The Fallible Synthetic Study Bible — 1 Chronicles 2:4

✦ Public-domain source — quoted & attributed⚙ AI synthesis — generated, verify

1 Chronicles 2:4–55 — . Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

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Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

The story of her incest with Judah, the fruit of which was the twins Pharez (Heb., Perez ) and Zerah (called Zarah, Genesis 38:30 ; and Zara, Matthew 1:3 ), is told in Genesis 38:8-30

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Jamieson, Fausset & BrownCommentary Critical and Explanatory1871

His descendants are enumerated first, because the right and privileges of the primogeniture had been transferred to him (Ge 49:8), and because from his tribe the Messiah was to spring

JFB states the Chronicler's controlling reason for putting Judah first, and it is the reason our whole reading of this unit turns on.

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Matthew HenryConcise Commentary on the Whole Bible1706

But now, in Christ, all are welcome to his salvation who come to him; all have equal privileges according to their faith in him, their love and devotedness to him. All that is truly valuable consists in the favour, peace, and image of God, and a life spent to his glory, in promoting the welfare of our fellow-creatures

Henry's note is written once for the whole chapter, not for this verse; it is a summary reflection, not exegesis of v. 4.

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Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·ṯā·mār kal·lā·ṯōw yā·lə·ḏāh lōw ’eṯ- pe·reṣ wə·’eṯ- zā·raḥ yə·hū·ḏāh ḥă·miš·šāh bə·nê kāl-

Word by word12 · parsed

וְתָמָר֙wə·ṯā·mārTamarH8559

√ Tâmâr — Tamar, the name of three women and a placeConjunctive wawNounproperfeminine singular

Tâmâr: palm tree; the name of three women and a place The register of Judah opens on the woman of Genesis 38. Ellicott records that she was the wife of Er and that the twins were the fruit of her incest with Judah; Gill says the same in one word, "Through incest." The Chronicler neither hides her nor explains her.

כַּלָּת֔וֹkal·lā·ṯōwJudah’s daughter-in-lawH3618

√ kallâh — a bride (as if perfect)Nounfeminine singular constructthird person masculine singular

kallâh: a bride (as if perfect) The word carries no shame in itself. She is registered by her legal standing in Judah's house, which is exactly the standing Judah had denied her.

יָ֥לְדָהyā·lə·ḏāhboreH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbQalPerfectthird person feminine singular

yâlad: to bear young Qal perfect, third person feminine singular. The verb that will dominate this whole unit appears here in its simple active form with a woman as subject; from v. 10 onward it turns Hiphil (hôlîḏ, caused to bear) with men as subject.

לּ֖וֹlōwto him

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

פֶּ֣רֶץpe·reṣPerezH6557

√ Perets — Perets, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Perets: a breach, a bursting forth The firstborn of the pair, and the only one of Judah's five sons whose line the chapter actually pursues. Every name from v. 5 to v. 17, David included, hangs on this one word.

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

זָ֑רַחzā·raḥand ZerahH2226

√ Zerach — Zerach, the name of three Israelites, also of an Idumaean and an Ethiopian princeNounpropermasculine singular

Zerach: a rising (of light) The other twin. His branch gets three verses (6 to 8) and then stops, on Gill's reckoning because the kingdom did not proceed from him.

יְהוּדָ֖הyə·hū·ḏāhJudahH3063

√ Yᵉhûwdâh — Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

חֲמִשָּֽׁה׃סḥă·miš·šāhhad fiveH2568

√ châmêsh — fiveNumbermasculine singular

châmêsh: five A closing tally, not a sentence. The Chronicler counts rather than narrates.

בְּנֵ֥יbə·nêsonsH1121

√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural construct

כָּל־kāl-in allH3605

√ kôl — properly, the wholeNounmasculine singular construct

kôl: the whole Construct, binding the count to the sons.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Tamar, his-daughter-in-law, bore to-him Perez and-Zerah. All the-sons-of Judah: five.

Where the English smooths the original

כַּלָּת֔וֹ כַּלָּתוֹ (kal·lā·ṯōw, H3618 kallâh) is simply his daughter-in-law, a noun with a third person masculine suffix. BSB supplies the name and reads "Judah's daughter-in-law"; the Hebrew leaves the man unnamed in this clause and lets Judah appear only at the end, in the sum. The root is the ordinary word for a bride, so the register names her by the relationship she had before the events of Genesis 38.
יָ֥לְדָה יָלְדָה (yā·lə·ḏāh, H3205 yâlad, Qal perfect third person feminine singular) is plain and active: she bore. Of the whole chapter's begettings this is one of the few where a woman is the grammatical subject of the verb, and the Chronicler puts it first in the unit.
חֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ס חֲמִשָּׁה (ḥă·miš·šāh, H2568, five) stands at the end of the Hebrew clause: the sons of Judah, all of them: five. BSB rearranges to "Judah had five sons in all," smoothing a bare numeral tally into an English sentence with a verb.

The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

bə·nê- p̄e·reṣ ḥeṣ·rō·wn wə·ḥā·mūl

Word by word4 · parsed

בְּנֵי־bə·nê-The sonsH1121

bên: a son (as a builder of the family name) The lexicon's own gloss is the theology of the chapter: a son is one who builds the family name. That is why a list of names counts as history here.

פֶ֖רֶץp̄e·reṣof PerezH6557

√ Perets — Perets, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Perets: a breach Construct governs: the sons belong to Perez as a possession of the name.

חֶצְר֥וֹןḥeṣ·rō·wnHezronH2696

√ Chetsrôwn — Chetsron, the name of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

Chetsrôwn: Hezron The pivot of the chapter. Three lines branch from him (v. 9), and the Chronicler will take them out of birth order to reach David first.

וְחָמֽוּל׃סwə·ḥā·mūland HamulH2538

√ Châmûwl — Chamul, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Châmûwl: Hamul A rare name, found in only three verses; Ellicott and K&D both trace the pair to Genesis 46:12.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

The-sons-of Perez: Hezron and-Hamul.

Where the English smooths the original

בְּנֵי־פֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵי־פֶרֶץ (bə·nê-p̄e·reṣ) is a construct chain with no verb at all: sons-of-Perez. BSB adds the colon and the definite article; the Hebrew is a bare label over a list.
וְחָמֽוּל׃ס וְחָמוּל (wə·ḥā·mūl, H2538) carries the conjunctive waw that English renders as "and." Hamul occurs in only three verses of the whole canon; his name is here because Numbers 26:21 registered a clan by it, as Ellicott notes, not because anything is told of him.
חֶצְר֥וֹן חֶצְרוֹן (ḥeṣ·rō·wn, H2696) is named second in importance but carries the entire remainder of the chapter. Everything from v. 9 to v. 55 is Hezronite.

The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara—five in all.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê ze·raḥ zim·rî wə·’ê·ṯān wə·hê·mān wə·ḵal·kōl wā·ḏā·ra‘ ḥă·miš·šāh kul·lām

Word by word9 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֣יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcConjunctive wawNounmasculine plural construct

זֶ֗רַחze·raḥof ZerahH2226

√ Zerach — Zerach, the name of three Israelites, also of an Idumaean and an Ethiopian princeNounpropermasculine singular

Zerach: a rising of light Construct head of the list. Ellicott marks this verse as the point where the Chronicler stops depending on Genesis and begins drawing on sources we no longer possess.

זִ֠מְרִיzim·rîZimriH2174

√ Zimrîy — Zimri, the name of five Israelites, and of an Arabian tribeNounpropermasculine singular

Zimrîy: Zimri K&D notes that Joshua 7:1 puts Zabdi where this verse puts Zimri, and that either could be a transcription of the other; he concludes that nothing certain can be ascertained. The gap is in the record, not in our reading of it.

וְאֵיתָ֧ןwə·’ê·ṯānEthanH387

√ ʼÊythân — Ethan, the name of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

ʼÊythân: Ethan One of the four names that recur together at 1 Kings 4:31 as the wise men Solomon surpassed. The Verifier confirms the shared lexemes.

וְהֵימָ֛ןwə·hê·mānHemanH1968

√ Hêymân — Heman, the name of at least two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Hêymân: Heman The name stands in the superscriptions of Psalms 88 and 89 as an Ezrahite, which K&D uses as his strongest argument that the wise men of Kings and the sons of Zerah here are the same men. Ellicott is more cautious and says only that adoption into the Levitical guilds would account for it.

וְכַלְכֹּ֥לwə·ḵal·kōlCalcolH3633

√ Kalkôl — Calcol, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Kalkôl: Calcol The rarest lexeme in the unit: it occurs in two verses of the whole canon, here and 1 Kings 4:31. That rarity is what makes the cross-link a real verbal one rather than a guess.

