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The Histories · Old Testament

1 Chronicles 8

1 Chronicles 8: the sons of Benjamin and the house of Saul

General context

Benjamin's five sons are listed in order, Bela the firstborn to Rapha the fifth, then Bela's sons. The sons of Ehud are called "heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba" who were removed to Manahath. Shaharaim fathers children "in the country of Moab" after sending away his wives Hushim and Baara; his sons by Hodesh and by Hushim are named, and Elpaal's sons include Shamed, "who built Ono, and Lod", and Beriah and Shema, heads of Aijalon, "who drove away the inhabitants of Gath". Long lists of sons are grouped by father, Beriah, Elpaal, Shimhi, Shashak and Jeroham, and summed up as "heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem." At Gibeon dwelt "the father of Gibeon", whose wife was Maachah and whose sons include Kish, Baal and Nadab. Then Ner begets Kish, Kish begets Saul, and Saul's sons are Jonathan, Malchi–shua, Abinadab and Esh–baal. Jonathan's son Merib–baal begets Micah, and the line runs through Ahaz, Jehoadah, Zimri, Moza and Binea to Azel, who has six named sons. Azel's brother Eshek has three sons, and Ulam's sons are "mighty men of valour, archers", numbering a hundred and fifty.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 8:1, 1 Chronicles 8:2, 1 Chronicles 8:3, 1 Chronicles 8:6, 1 Chronicles 8:8, 1 Chronicles 8:12, 1 Chronicles 8:13, 1 Chronicles 8:21, 1 Chronicles 8:27, 1 Chronicles 8:28, 1 Chronicles 8:29, 1 Chronicles 8:30, 1 Chronicles 8:33, 1 Chronicles 8:34, 1 Chronicles 8:36, 1 Chronicles 8:38, 1 Chronicles 8:39, 1 Chronicles 8:40

1 Chronicles 8 (KJV)

1Now Benjamin begat Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,

2Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

3And the sons of Bela were, Addar, and Gera, and Abihud,

4And Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,

5And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.

6And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:

7And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.

8And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.

9And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,

10And Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers.

11And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.

12The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof:

13Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:

14And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,

15And Zebadiah, and Arad, and Ader,

16And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;

17And Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hezeki, and Heber,

18Ishmerai also, and Jezliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal;

19And Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,

20And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel,

21And Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi;

22And Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel,

23And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,

24And Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,

25And Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;

26And Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,

27And Jaresiah, and Eliah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.

28These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.

29And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon; whose wife’s name was Maachah:

30And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,

31And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher.

32And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.

33And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

34And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal begat Micah.

35And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.

36And Ahaz begat Jehoadah; and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza,

37And Moza begat Binea: Rapha was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son:

38And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

39And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.

40And 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.

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Historical context

This is the second Benjamin list in two chapters. Chapter 7 gave three sons; here there are five, and only Bela's name is shared. The text does not explain the difference. The "father of Gibeon" is not named in this chapter, though his wife Maachah and his sons are. Two men named Kish appear, one among the sons of the father of Gibeon and one "Ner begat Kish", and the chapter does not say whether they are the same. Saul's sons are given as Jonathan, Malchi–shua, Abinadab and Esh–baal, and Jonathan's son as Merib–baal; those are the forms used here. No reign, death or judgment is attached to Saul; his house is simply carried on for many generations, through Azel's six sons and Ulam's archers. Verses 6 and 7 say "they removed them" and then "he removed them" without a clear subject. Shaharaim's children are born in Moab, and the text says he had "sent them away", referring to his wives, without giving a reason. Two groups are credited with settlements or expulsions: the builders of Ono and Lod, and the Aijalon heads who drove out Gath's inhabitants. Both Jerusalem and Gibeon are named as dwellings, but no time is given for either.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 8:1, 1 Chronicles 8:29, 1 Chronicles 8:30, 1 Chronicles 8:33, 1 Chronicles 8:34, 1 Chronicles 8:37, 1 Chronicles 8:6, 1 Chronicles 8:7, 1 Chronicles 8:8, 1 Chronicles 8:12, 1 Chronicles 8:13, 1 Chronicles 8:28

Literary context

The chapter runs in two movements. The first is a wide roll of Benjamite houses, grouped by father and closed with the summary line "These dwelt in Jerusalem." The second narrows to one family at Gibeon and then to a single chain, "Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul", which the narrator follows far beyond Saul himself, down through Jonathan and Merib–baal to Azel and his six sons. Saul thus enters the book as a name in a Benjamite line, not as a king; the story of his death waits for chapter 10. Small notes of building, expulsion and removal give the lists some motion, and the numbering "the second", "the third" in the opening and closing verses frames the chapter. The final verse turns from names to a count of archers and grandsons, so the tribe ends on strength rather than on a person. The same Gibeon family and Saul line will be repeated in chapter 9, which links the genealogies to the narrative.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 8:28, 1 Chronicles 8:33, 1 Chronicles 8:34, 1 Chronicles 8:38, 1 Chronicles 8:12, 1 Chronicles 8:13, 1 Chronicles 8:1, 1 Chronicles 8:39, 1 Chronicles 8:40

Key moments

  1. Benjamin's five sons (1 Chronicles 8:1). Benjamin's sons are listed in order from Bela the firstborn.
  2. Children born in Moab (1 Chronicles 8:8). Shaharaim fathers children in Moab after sending his wives away.
  3. Builders of Ono and Lod (1 Chronicles 8:12). Elpaal's son Shamed is credited with building Ono and Lod.
  4. Gath's inhabitants driven out (1 Chronicles 8:13). Beriah and Shema, heads of Aijalon, drive away the people of Gath.
  5. The father of Gibeon (1 Chronicles 8:29). An unnamed man at Gibeon, husband of Maachah, heads a family that includes Kish.
  6. Kish begat Saul (1 Chronicles 8:33). Saul and his four sons enter the record as a Benjamite line.
  7. Ulam's archers (1 Chronicles 8:40). The chapter ends with Ulam's sons, archers numbering a hundred and fifty.

For reflection

Saul appears here only as a link in a chain, "Kish begat Saul", with his descendants traced for many generations. What changes about the coming account of his death when a reader first meets his family as a line that continues?

People in this chapter

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