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Of the sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
Verse 1. Jasub, or Job. See Genesis 46:13, Numbers 26:23. Calmet.—Simeron, elsewhere Samron and Semran; ( Menochius.) which shews, either that the names have been differently pronounced, or that the transcribers have erred. Bible.
The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations. Their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.
Verse 2. Chiefs. They were at the head of distinct families. Menochius.—David. We know that David took an account of his fighting men. 2 Kennicott. 24. But it is not certain that this register was made at that time; as we read that Benjamin was not numbered. Calmet. 21:6. 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 (verse 12) and Zabulon, which do not appear in this book. Calmet.
The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, five; all of them chief men.
Verse 3. Sons, for “the son.” D.—Izrahia. He alone deserved to be mentioned. See verse 6, where only three sons of Benjamin appear, though there were more, Calmet. 8:2. Tirinus.—Five, comprising Israhia, “all chiefs,” ( Bible.) men of note, ( D.) or one name may be lost. Calmet.
With them, by their generations, after their fathers’ houses, were bands of the army for war, thirty-six thousand; for they had many wives and sons.
Verse 4. Children, who had numerous offspring; ( Bible.) so that, in the days of David, these descendants of Thola, amounted to so many. Menochius.
Their brothers among all the families of Issachar, mighty men of valor, listed in all by genealogy, were eighty-seven thousand.
Verse 5. War. In all, this tribe could muster 145,600 men, at that time. Calmet.
The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three.
Verse 6. Benjamin; a man, perhaps, of the tribe of Issachar. See verse 10. Or the patriarch had originally ten sons, (Genesis 46:21) or grandsons, five of whom only had children, and perhaps tow of their families perished entirely in the war with the other tribes; (Judges 20:46) so that, under David, only three branches were acknowledged. Calmet.—Jadihel, or Asbel in Genesis.
The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor; and they were listed by genealogy twenty-two thousand thirty-four.
Verse 7. Urai, a grandson, called Hir, verse 12. Calmet.—Five chiefs, but inferior to the seven original families, (Numbers 26:38. Menochius.) unless the fortune of war had made great changes, or some of the lists be imperfect. Calmet.
The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher.
They were listed by genealogy, after their generations, heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor, twenty thousand two hundred.
The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.
All these were sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers’ households, mighty men of valor, seventeen thousand two hundred, who were able to go out in the army for war.
So were Shuppim, Huppim, the sons of Ir, Hushim, and the sons of Aher.
Verse 12. And Hapham; called Mophim and Ophim, (Genesis 46) and Suphim and Hupham, Numbers 26:39.—Aher, in Hebrew means, “another” son, called Hazim: or more probably Aher ought to be Dan, the father of Husim, (Genesis 46:23) as Dan and Nephthali had both the same mother, Bala, verse 13. Calmet.
The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, Shallum, and the sons of Bilhah.
The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bore. She bore Machir the father of Gilead.
Verse 14. 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. Bible.—Galaad, whose posterity enjoyed the country of the same name, (Numbers 22:29 and 32:41) only Machir in mentioned as the son of Manasses.
Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah. The name of the second was Zelophehad; and Zelophehad had daughters.
Verse 15. And Saphan. S. Jerom seems to have taken them for women. If they were the sons of Hir, (verse 12) Machir probably adopted them. Hebrew “Machir took a wife from Happhim,” and so forth But does one woman marry two men? Syr. and Arab. “Machir took a wife one of the sisters of Huphim and Suphim, (the great and powerful) named Maacha.” Calmet.—Prot. “the sister of Huppim … whose sister’s name was Maachah.” Bible.—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 26:29 and 27:1. Menochius.) so that Salphaad was his great-grandson. Bible.
Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she named him Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
The sons of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.
Verse 17. Badan, perhaps the same with Jair; (Judges 10:3, 1 Kennicott. 12:11. Calmet.) or rather in this last place, the Syr. and so forth read more correctly Barac, and Samson instead of Samuel, who was then speaking. See Hebrews 11:32. There was no such deliverer as Badan, but the word has been corrupted from Barac. Septuagint Kennicott.
His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.
Verse 18. Queen. Hebrew “Moleceth bore Ishehod.” S. Jerom and the Latin Church translate these names. Worthington.—Prot. “Hammoleketh bore Ishod.” Bible.—The proper names might have been as well retained, ( Calmet.) as in the Septuagint Bible.—Some suppose that the mother of Josue, or Debora, may be designated. Rabbins.—Abiezer, (19) Leci, are the Jeser and Chelek. Numbers 26:30.
The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,
Verse 20. Bared, Thahath, probably called Becher and Theken, in Num. 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, (verse 22. Menochius.) and his other children afterwards. Bible.—The dreadful slaughter made them, is perhaps the reason why only three are mentioned in Numbers, and none in Genesis.
Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock.
Verse 21. 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 Vulg. Bible.—Because they, the sons of Ephraim, ( Calmet. and so forth) or the men of Geth. Syr. and Arab. D. Menochius. Tirinus.—The text is ambiguous, but the former supposition seems more rational, ( Bible.) and more generally received. Calmet.
Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him.
He went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because there was trouble with his house.
Verse 23. Beria. This name signifies, in evil, or in affection. Challoner.—Briae, “in howling.” Menochius.
“Beriah” is similar to the Hebrew word for “misfortune”.
His daughter was Sheerah, who built Beth Horon the lower and the upper, and Uzzen Sheerah.
Verse 24. Daughter, or great grand-daughter, repaired these three cities. Calmet.—The last, probably, was called after her. Bible.—But its situation is unknown. Calmet.
Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son,
Verse 25. Thale. Hebrew “and Thale, his son, and Thaan, his son.” These seem to have been the sons of Ephraim. The following were their descendants. Bible.—At least Elisama was prince in the wilderness, ( Calmet.) under Moses; (Numbers 1:10. Bible.) and Josue, the sixth from Ephraim, was 54 years old, when the Israelites left Egypt. Calmet.
Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,
Nun his son, and Joshua his son.
Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer with its towns; Shechem also and its towns, to Azzah and its towns;
and by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth Shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, and Dor and its towns. The children of Joseph the son of Israel lived in these.
Verse 29. Daughters. Septuagint “villages.”—Joseph, by Ephraim and Manasses, west of the Jordan. Bible.
The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Serah was their sister.
The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.
Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.
The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.
The sons of Shemer: Ahi, Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.
Verse 34. Aram. Add, “and Helem,” ( Calmet.) unless Helem was the first-born (verse 35) of Ahi, which signifies “brother.” Perhaps Helem was brother of Somer, called Hotham, verse 32.
The sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.
The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,
Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.
Verse 37. Jethran. Septuagint “Jether,” as v. seq.
The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.
Verse 38. Jephone. The father of Caleb was of the tribe of Juda. Calmet.
The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.
All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. The number of them listed by genealogy for service in war was twenty-six thousand men.
Verse 40. Of captains; a Hebrew idiom, to denote the most excellent. Bible.—Hebrew “chief of the princes.” All mentioned from verse 30, were at the hand of their tribe, in succession, and led their brethren to battle. Calmet.