וָדָ֖רַעwā·ḏā·ra‘and DaraH1873

√ Dâraʻ — Dara, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

חֲמִשָּֽׁה׃סḥă·miš·šāhfiveH2568

√ châmêsh — fiveNumbermasculine singular

כֻּלָּ֥םkul·lāmin allH3605

√ kôl — properly, the wholeNounmasculine singular constructthird person masculine plural

kôl: the whole With the plural suffix: all of them.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Zerah: Zimri and-Ethan and-Heman and-Calcol and-Dara: five, all-of-them.

Where the English smooths the original

כֻּלָּ֥ם כֻּלָּם (kul·lām, H3605 kôl with third person masculine plural suffix) is all of them, not the adverbial "in all." The Hebrew closes with a pronoun that gathers the five back up; the English closes with a bookkeeping phrase.
וְאֵיתָ֧ן וְאֵיתָן (wə·’ê·ṯān, H387) and the three names after it each carry the conjunctive waw, so the Hebrew reads "and Ethan and Heman and Calcol and Dara." BSB drops the first conjunctions into commas, which flattens the deliberate chain.
וָדָ֖רַע וָדָרַע (wā·ḏā·ra‘, H1873) is Dara. Ellicott, Cambridge and K&D all report that many manuscripts, the Syriac, the Targum and the Vulgate read Darda, matching 1 Kings 4:31. The form in our text differs by one letter from the famous sage's name.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

There is a play on the man’s name in the Hebrew, which is, “ Achar ’ocher Yisrael.” So in Joshua 7:25 Joshua asks, “Why hast thou troubled us?” ( ‘achartânu ) , and in 1Chronicles 2:26 the place of Achar’s doom is called “the valley of Achor” (trouble). Probably Achan is an old error for Achar

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Joseph BensonCommentary on the Old and New Testaments1810s

He who in Joshua 7. is called Achan, is here, by a small variation, elegantly and significantly called Achar, which means troubler: because he had brought Israel into great danger and distress, by the sin he committed

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The Pulpit CommentarySpence & Exell, eds.1880s

By the punishment of death, visited upon this Achar, with his sons and daughters ( Joshua 7:24, 25 ), it may be presumed that the line of Judah through him became extinct

The Pulpit writer is inferring the extinction of the line from Joshua 7:24 to 25; the Chronicler does not say it.

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The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê kar·mî ‘ā·ḵār ‘ō·w·ḵêr yiś·rā·’êl ’ă·šer mā·‘al ba·ḥê·rem

Word by word8 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֖יū·ḇə·nêThe sonH1121

bên: a son Plural construct governing a single name, one of this chapter's standing idioms; Poole calls it an enallage of number at v. 31.

כַּרְמִ֑יkar·mîof CarmiH3756

√ Karmîy — Karmi, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

עָכָר֙‘ā·ḵārAcharH5917

√ ʻÂkâr — Akar, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

ʻÂkâr: Akar, an Israelite Joshua 7 calls him Achan. Barnes judges that the form was changed here to assimilate the name to the Hebrew word for troubler, and JFB says the variety is used with great propriety. The Chronicler renames a man after his sin.

עוֹכֵ֣ר‘ō·w·ḵêrwho brought troubleH5916

√ ʻâkar — properly, to roil waterVerbQalParticiplemasculine singular

ʻâkar: properly, to roil water A Qal participle. The root is what you do to a clear spring when you stir the mud up through it. Israel's whole camp was fouled by one man's hidden theft (Joshua 7:11 to 12), and the valley of his execution kept the name Achor, trouble.

יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyiś·rā·’êlupon IsraelH3478

√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular

Yisrâʼêl: a symbolical name of Jacob Not the tribe of Judah only: the whole people is the object of the troubling.

אֲשֶׁ֥ר’ă·šerH834

√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPronounrelative

מָעַ֖לmā·‘alby violatingH4603

√ mâʻal — properly, to cover upVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular

mâʻal: properly, to cover up Perfect. The covenant word for treachery against holy things; it is the verb used of a wife's unfaithfulness in Numbers 5:12 and of Achan's theft here.

בַּחֵֽרֶם׃סba·ḥê·remthe ban on devoted thingsH2764

√ chêrem — physical (as shutting in) a net (either literally or figuratively)Preposition-b, ArticleNounmasculine singular

chêrem: a net, that which shuts in; a thing devoted The chêrem was property handed over to God and so withdrawn from human use. To take from it was not theft from Jericho but theft from God, which is why the penalty fell on a family and not on a man alone.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Carmi: Achar, the-troubler of-Israel, who acted-treacherously in-the-devoted-thing.

Where the English smooths the original

עָכָר֙ עָכָר (‘ā·ḵār, H5917) and the very next word עוֹכֵר (‘ō·w·ḵêr, H5916) are the same three consonants. Ellicott prints the Hebrew as "Achar 'ocher Yisrael," a pun no English version can carry. BSB translates the sense ("Achar, who brought trouble") and loses the sound.
מָעַ֖ל מָעַל (mā·‘al, H4603, Qal perfect) is glossed by Strong as properly, to cover up, and so to act covertly, to break faith. BSB's "by violating" is accurate in effect but drops the concealment that was Achan's actual sin: he hid the spoil under his tent.
בַּחֵֽרֶם׃ס בַּחֵרֶם (ba·ḥê·rem, H2764 chêrem) is a single noun with the preposition and article: in the devoted thing. Strong's root image is a net, something that shuts in. BSB expands to the seven words "the ban on devoted things" to say in English what one Hebrew noun says.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

It seems plain that the writer wished to name only the historically famous members of the Zarhite branch of Judah—in 1Chronicles 2:6 , the four proverbial sages; in 1Chronicles 2:7 , Achar who brought woe upon Israel by taking of the devoted spoils of Jericho

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The Pulpit CommentarySpence & Exell, eds.1880s

The line through Ethan , another of the seven grandsons, seems to stop with Azariah , a name found nowhere else

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John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

he cuts short the genealogy of Zerah, because the kingdom did not proceed from him, and returns to the genealogy of Hezron, from whence it did

Gill is reporting Kimchi's explanation, and offers it as the likelier of two he gives.

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The son of Ethan: Azariah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê ’ê·ṯān ‘ă·zar·yāh

Word by word3 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֥יū·ḇə·nêThe sonH1121

bên: a son (as a builder of the family name) Plural form, singular referent: a standing convention of the register.

אֵיתָ֖ן’ê·ṯānof EthanH387

√ ʼÊythân — Ethan, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʼÊythân: Ethan, the name of four Israelites The wise man of v. 6, if the identification with 1 Kings 4:31 holds.

עֲזַרְיָֽה׃‘ă·zar·yāhAzariahH5838

√ ʻĂzaryâh — Azarjah, the name of nineteen IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʻĂzaryâh: Azarjah, the name of nineteen Israelites Nineteen men in Scripture bear it, and this one is known from this verse only. Pulpit says flatly that the line through Ethan seems to stop here. The register is honest about where its information ends.

The sons who were born to Hezron: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê ’ă·šer nō·w·laḏ- ḥeṣ·rō·wn lōw ’eṯ- yə·raḥ·mə·’êl wə·’eṯ- rām wə·’eṯ- kə·lū·ḇāy

Word by word11 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֥יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

אֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerwhoH834

√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPronounrelative

נוֹלַד־nō·w·laḏ-were bornH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbNifalPerfectthird person masculine singular

yâlad: to bear young (Niphal) The one Niphal of this root in the unit. Everywhere else the chapter either has a woman bearing (Qal) or a man causing to bear (Hiphil); here it is simply recorded that birth happened, with no agent named. K&D observes that the same impersonal construction with ʼeth recurs at 1 Chronicles 3:4 and 26:6.

חֶצְר֖וֹןḥeṣ·rō·wnto HezronH2696

√ Chetsrôwn — Chetsron, the name of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

ל֑וֹlōw

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

preposition with third person masculine singular suffix To him.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

יְרַחְמְאֵ֥לyə·raḥ·mə·’êlJerahmeelH3396

√ Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl — Jerachmeel, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl: God pities Ellicott glosses the name "God pitieth." He is the firstborn (v. 25), and his line is nonetheless held back until v. 25 so that Ram's can run first.

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

רָ֖םrāmRamH7410

√ Râm — Ram, the name of an Arabian and of an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Râm: high A rare lexeme, six verses in the canon. Ram is third in importance and first in treatment, because David comes of him; Cambridge states the reason plainly.

