In those days Judith heard about this. She was the daughter of Merari, the son of Ox, the son of Joseph, the son of Oziel, the son of Elkiah, the son of Ananias, the son of Gideon, the son of Raphaim, the son of Ahitub, the son of Elihu, the son of Eliab, the son of Nathanael, the son of Salamiel, the son of Salasadai, the son of Israel.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 1. Idox. Greek “ox,” and so forth All the versions disagree, as the copyists have probably taken in part of verse 3 too soon, supposing that the genealogy of women was never given. S. Fulgentius (ep. ad Gallam) differs from all, giving the ancestors of Manasses as the same with those of Judith. Calmet.—Simeon, the son of Ruben. In the Greek it is, the son of Israel. For Simeon, the patriarch, from whom Judith descended, was not the son, but the brother of Ruben. It seems more probable, that the Simeon and the Ruben here mentioned are not the patriarchs, but two of the descendants of the patriarch Simeon: and that the genealogy of Judith, recorded in this place, is not carried up so high as the patriarchs. No more than that of Elcana, the father of Samuel, (1 Kennicott. 1:1) and that of king Saul. 1 Kennicott. 9:1. Challoner.—Others think that Judith descended from Ruben, by her father, and from Simeon, by her mother; ( E.) or that, instead of son of Ruben, we should read “brother.” But as we know that Judith calls Simeon her father, (Calmet. 9:2) it is more likely that Ruben has been placed for Israel, as it is in Syr. S. Fulg. and so forth This correction is maintained by Bellarmine, Salien, Menochius. Calmet.—Thus both Judith and her husband were of the same tribe, the former by Salathiel, the latter by Sarisadai. Calmet.—Innumerable are the mistakes in the proper names, in Scripture. Bible.—Some of these might have had more than one. Greek has Sarasdai, (Compl. “Saladai;” Alex. Septuagint “Salasadai.”) instead of Simeon, son of Israel: ( Calmet.) Alex. “Jeél,” which is probably a contraction for Israel. Bible.