specified: but his was a Benjamite. (Menochius) — Some force the Hebrew text to say that Ahod had three sons, whom he sent to form a colony at Manahath, and afterwards he had three others by his two wives, and at last, by Rodes, he had Jobab, &c. (Calmet) — Begot. Protestants, “children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away: Hushim and Baara were his wives.” But the Septuagint intimate, that “Saharim begot….after he had sent away Osim, and his wife Baara, and he begot of Ada,” &c. (Haydock) — He had perhaps retired into Moab, at the same time as Elimelech, Ruth i. (Tirinus) — Those who were sent away were men, (eos) according to the Hebrew, unless (Haydock) the word should be eas. (Du Hamel)
“And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.”
Mehusim. Hebrew and Septuagint, “of Husim (ver. 8) he begot.”
“The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof:”
Ono was three miles from Lod, or Diospolis, (Lightfoot) built after the return from Babylon, (1 Esdras ii. 23.; Calmet) in the territory of Benjamin. (Menochius)
“Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:”
And Sama. They are supposed to have been sons of Elphaal. (Calmet) — Aialon belonged to Dan, Josue xix. 42. But it was near Benjamin, (Menochius) and was probably occupied by people chiefly of that tribe. (Haydock) — Geth. We know not at what period.
“And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;”
Baria, son of Elphaal. Whether the following were his brothers does not appear certain, as it seems more natural to have placed all his father’s children together, ver. 12., and 18.
“And Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi; Shimhi: or, Shema.vers.13”
Semei; perhaps Sama, ver. 13. (Calmet) — Septuagint read, Samai. (Haydock)
“And Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;”
Sesac, probably mentioned in ver. 14. (Calmet) — Septuagint have “Sosek,” in both places.
“These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.”
Families. Hebrew, “These were heads of the fathers by their generations, chief men.” (Protestants) (Haydock) — Jerusalem, probably after the captivity. We find none of these names from ver. 14, in the days of Josue; and it was not easy for people to establish themselves at Jerusalem, till David had expelled the Jebusites. (Calmet) — Yet we find that the tribes of Juda and Benjamin had seized the lower city long before, Josue xviii. 28. (Haydock)
“And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon ; whose wife's name was Maachah: father: called Jehiel,IChro.9.35”
Dwelt. Literally, “they dwelt.” But Hebrew and Septuagint, “in Gabaon, dwelt the father of Gaboan,” (Haydock) who was called Jehiel, (chap. ix. 35.) or Abiel, 1 Kings ix. 1. (Calmet) — The following verses are repeated in the next chapter, (Haydock) and seem to have been originally the same; though now many variations occur, which shew that “every Hebrew letter” has not been preserved. (Kennicott)
“And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,”
Baal. Add, “and Ner,” (ver. 33., and chap. ix. 36.) as the Septuagint have it here also.
“And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher. Zacher: or, Zechariah.IChr.9.37”
Zacher, or Zacharias, chap. ix. Hebrew omits the following name, as well as (Haydock) the end of the preceding one. (Kennicott) — The Alexandrian Septuagint has the same faults. But the Vatican retains Macelloth. (Haydock)
“And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them. Shimeah: or, Shimeam.ca.9.38, I.Sam.14.51”
Over-against, in the vicinity, while some remained at Gabaon. See Genesis xvi. 12. (Calmet) — The family of Cis resided at Gabaa, 1 Kings x. 26. (Menochius)
“And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal. Eshbaal: or, Ishbosheth 2.Sam.2.8”
Ner, son of Abiel, or of Jeheil, prince of Gabaon, ver. 29. (Haydock) — From Aphia sprung Bechorah, Seror, Abiel, (1 Kings ix.) who is also called Ner and Jehiel. He had Ner, the father of Abner, and Cis, father of Saul. (Menochius) — Abinadab, or Jessui, 1 Kings xiv. 49. (Calmet) — Esbaal, alias Isboseth. (Challoner) — The Hebrews avoid pronouncing the name of the idol, and substitute boseth, “confusion.” (Calmet) — Hence it is clear that many had two names. (Du Hamel)
“And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah. Meribbaal: or, Mephibosheth.2.Sam.4.4”
Meribbaal, alias Mephiboseth, 2 Kings iv. 4., (Challoner) and 2 Kings ix. (Menochius)
“And Ahaz begat Jehoadah; and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza,”
Joada, or Jara, chap. ix. 42. (Calmet) — “Strange mistakes these!” (Kennicott)
“And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers , and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.”
Archers, particularly the natives of Gabaa, Judges xx. 16. Jonathan is praised for his skill, 2 Kings i. 22. (Menochius) — Benjamin. We might hence conclude that here ended the genealogy of that family. Yet we find it partly repeated in the following chapter, ver. 35. (Haydock)