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

כְּלוּבָֽי׃kə·lū·ḇāyand CalebH3621

√ Kᵉlûwbay — Kelubai, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Kᵉlûwbay: Kelubai A form found nowhere else. The Septuagint already substitutes Caleb, and Geneva's marginal note does the same. The register's own spelling survives here and nowhere else in Scripture.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Hezron who were-born to-him: Jerahmeel and-Ram and-Chelubai.

Where the English smooths the original

נוֹלַד־ נוֹלַד (nō·w·laḏ, H3205, Niphal perfect third person masculine singular) is a passive singular used impersonally before a plural list. K&D: "The passive stands impersonally instead of the more definite active." BSB's "The sons who were born to Hezron" is the sense, but the Hebrew does not say who bore them, and no mother is named.
כְּלוּבָֽי׃ כְּלוּבָי (kə·lū·ḇāy, H3621 Kᵉlûwbay) is Chelubai, not Caleb. BSB silently substitutes the familiar form. Ellicott calls it strictly a gentilic, the Chelubite or Calebite, and draws the conclusion that we are dealing with clans rather than individual sons.
רָ֖ם רָם (rām, H7410) is Ram, high. Ellicott notes that Matthew 1 calls him Aram, and that the two forms are interchangeable in Job 32:2 and Genesis 22:21. BSB keeps Ram and lets the New Testament spelling stand apart.

Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the descendants of Judah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·rām hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ‘am·mî·nā·ḏāḇ wə·‘am·mî·nā·ḏāḇ hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- naḥ·šō·wn nə·śî bə·nê yə·hū·ḏāh

Word by word11 · parsed

וְרָ֖םwə·rāmRamH7410

√ Râm — Ram, the name of an Arabian and of an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

yâlad: to bear young (Hifil) Causative perfect. The Hiphil is the register's engine: eighteen occurrences in this unit, each one a generation. Note that the form is a perfect, a completed act, not a continuing state; the Chronicler is closing accounts, not narrating.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

עַמִּינָדָ֑ב‘am·mî·nā·ḏāḇAmminadabH5992

√ ʻAmmîynâdâb — Amminadab, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

וְעַמִּינָדָב֙wə·‘am·mî·nā·ḏāḇand AmminadabH5992

√ ʻAmmîynâdâb — Amminadab, the name of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

נַחְשׁ֔וֹןnaḥ·šō·wnNahshonH5177

√ Nachshôwn — Nachshon, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Nachshôwn: Nachshon The chief of Judah at the Exodus (Numbers 1:7, 2:3, 7:12). He is the only man in this genealogy given an office, and Gill records Kimchi's and Jarchi's view that it is written here for the honour of David.

נְשִׂ֖יאnə·śîa leaderH5387

√ nâsîyʼ — properly, an exalted one, iNounmasculine singular construct

nâsîyʼ: properly, an exalted one; a chief, prince Construct. The one title in fifty two verses of bare names. It marks the point where this family first stands at the head of the tribe, four generations before the throne exists.

בְּנֵ֥יbə·nêof the descendantsH1121

יְהוּדָֽה׃yə·hū·ḏāhof JudahH3063

√ Yᵉhûwdâh — Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yᵉhûwdâh: Judah The tribe, named again to anchor the prince's jurisdiction.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Ram begat Amminadab, and-Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of-the-sons-of Judah.

Where the English smooths the original

הוֹלִ֣יד הוֹלִיד (hō·w·lîḏ, H3205 in the Hifil) is causative: he caused to bear, he begat. BSB's "was the father of" turns an active verb into a relationship. From here to v. 41 this one form drives the whole chain, and the difference between it and Tamar's plain Qal at v. 4 is the difference between fathering and bearing.
נְשִׂ֖יא נְשִׂיא (nə·śî, H5387) is glossed by Strong as properly, an exalted one, one lifted up. BSB's "a leader" is thin; the word is the technical title of the tribal chiefs of Numbers 1 and 2, and it is the only title conferred on anyone in this chapter.
בְּנֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃ בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה (bə·nê yə·hū·ḏāh) is sons of Judah, not "descendants of Judah." BSB renders bên as descendants here and as sons three words earlier in other verses; the Hebrew uses one word for both.

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The Pulpit CommentarySpence & Exell, eds.1880s

The variation of the first two of these forms has many parallels, as between Chronicles and the earlier Old Testament Scriptures

source ↗

Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

So also, from Nahshon to David, for a period of over 400 years, four generations - Salma, Boaz, Obed, and Jesse - are too few; and consequently here also the less famous ancestors of David are omitted

source ↗

John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

the genealogy is carried down from him to Jesse in the same order as there, and in Ruth 4:19 only here Nahshon the son of Amminadab is called the prince of the children of Judah; which Kimchi and Jarchi say is written for the honour of David, who descended from him; and Salmon his son is here called Salma

source ↗

Nahshon was the father of Salmon, and Salmon was the father of Boaz.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·naḥ·šō·wn hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- śal·mā wə·śal·mā hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- bō·‘az

Word by word8 · parsed

וְנַחְשׁוֹן֙wə·naḥ·šō·wnNahshonH5177

√ Nachshôwn — Nachshon, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

שַׂלְמָ֔אśal·māSalmonH8007

√ Salmâʼ — Salma, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Salmâʼ: Salma K&D points out that only four generations are given between Nahshon at the Exodus and David, a span of over four hundred years, so the less famous ancestors must have been omitted. The list is selective by design, not defective by accident.

וְשַׂלְמָ֖אwə·śal·māand SalmonH8007

√ Salmâʼ — Salma, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

בֹּֽעַז׃bō·‘azBoazH1162

√ Bôʻaz — Boaz, the ancestor of DavidNounpropermasculine singular

Bôʻaz: Boaz, the ancestor of David The lexicon itself identifies him only by his descendant. Ruth 4:21 places him here, and the Chronicler's silence about the Moabitess is the loudest silence in the unit.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Nahshon begat Salma, and-Salma begat Boaz.

Where the English smooths the original

שַׂלְמָ֔א שַׂלְמָא (śal·mā, H8007) is Salma. BSB prints "Salmon," the form of Ruth 4:21 and Matthew 1:4. K&D lists all three spellings side by side; Pulpit notes that such variation between Chronicles and the earlier books has many parallels.
בֹּֽעַז׃ בֹּעַז (bō·‘az, H1162) is named without a word of comment. The whole book of Ruth stands behind this one noun, and the Chronicler does not allude to it.
הוֹלִ֥יד The Hifil הוֹלִיד repeats twice in eight words. The Hebrew rhythm is a drumbeat of the identical verb; BSB varies nothing but also flattens it to "was the father of," so the repetition reads as tedium rather than as cadence.

Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇō·‘az hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ‘ō·w·ḇêḏ wə·‘ō·w·ḇêḏ hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- yi·šāy

Word by word8 · parsed

וּבֹ֙עַז֙ū·ḇō·‘azBoazH1162

√ Bôʻaz — Boaz, the ancestor of DavidConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

עוֹבֵ֔ד‘ō·w·ḇêḏObedH5744

√ ʻÔwbêd — Obed, the name of five IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʻÔwbêd: Obed, the name of five Israelites Ruth 4:17 gives the naming of this child by the women of Bethlehem. The Chronicler takes the name and leaves the story.

וְעוֹבֵ֖דwə·‘ō·w·ḇêḏand ObedH5744

√ ʻÔwbêd — Obed, the name of five IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

יִשָֽׁי׃yi·šāyJesseH3448

√ Yishay — Jishai, David's fatherNounpropermasculine singular

Yishay: Jishai, David's father Strong's gloss itself defines Jesse by his son. With this word the register reaches the household of 1 Samuel 16, and the next three verses will number its sons.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Boaz begat Obed, and-Obed begat Jesse.

Where the English smooths the original

עוֹבֵ֔ד עוֹבֵד (‘ō·w·ḇêḏ, H5744) is a participle in form, serving, from the same root family as the ʻebed (servant) of v. 34. David's grandfather is named Serving, and the same name will reappear at v. 37 in the line descended from a slave.
יִשָֽׁי׃ יִשָׁי (yi·šāy, H3448) here is spelled Yishay; the very next verse spells the same man אִישַׁי (ʼÎshay). Ellicott flags the two forms. BSB prints "Jesse" both times and the variation disappears.
וּבֹ֙עַז֙ וּבֹעַז carries the conjunctive waw that links this verse to the last without a break. In Hebrew vv. 10 to 12 are one unbroken chain; BSB's sentence divisions impose stops the Hebrew does not have.

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John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

one of them therefore is not reckoned, either because he was by another woman, and the writer only mentions those that were of the same mother with David

Gill lists this as the opinion of Aben Ezra and Kimchi and then gives two rival explanations; he does not settle it.

source ↗

Joseph BensonCommentary on the Old and New Testaments1810s

David was certainly the youngest son of Jesse, 1 Samuel 16:11 . And if, as seems probable, one of them died soon after the time when they were said to he eight, he would of course be reckoned as the seventh

source ↗

Matthew PooleAnnotations upon the Holy Bible1685

unless that was another person, and the word brother to be taken largely for a kinsman, as is frequently used

source ↗

Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·’î·šay hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ’ĕ·lî·’āḇ bə·ḵō·rōw ’eṯ- wa·’ă·ḇî·nā·ḏāḇ haš·šê·nî wə·šim·‘ā haš·šə·lî·šî

Word by word10 · parsed

וְאִישַׁ֛יwə·’î·šayJesseH3448

√ Yishay — Jishai, David's fatherConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Yishay: Jesse Second spelling in two verses.

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אֱלִיאָ֑ב’ĕ·lî·’āḇEliabH446

√ ʼĔlîyʼâb — Eliab, the name of six IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʼĔlîyʼâb: my God is father The son Samuel would have anointed (1 Samuel 16:6 to 7). He heads the list here by right of birth and is passed over there by the word of the LORD, which is the whole argument of this chapter in miniature.

בְּכֹר֖וֹbə·ḵō·rōwhis firstbornH1060

√ bᵉkôwr — firstbornNounmasculine singular constructthird person masculine singular

bᵉkôwr: firstborn The rank, not the event. In a register built to justify a dynasty, it is striking that the firstborn is named and then simply left standing while the count runs on to the seventh.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

וַאֲבִינָדָב֙wa·’ă·ḇî·nā·ḏāḇAbinadabH41

√ ʼĂbîynâdâb — Abinadab, the name of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הַשֵּׁנִ֔יhaš·šê·nîwas born secondH8145

√ shênîy — properly, double, iArticleNumberordinal masculine singular

shênîy: properly, double; second Ordinal with the article.

וְשִׁמְעָ֖אwə·šim·‘āShimeaH8092

√ Shimʻâʼ — Shima, the name of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הַשְּׁלִישִֽׁי׃haš·šə·lî·šîthirdH7992

√ shᵉlîyshîy — thirdArticleNumberordinal masculine singular

shᵉlîyshîy: third Cambridge notes that this son is Shimea here and at 1 Chronicles 20:7, Shammah at 1 Samuel 16:9, and Shimei at 2 Samuel 21:21.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Jesse begat Eliab his-firstborn, and-Abinadab the-second, and-Shimea the-third,

Where the English smooths the original

וְאִישַׁ֛י וְאִישַׁי (wə·’î·šay) spells Jesse with an initial aleph, unlike יִשָׁי one verse earlier. K&D registers both forms. BSB normalises and the reader never sees it.
בְּכֹר֖וֹ בְּכֹרוֹ (bə·ḵō·rōw, H1060 with third person masculine singular suffix) is his firstborn, a noun of rank, not a birth notice. The word will govern this chapter three more times (vv. 25, 42, 50), and each time the register quietly declines to let the firstborn matter most.
הַשֵּׁנִ֔י הַשֵּׁנִי (haš·šê·nî, H8145) is simply the second, an article with an ordinal and no verb. BSB supplies "was born second." The Hebrew is a numbered column, not a sentence.

Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth,

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

nə·ṯan·’êl hā·rə·ḇî·‘î rad·day ha·ḥă·mî·šî

Word by word4 · parsed

נְתַנְאֵל֙nə·ṯan·’êlNethanelH5417

√ Nᵉthanʼêl — Nethanel, the name of ten IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Nᵉthanʼêl: God has given A confession packed into a name. Ten Israelites bear it in Scripture.

הָֽרְבִיעִ֔יhā·rə·ḇî·‘îfourthH7243

√ rᵉbîyʻîy — fourthArticleNumberordinal masculine singular

rᵉbîyʻîy: fourth Ordinal.

רַדַּ֖יrad·dayRaddaiH7288

√ Radday — Raddai, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Radday: Raddai Attested here only. That a fifth brother of David had a name at all is knowledge this verse alone supplies.

הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃ha·ḥă·mî·šîfifthH2549

√ chămîyshîy — fifthArticleNumberordinal masculine singular

chămîyshîy: fifth Ordinal.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

Nethanel the-fourth, Raddai the-fifth,

Where the English smooths the original

נְתַנְאֵל֙ נְתַנְאֵל (nə·ṯan·’êl, H5417) means God has given. Cambridge notes it is the same name as the Nathanael of John 1:45. BSB spells it Nethanel and the New Testament connection is invisible in English.
הָֽרְבִיעִ֔י הָרְבִיעִי (hā·rə·ḇî·‘î, H7243) is article plus ordinal with no verb at all: the verse in Hebrew is four words and contains nothing but two names and two numbers. BSB reproduces this faithfully, which is itself worth noticing: this is the barest verse of the unit.
רַדַּ֖י רַדַּי (rad·day, H7288) is named here and nowhere else in Scripture, along with Nethanel and Ozem in this position. Cambridge and K&D both say so. This verse preserves two facts that would otherwise have been lost entirely.

Ozem sixth, and David seventh.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’ō·ṣem haš·šiš·šî dā·wîḏ haš·šə·ḇi·‘î

Word by word4 · parsed

אֹ֚צֶם’ō·ṣemOzemH684

√ ʼÔtsem — Otsem, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʼÔtsem: Otsem, the name of two Israelites Sixth son, known from this list only.

הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔יhaš·šiš·šîsixthH8345

√ shishshîy — sixth, ordArticleNumberordinal masculine singular

דָּוִ֖ידdā·wîḏand DavidH1732

√ Dâvid — David, the youngest son of JesseNounpropermasculine singular

Dâvid: David, the youngest son of Jesse Strong's gloss names him by his lowest rank, and so does this verse. Fifty two verses of Judah's register exist to put this word here. It arrives with no epithet, no title, no verb: a numeral and a name, the seventh of seven, and the chapter moves straight past it to his sisters.

הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃haš·šə·ḇi·‘îseventhH7637

√ shᵉbîyʻîy — seventhArticleNumberordinal masculine singular

shᵉbîyʻîy: seventh The ordinal that is at odds with 1 Samuel. Cambridge's judgement, that one son seems deliberately passed over, is a reading of intention; the plain datum is only that the counts differ.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

Ozem the-sixth, David the-seventh.

Where the English smooths the original

דָּוִ֖יד דָּוִיד (dā·wîḏ, H1732) is spelled here with the full yod, the Chronicler's characteristic orthography, and it stands with no conjunction before it. BSB inserts "and David," which softens the way the Hebrew drops the name in bare, last, unannounced.
הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃ הַשְּׁבִעִי (haš·šə·ḇi·‘î, H7637) is the seventh. 1 Samuel 16:10 to 11 and 17:12 make David the eighth of eight. Barnes, JFB, Poole, Cambridge and K&D all record the discrepancy and none of them can resolve it from evidence; they offer the death of a brother without issue as the likeliest account.
אֹ֚צֶם אֹצֶם (’ō·ṣem, H684) is another name preserved here alone. The verse gives us one unknown man and then the king, with the same two words apiece.

Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·ʾaḥ·yō·ṯē·hɛm ṣə·rū·yāh wa·’ă·ḇî·ḡā·yil šə·lō·šāh ū·ḇə·nê ṣə·rū·yāh ’aḇ·šay wə·yō·w·’āḇ wa·‘ă·śāh- ’êl

Word by word10 · parsed

וְאַחְיֹתֵיהֶםwə·ʾaḥ·yō·ṯē·hɛmTheir sistersH269

√ ʼâchôwth — a sister (used very widely (like brother), literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine plural constructthird person masculine plural

ʼâchôwth: a sister (used very widely, literally and figuratively) Plural with a masculine plural suffix. Two women enter a register of men, and they enter it because of who their sons were.

צְרוּיָ֣הṣə·rū·yāhwere ZeruiahH6870

√ Tsᵉrûwyâh — Tserujah, an IsraelitessNounpropermasculine singular

Tsᵉrûwyâh: Tserujah The mother of David's high command. K&D quotes Bertheau's reason that their father is nowhere mentioned: "because their more famous mother challenged the greater attention." In a patrilineal document that is a remarkable concession to fact.

וַאֲבִיגָ֑יִלwa·’ă·ḇî·ḡā·yiland AbigailH26

√ ʼĂbîygayil — Abigail or Abigal, the name of two IsraelitessesConjunctive wawNounproperfeminine singular

שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃šə·lō·šāhAnd the threeH7969

√ shâlôwsh — threeNumbermasculine singular

וּבְנֵ֣יū·ḇə·nêsonsH1121

צְרוּיָ֗הṣə·rū·yāhof Zeruiah [were]H6870

√ Tsᵉrûwyâh — Tserujah, an IsraelitessNounpropermasculine singular

אַבְשַׁ֛י’aḇ·šayAbishaiH52

√ ʼĂbîyshay — Abishai, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

ʼĂbîyshay: Abishai Named first here. Barnes argues from this order and from 1 Samuel 26:6 that Abishai was the eldest, though Joab was the greater man.

וְיוֹאָ֥בwə·yō·w·’āḇJoabH3097

√ Yôwʼâb — Joab, the name of three IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Yôwʼâb: Joab David's commander, and the man who would kill his own cousin Amasa of the next verse (2 Samuel 20:10). The register sets the murderer and his victim in consecutive verses without a word of comment.

וַעֲשָׂה־wa·‘ă·śāh-vvvH6214

√ ʻĂsâhʼêl — Asahel, the name of four Israelites

אֵ֖ל’êland AsahelH6214

√ ʻĂsâhʼêl — Asahel, the name of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

ʻĂsâhʼêl: God has made The interlinear splits this name across indices 8 and 9. The youngest of the three, killed by Abner in 2 Samuel 2:18 to 23, which began the blood feud that ended in Joab's revenge.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-their-sisters: Zeruiah and-Abigail. And-the-sons-of Zeruiah: Abishai and-Joab and-Asahel, three.

Where the English smooths the original

וְאַחְיֹתֵיהֶם וְאַחְיֹתֵיהֶם (wə·ʾaḥ·yō·ṯē·hɛm, H269 with third person masculine plural suffix) is and their sisters, sisters of the seven just listed, not "David's sisters." Pulpit is careful about this: the verse does not say Jesse begat them. 2 Samuel 17:25 makes them daughters of Nahash.
שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ שְׁלֹשָׁה (šə·lō·šāh, H7969) stands at the very end of the Hebrew clause as a tally: three. BSB moves it forward into "the three sons of Zeruiah," converting a closing count into an opening adjective.
צְרוּיָ֣ה צְרוּיָה (ṣə·rū·yāh, H6870) is parsed in the interlinear as a masculine singular proper noun although it names a woman. The three warriors are registered by their mother, and Cambridge suggests either an early death of the father or a relic of matrilineal reckoning.

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

a small difference of spelling in the Heb. the Ishmeelite ] 2 Samuel 17:25 , “the Israelite,” a reading yielding no satisfactory sense

source ↗

Jamieson, Fausset & BrownCommentary Critical and Explanatory1871

In that passage he is called Ithra an Israelite; and there seems no reason why, in the early days of David, anyone should be specially distinguished as an Israelite

JFB then prefers the Septuagint's Jezreelite reading, which is a conjecture against both Hebrew witnesses; we record it as one option, not a settled result.

source ↗

John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

he being either a proselyte, or else he was an Israelite by birth, but called an Ishmaelite, because he had dwelt among the Ishmaelites some time

source ↗

Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wa·’ă·ḇî·ḡa·yil yā·lə·ḏāh ’eṯ- ‘ă·mā·śā ‘ă·mā·śā wa·’ă·ḇî ye·ṯer hay·yiš·mə·‘ê·lî

Word by word8 · parsed

וַאֲבִיגַ֕יִלwa·’ă·ḇî·ḡa·yilAbigailH26

√ ʼĂbîygayil — Abigail or Abigal, the name of two IsraelitessesConjunctive wawNounproperfeminine singular

יָלְדָ֖הyā·lə·ḏāhwas the motherH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbQalPerfectthird person feminine singular

yâlad: to bear young Qal, feminine. The second and last time in this unit that a woman is the active subject of childbearing in the main line.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

עֲמָשָׂ֑א‘ă·mā·śāof AmasaH6021

√ ʻĂmâsâʼ — Amasa, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʻĂmâsâʼ: Amasa Absalom's general (2 Samuel 17:25), pardoned by David, then assassinated by his cousin Joab (2 Samuel 20:10). He is David's nephew, as Joab was; the register records the kinship and lets the reader carry the rest.

עֲמָשָׂ֔א‘ă·mā·śāwhoseH6021

√ ʻĂmâsâʼ — Amasa, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

וַאֲבִ֣יwa·’ă·ḇîfatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationConjunctive wawNounmasculine singular construct

ʼâb: father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application Strong's double gloss is the key to half this chapter: from v. 21 onward ʼâb will mean founder, chief or lord of a town as often as it means father.

יֶ֖תֶרye·ṯerwas JetherH3500

√ Yether — Jether, the name of five or six Israelites and of one MidianiteNounpropermasculine singular

Yether: Jether, the name of five or six Israelites and of one Midianite Called Ithra at 2 Samuel 17:25.

הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִֽי׃hay·yiš·mə·‘ê·lîthe IshmaeliteH3459

√ Yishmâʻêʼlîy — a Jishmaelite or descendant of JishmaelArticleNounpropermasculine singular

Yishmâʻêʼlîy: a Jishmaelite or descendant of Jishmael An outsider marries into David's own household in David's own generation. Ellicott's remark on this passage is that the later abhorrence of alien marriages seems to have been unknown in the age of David. The register states the fact without apology, exactly as it does for Jarha in v. 34.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Abigail bore Amasa; and-the-father-of Amasa: Jether the-Ishmaelite.

Where the English smooths the original

יָלְדָ֖ה יָלְדָה (yā·lə·ḏāh, H3205, Qal perfect third person feminine singular) is she bore, the same active verb used of Tamar in v. 4. BSB renders it "was the mother of," which is a relationship where the Hebrew has an act.
הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִֽי׃ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִי (hay·yiš·mə·‘ê·lî, H3459) is the Ishmaelite. 2 Samuel 17:25 in the Masoretic text reads the Israelite. K&D judges the Samuel reading a copyist's error; Cambridge calls it a reading yielding no satisfactory sense; JFB prefers the Septuagint's "Jezreelite." The witnesses disagree and this unit cannot settle them.
וַאֲבִ֣י וַאֲבִי (wa·’ă·ḇî, H1, masculine singular construct) is and the father of, a bare nominal clause with no verb: and the father of Amasa, Jether. BSB supplies "whose father was," a relative clause the Hebrew does not build.

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Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

The Heb. text, as it stands, does not say this. The primâ facie rendering is, “And Caleb son of Hezron begat Azubah a woman, and Jerioth: and these (are) her sons; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.” But 1Chronicles 2:19 continues: “And Azubah died, and Caleb took to himself (as wife) Ephrath,” which of course suggests that Azubah was not daughter but a former wife of Caleb

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

The first half of the 18th verse is obscure, and the text is probably corrupt

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

It is quite in accordance with the mind of the Chronicler to single out the artificer of the Tabernacle (“Tent of Meeting”) and tell his family history

Cambridge is explaining why vv. 18 to 20 exist at all: they run to Bezalel, the craftsman of the tabernacle.

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Albert BarnesNotes on the Bible1834

In the remainder of this chapter the writer obtains scarcely any assistance from the earlier Scriptures, and must have drawn almost entirely from genealogical sources, accessible to him, which have since perished

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Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were the sons of Azubah: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·ḵā·lêḇ ben- ḥeṣ·rō·wn hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ’iš·šāh wə·’eṯ- ‘ă·zū·ḇāh yə·rî·‘ō·wṯ wə·’êl·leh ḇā·ne·hā yê·šer wə·šō·w·ḇāḇ wə·’ar·dō·wn

Word by word14 · parsed

וְכָלֵ֣בwə·ḵā·lêḇCalebH3612

√ Kâlêb — Caleb, the name of three IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

בֶּן־ben-sonH1121

חֶצְר֗וֹןḥeṣ·rō·wnof HezronH2696

√ Chetsrôwn — Chetsron, the name of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֛ידhō·w·lîḏhad childrenH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

yâlad: to bear young (Hifil with ʼeth) A construction K&D calls unusual but analogous to hôlîḏ min at 1 Chronicles 8:9.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אִשָּׁ֖ה’iš·šāhby his wifeH802

√ ʼishshâh — a womanNounfeminine singular

ʼishshâh: a woman Unsuffixed. The single missing letter here is the reason four centuries of commentary cannot agree who bore Jesher, Shobab and Ardon.

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-. . .H854

√ ʼêth — properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), nearConjunctive wawPreposition

עֲזוּבָ֥ה‘ă·zū·ḇāhAzubahH5806

√ ʻĂzûwbâh — Azubah, the name of two IsraelitessesNounproperfeminine singular

ʻĂzûwbâh: forsaken The name means forsaken. Gill reports the Targum's derivation, that she was so called because she was barren and despised, and then observes that this very verse contradicts it.

יְרִיע֑וֹתyə·rî·‘ō·wṯand by JeriothH3408

√ Yᵉrîyʻôwth — Jerioth, an IsraelitessNounproperfeminine singular

Yᵉrîyʻôwth: Jerioth, an Israelitess Wife, concubine, daughter or second name of Azubah: the versions divide. The Syriac makes her Azubah's daughter, the Septuagint makes her a second wife, and Cambridge proposes reading "Azubah the wife of Jerioth."

וְאֵ֣לֶּהwə·’êl·lehThese [were]H428

√ ʼêl-leh — these or thoseConjunctive wawPronouncommon plural

בָנֶ֔יהָḇā·ne·hāthe sons of AzubahH1121

bên with feminine singular suffix: her sons The pronoun without an antecedent.

יֵ֥שֶׁרyê·šerJesherH3475

√ Yêsher — Jesher, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

וְשׁוֹבָ֖בwə·šō·w·ḇāḇShobabH7727

√ Shôwbâb — Shobab, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וְאַרְדּֽוֹן׃wə·’ar·dō·wnand ArdonH715

√ ʼArdôwn — Ardon, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Caleb son-of-Hezron begat with-Azubah a-woman and-with-Jerioth; and-these her-sons: Jesher and-Shobab and-Ardon.

Where the English smooths the original

אִשָּׁ֖ה אִשָּׁה (’iš·šāh, H802) is a woman, with no possessive suffix at all. BSB reads "his wife Azubah." K&D is blunt: according to the usual phraseology we would expect ʼishtô, his wife, and its absence is part of why he calls the text probably corrupt.
הוֹלִ֛יד הוֹלִיד here takes the particle אֶת, giving the unusual construction he begat with. K&D explains it from the causative force: properly, he brought Azubah to bearing. English cannot hold this, and BSB writes "had children by."
בָנֶ֔יהָ בָנֶיהָ (ḇā·ne·hā, H1121 with third person feminine singular suffix) is her sons, and the Hebrew never says whose. BSB decides for Azubah. Every commentator in the brief marks the ambiguity; Barnes and JFB assign the children differently from each other.

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Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

In 1Chronicles 2:50 Ephratah; so also 4:4. The town of Bethlehem was so called

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

When Azubah died, Caleb took Ephrath to wife, who bore him Hur. For אפרת we find in 1 Chronicles 2:50 the lengthened feminine form אפרתה; cf. also 1 Chronicles 4:4 . From Hur descended, by Uri, the famous Bezaleel, the skilful architect of the tabernacle

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John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

but, according to Josephus (q), it was his son Hur that was the husband of Miriam the sister of Moses

Gill is weighing the Targum against Josephus; neither is Scripture, and the identification of Ephrath with Miriam is a tradition, not a datum.

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When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore to him Hur.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

‘ă·zū·ḇāh wat·tā·māṯ ḵā·lêḇ ’eṯ- way·yiq·qaḥ- lōw ’ep̄·rāṯ wat·tê·leḏ lōw ’eṯ- ḥūr

Word by word11 · parsed

עֲזוּבָ֑ה‘ă·zū·ḇāhWhen AzubahH5806

√ ʻĂzûwbâh — Azubah, the name of two IsraelitessesNounpropermasculine singular

וַתָּ֖מָתwat·tā·māṯdiedH4191

√ mûwth — to die (literally or figuratively)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

mûwth: to die (literally or figuratively) The first death in the unit. Consecutive imperfect, driving the narrative forward: she died, he took, she bore.

כָלֵב֙ḵā·lêḇCalebH3612

√ Kâlêb — Caleb, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

וַיִּֽקַּֽח־way·yiq·qaḥ-marriedH3947

√ lâqach — to take (in the widest variety of applications)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular

lâqach: to take (in the widest variety of applications) The widest of Hebrew verbs. Strong's own gloss concedes the range, and this chapter exploits it: a wife at v. 19 and v. 21, a conquered territory at v. 23.

ל֤וֹlōw. . .

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

אֶפְרָ֔ת’ep̄·rāṯEphrathH672

√ ʼEphrâth — Ephrath, another name for BethlehemNounproperfeminine singular

ʼEphrâth: another name for Bethlehem Ellicott notes the identification at Micah 5:1. Bethlehem enters this genealogy first as the name of a woman, then as a town founded by her great-grandson (v. 51), then as a clan (v. 54).

וַתֵּ֥לֶדwat·tê·leḏwho boreH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

ל֖וֹlōwto him

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

חֽוּר׃ḥūrHurH2354

√ Chûwr — Chur, the name of four Israelites and one MidianiteNounpropermasculine singular

Chûwr: Hur From him, through Uri, comes Bezalel. This is the verse Cambridge says the Chronicler wanted all along.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Azubah died, and-Caleb took to-him Ephrath, and-she-bore to-him Hur.

Where the English smooths the original

וַתָּ֖מָת וַתָּמָת (wat·tā·māṯ, H4191, consecutive imperfect third person feminine singular) is and she died, a main clause in sequence. BSB subordinates it: "When Azubah died." The Hebrew narrates two acts in a row; the English makes the first a circumstance of the second.
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֤וֹ וַיִּקַּח לוֹ (way·yiq·qaḥ lōw, H3947 lâqach with the dative of advantage) is and he took to himself. BSB says "married." The same verb will be used at v. 21 for a marriage and at v. 23 for a military seizure, and the Hebrew does not distinguish them.
אֶפְרָ֔ת אֶפְרָת (’ep̄·rāṯ, H672 ʼEphrâth) is the short form; v. 50 and 4:4 give the longer Ephrathah. Strong's gloss is "another name for Bethlehem." A woman here bears the name of the town where Messiah will be born.

Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezalel.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·ḥūr hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ’ū·rî wə·’ū·rî hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- bə·ṣal·’êl

Word by word8 · parsed

וְחוּר֙wə·ḥūrHurH2354

√ Chûwr — Chur, the name of four Israelites and one MidianiteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Chûwr: Chur, the name of four Israelites and one Midianite Ellicott holds that Bezalel is a person while Hur is probably a Calebite clan established at Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. That reading is his, not the text's.

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אוּרִ֔י’ū·rîUriH221

√ ʼÛwrîy — Uri, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʼÛwrîy: Uri Named in Exodus 31:2 and 35:30 in exactly this position.

וְאוּרִ֖יwə·’ū·rîand UriH221

√ ʼÛwrîy — Uri, the name of three IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

בְּצַלְאֵֽל׃סbə·ṣal·’êlBezalelH1212

√ Bᵉtsalʼêl — Betsalel, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Bᵉtsalʼêl: in the shadow of God The Chronicler's whole book is about a house for God, and here in the middle of a name list he records the man who first built one. Gill hesitates to identify him with the Bezalel of Exodus even though father and grandfather bear the same names and the same tribe; K&D does identify him. The register itself simply sets the name down.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Hur begat Uri, and-Uri begat Bezalel.

Where the English smooths the original

בְּצַלְאֵֽל׃ס בְּצַלְאֵל (bə·ṣal’êl, H1212) is a sentence compressed into a name: in the shadow of God. The man Exodus 31:2 says was filled with the Spirit of God for the building of the tabernacle is here given three words and no comment.
אוּרִ֔י אוּרִי (’ū·rî, H221) is Uri, from the root for light or flame. The chain Hur, Uri, Bezalel matches Exodus 31:2 exactly, which is why Ellicott treats Bezalel as an individual even while reading Hur as a clan.
הוֹלִ֣יד Two Hifil perfects, identical in form, mark the verse. BSB renders both as "was the father of." The Hebrew is not describing fatherhood but recording a transmission, the same verb that carried the line to David in v. 12.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

It is possible to see here a metaphorical statement of the fact that a branch of Hezronites amalgamated with the Machirites of Gilead

Ellicott offers this as a possible reading of a marriage notice as tribal history; it is a nineteenth century critical proposal, not something the verse asserts.

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Matthew PooleAnnotations upon the Holy Bible1685

The father of Gilead; of a man so called. Or if Gilead be the name of that known country, father is put for head or governor, as it is used 1 Samuel 24:11 2 Kings 5:13 16:7 Isaiah 22:21 ; or for protector or curator, as father is used Job 29:16 Jeremiah 2:27 Lamentations 5:3 ; this man being a man of noted valour, and the great champion in those parts

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

Machir begot a son of the name of Gilead ( Numbers 26:29 ); and it is clear from the genealogy of the daughters of Zelophehad, communicated in Numbers 27:1 , that this expression is to be understood in its literal sense

K&D argues directly against the clan reading Ellicott proposes; the two voices here are in genuine disagreement.

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Joseph BensonCommentary on the Old and New Testaments1810s

It is doubtful whether the word Gilead is here the name of a man, or of the country so called

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Later, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead. He had married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore to him Segub.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·’a·ḥar ḥeṣ·rō·wn bā ’el- baṯ- mā·ḵîr ’ă·ḇî ḡil·‘āḏ wə·hū lə·qā·ḥāh wə·hū šiš·šîm ben- šā·nāh wat·tê·leḏ lōw ’eṯ- śə·ḡūḇ

Word by word18 · parsed

וְאַחַ֗רwə·’a·ḥarLaterH310

√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partConjunctive wawAdverb

ʼachar: properly, the hind part; afterward K&D takes it as after the births of v. 9. The adverb opens a parenthesis that runs to v. 24.

חֶצְרוֹן֙ḥeṣ·rō·wnHezronH2696

√ Chetsrôwn — Chetsron, the name of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

בָּ֤אbāslept withH935

√ bôwʼ — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)VerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular

bôwʼ: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) With ʼel, the marriage euphemism. Gill reports a Targum that reads seduction here, followed by marriage; the Hebrew itself reports only the going in and then the taking.

אֶל־’el-. . .H413

√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition

בַּת־baṯ-the daughterH1323

√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Nounfeminine singular construct

bath: a daughter She is never named. Gill guesses she is the Abijah of v. 24 and marks it as his own conjecture.

מָכִיר֙mā·ḵîrof MachirH4353

√ Mâkîyr — Makir, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

אֲבִ֣י’ă·ḇîthe fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

ʼâb: father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application The hinge word of the second half of this chapter, first used ambiguously right here.

גִלְעָ֔דḡil·‘āḏof GileadH1568

√ Gilʻâd — Gilad, a region East of the JordanNounproperfeminine singular

וְה֣וּאwə·hūHeH1931

√ hûwʼ — he (she or it)Conjunctive wawPronounthird person masculine singular

לְקָחָ֔הּlə·qā·ḥāhhad married herH3947

√ lâqach — to take (in the widest variety of applications)VerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singularthird person feminine singular

lâqach: to take Perfect with a feminine suffix: he had taken her. Poole notes the waw may mean "after he had taken her," making the marriage precede the going in rather than follow it.

וְה֖וּאwə·hūwhen heH1931

√ hûwʼ — he (she or it)Conjunctive wawPronounthird person masculine singular

שִׁשִּׁ֣יםšiš·šîmwas sixtyH8346

√ shishshîym — sixtyNumbercommon plural

בֶּן־ben-years oldH1121

bên: a son In the idiom of age: a son of sixty years.

שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141

√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular

וַתֵּ֥לֶדwat·tê·leḏand she boreH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

ל֖וֹlōwto him

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

שְׂגֽוּב׃śə·ḡūḇSegubH7687

√ Sᵉgûwb — Segub, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-afterward Hezron went-in unto the-daughter of-Machir father-of-Gilead, and-he took-her, and-he a-son-of sixty years; and-she-bore to-him Segub.

Where the English smooths the original

בָּ֤א אֶל־ בָּא אֶל (bā ’el, H935 with the preposition) is the standing Hebrew euphemism he went in unto. BSB renders it "slept with," which is the meaning but not the register. Poole notes the phrase is commonly used so, citing Genesis 4:1 and 6:4; the Hebrew is discreet where the English is explicit.
בֶּן־שָׁנָ֑ה בֶּן שָׁנָה (ben šā·nāh) is literally a son of years, the Hebrew idiom for age. So the clause runs "and he a son of sixty years." BSB writes "when he was sixty years old" and the idiom vanishes, along with the fact that the same noun bên anchors both the genealogy and the man's age.
אֲבִ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד אֲבִי גִלְעָד (’ă·ḇî ḡil·‘āḏ) may be father of Gilead the man or lord of Gilead the region. Benson says it is doubtful which; Poole gives four senses of ʼâb that would fit. K&D insists on the literal father and cites Numbers 26:29. BSB fixes on one reading and the ambiguity is lost.

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Jamieson, Fausset & BrownCommentary Critical and Explanatory1871

He had been adopted into Manasseh, and it would never have been imagined that he was other than "a son of Manasseh" naturally, had not this passage given information supplementary to that of the passage in Numbers

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

He was one of the Judges ( Jdg 10:3-4 where thirty cities, not twenty-three, are assigned him

Cambridge identifies this Jair with the judge of Judges 10; Pulpit expressly doubts that identification. The number discrepancy is the datum; the identification is not.

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

After Moses' victory over Og king of Bashan, Jair's family conquered the district of Argob in Bashan, i.e., in the plain of Jaulan and Hauran; and to the conquered cities, when they were bestowed upon him for a possession by Moses, the name Havvoth-jair, i.e., Jair's-life, was given

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Segub was the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·śə·ḡūḇ hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- yā·’îr way·hî- lōw ‘eś·rîm wə·šā·lō·wōš ‘ā·rîm bə·’e·reṣ hag·gil·‘āḏ

Word by word11 · parsed

וּשְׂג֖וּבū·śə·ḡūḇSegubH7687

√ Sᵉgûwb — Segub, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

yâlad: to bear young (Hifil) The chain resumes in the Manassite parenthesis.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

יָאִ֑ירyā·’îrJairH2971

√ Yâʼîyr — Jair, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yâʼîyr: he enlightens A Judahite by his father and a Manassite by his mother, and Numbers 32:41 and Deuteronomy 3:14 call him son of Manasseh outright. JFB works out the legal mechanism at length: adoption into the maternal tribe to keep the inheritance in it.

וַֽיְהִי־way·hî-who hadH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular

ל֗וֹlōw

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

עֶשְׂרִ֤ים‘eś·rîmtwenty-threeH6242

√ ʻesrîym — twentyNumbercommon plural

ʻesrîym: twenty The first half of the compound numeral.

וְשָׁלוֹשׁ֙wə·šā·lō·wōš. . .H7969

√ shâlôwsh — threeConjunctive wawNumberfeminine singular

עָרִ֔ים‘ā·rîmcitiesH5892

√ ʻîyr — a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Nounfeminine plural

ʻîyr: a city, a place guarded by waking or a watch The etymology is a watch, not a wall. The Havvoth-Jair of Numbers 32:41 were tent-villages, and this word can cover them.

בְּאֶ֖רֶץbə·’e·reṣin the landH776

√ ʼerets — the earth (at large, or partitively a land)Preposition-bNounfeminine singular construct

הַגִּלְעָֽד׃hag·gil·‘āḏof GileadH1568

√ Gilʻâd — Gilad, a region East of the JordanArticleNounproperfeminine singular

Gilʻâd: a region East of the Jordan With the article. Judah's genealogy has now crossed the Jordan.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Segub begat Jair; and-there-were to-him twenty and-three cities in-the-land-of Gilead.

Where the English smooths the original

וַֽיְהִי־ל֗וֹ וַיְהִי לוֹ (way·hî lōw, H1961 with the preposition) is and there was to him: Hebrew has no verb for "to have," and states possession as existence. BSB writes "who had," a relative clause the Hebrew builds quite differently.
עָרִ֔ים עָרִים (‘ā·rîm, H5892) is cities, though Strong's own gloss allows the widest sense, "even of a mere encampment or post." Barnes says the places were a number of small towns or villages; Cambridge renders the parallel name as tent-villages of Jair. English "cities" promises walls the word need not carry.
עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ֙ עֶשְׂרִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ is literally twenty and three, two numerals joined by waw. Judges 10:4 assigns Jair thirty cities, a discrepancy Cambridge notes and does not resolve.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

Rather, And Geshur and Aram took the Havoth-jair from them — Kenath and her daughters, sixty cities

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Albert BarnesNotes on the Bible1834

took the villages of Jair from them:" recovered, that is, from the new settlers the places which Jair had conquered

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

The conquest of Manassite territory by the Aramaeans (“Syrians”) here described probably took place before the days of Ahab, for in his reign they were already established as far south as Ramoth-gilead

Cambridge's dating is an inference from 1 Kings 22:3, not from this verse, which gives no date at all.

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Geneva Study BibleMarginal Notes1599

That is, the Geshurites and Syrians took the towns from Jair's children

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But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth-jair, along with Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages. All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gilead.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

gə·šūr- wa·’ă·rām ’eṯ- way·yiq·qaḥ ḥaw·wōṯ yā·’îr mê·’it·tām ’eṯ- qə·nāṯ wə·’eṯ- šiš·šîm bə·nō·ṯe·hā ‘îr kāl- ’êl·leh bə·nê mā·ḵîr ’ă·ḇî- ḡil·‘āḏ

Word by word19 · parsed

גְּשֽׁוּר־gə·šūr-But GeshurH1650

√ Gᵉshûwr — Geshur, a district of SyriaNounproperfeminine singular

Gᵉshûwr: a district of Syria An Aramean kingdom north west of Bashan, independent in David's day (2 Samuel 3:3). K&D adds that Moses had assigned it to Manasseh (Joshua 13:13), so this is a loss of granted ground.

וַ֠אֲרָםwa·’ă·rāmand AramH758

√ ʼĂrâm — Aram or Syria, and its inhabitantsConjunctive wawNounproperfeminine singular

ʼĂrâm: Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants Cambridge takes it for the kingdom of Damascus and dates the conquest before Ahab.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Preposition

וַיִּקַּ֣חway·yiq·qaḥcapturedH3947

√ lâqach — to take (in the widest variety of applications)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular

lâqach: to take (in the widest variety of applications) The same verb that took a wife at v. 19 and v. 21 here takes a territory by force. Strong's gloss concedes the range; the register does not comment on the difference.

חַוֺּ֨תḥaw·wōṯvvvH2334

√ Chavvôwth Yâʻîyr — hamlets of Jair, a region of PalestineNounfeminine plural construct

יָאִ֧ירyā·’îrHavvoth-jairH2334

√ Chavvôwth Yâʻîyr — hamlets of Jair, a region of PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

מֵאִתָּ֛םmê·’it·tāmH854

√ ʼêth — properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), nearPreposition-mDirect object markerthird person masculine plural

אֶת־’eṯ-along withH853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Preposition

קְנָ֥תqə·nāṯKenathH7079

√ Qᵉnâth — Kenath, a place East of the JordanNounproperfeminine singular

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

שִׁשִּׁ֣יםšiš·šîmand its sixtyH8346

√ shishshîym — sixtyNumbercommon plural

בְּנֹתֶ֖יהָbə·nō·ṯe·hāsurroundingH1323

√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Nounfeminine plural constructthird person feminine singular

bath: a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship) Dependent villages. The genealogical vocabulary has become a map's vocabulary, three verses before the section where that will be the rule.

עִ֑יר‘îrvillagesH5892

√ ʻîyr — a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Nounfeminine singular

כָּל־kāl-AllH3605

√ kôl — properly, the wholeNounmasculine singular construct

אֵ֕לֶּה’êl·lehthese [were]H428

√ ʼêl-leh — these or thosePronouncommon plural

בְּנֵ֖יbə·nêdescendantsH1121

מָכִ֥ירmā·ḵîrof MachirH4353

√ Mâkîyr — Makir, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

אֲבִי־’ă·ḇî-the fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

ʼâb: father Of Gilead again, closing the parenthesis as it opened.

גִלְעָֽד׃ḡil·‘āḏof GileadH1568

√ Gilʻâd — Gilad, a region East of the JordanNounproperfeminine singular

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Geshur and-Aram took the-Havvoth-Jair from-them, with-Kenath and-its-daughters, sixty city. All-these sons-of Machir father-of-Gilead.

Where the English smooths the original

וַיִּקַּ֣ח וַיִּקַּח (way·yiq·qaḥ, H3947) is masculine singular, and he took, which is why the older versions read Jair as the subject and the Authorised Version says "he took Geshur and Aram." Ellicott, Barnes, Cambridge and Geneva all reverse it: Geshur and Aram took from them. BSB follows the reversal. The Hebrew verb form is the reason the question arises at all.
בְּנֹתֶ֖יהָ בְּנֹתֶיהָ (bə·nō·ṯe·hā, H1323) is her daughters, the standing Hebrew figure for dependent villages around a town. BSB writes "its sixty surrounding villages." Pulpit points out the literal sense and compares Numbers 21:25. In a chapter about daughters and sons, the same word does double duty for settlements.
עִ֑יר עִיר (‘îr) is city, singular, standing after the numeral sixty. Hebrew counts with the singular; English cannot, so BSB pluralises. The same singular-after-numeral idiom governs the twenty three of v. 22.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

The text is evidently corrupt. The best suggestion is based on the reading of the LXX.: καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν Εσερων ἦλθεν Χαλεβ εἰς Εφραθα ; “And after Hezron’s death Caleb went to Ephrath.” Some very slight changes in the Hebrew, affecting only three letters of the entire sentence

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Matthew PooleAnnotations upon the Holy Bible1685

a place then so called by a conjunction of the names of the man and his wife; afterwards supposed to be called Beth-lehem Ephratah

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

Ephrathah, or Ephrath, was the ancient name of Bethlehem ( Genesis 33:19 ; Genesis 48:1 ), and with it the name of Caleb's wife Ephrath ( 1 Chronicles 2:19 ) is unquestionably connected; probably she was so called after her birthplace

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Joseph BensonCommentary on the Old and New Testaments1810s

A known place, of which he is termed the father, because he was either the progenitor of the people who inhabited it, or their prince and ruler, or the builder of the city

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After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·’a·ḥar ḥeṣ·rō·wn bə·ḵā·lêḇ mō·wṯ- ’ep̄·rā·ṯāh ḥeṣ·rō·wn wə·’ê·šeṯ ’ă·ḇî·yāh wat·tê·leḏ lōw ’eṯ- ’aš·ḥūr ’ă·ḇî ṯə·qō·w·a‘

Word by word14 · parsed

וְאַחַ֥רwə·’a·ḥarAfterH310

√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partConjunctive wawAdverb

חֶצְר֖וֹןḥeṣ·rō·wnHezronH2696

√ Chetsrôwn — Chetsron, the name of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

בְּכָלֵ֣בbə·ḵā·lêḇvvvH3613

√ Kâlêb ʼEphrâthâh — Caleb-Ephrathah, a place in Egypt (if the text is correct)Preposition

מוֹת־mō·wṯ-diedH4194

√ mâveth — death (natural or violent)Nounmasculine singular construct

mâveth: death (natural or violent) The noun, in construct. Hezron's death is dated and located, and both the date and the place are disputed.

אֶפְרָ֑תָה’ep̄·rā·ṯāhin Caleb-ephrathahH3613

√ Kâlêb ʼEphrâthâh — Caleb-Ephrathah, a place in Egypt (if the text is correct)PrepositionNounproperfeminine singular

Kâlêb ʼEphrâthâh: Caleb-Ephrathah, a place in Egypt (if the text is correct) Strong's own entry contains the qualification "if the text is correct." Even the lexicon flags this one.

חֶצְרוֹן֙ḥeṣ·rō·wnhisH2696

√ Chetsrôwn — Chetsron, the name of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

וְאֵ֤שֶׁתwə·’ê·šeṯwifeH802

√ ʼishshâh — a womanConjunctive wawNounfeminine singular construct

אֲבִיָּ֔ה’ă·ḇî·yāhAbijahH29

√ ʼĂbîyâh — Abijah, the name of several Israelite men and two IsraelitessesNounproperfeminine singular

ʼĂbîyâh: Yah is my father Hezron's third wife (K&D), and the third woman in nine verses to bear a son who founds something.

וַתֵּ֣לֶדwat·tê·leḏboreH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

ל֔וֹlōwto him

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אַשְׁח֖וּר’aš·ḥūrAshhurH806

√ ʼAshchûwr — Ashchur, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

ʼAshchûwr: Ashchur Ellicott reads the name as ʼash-Hur, man of Hur, and so as the chief of the Hurite clan at Ephrath. His descendants are given at 1 Chronicles 4:5 to 7.

אֲבִ֥י’ă·ḇîthe fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

תְקֽוֹעַ׃ṯə·qō·w·a‘of TekoaH8620

√ Tᵉqôwaʻ — Tekoa, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

Tᵉqôwaʻ: Tekoa, a place in Palestine Two hours south of Bethlehem (K&D). The home of the wise woman of 2 Samuel 14 and later of Amos.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-after the-death-of Hezron in-Caleb-Ephrathah, and-the-wife-of Hezron Abijah; and-she-bore to-him Ashhur father-of-Tekoa.

Where the English smooths the original

מוֹת־ מוֹת (mō·wṯ, H4194 mâveth) is a noun in the construct, the death of, not a finite verb. The clause has no verb at all until "she bore." BSB supplies "After Hezron died," which reads cleanly and hides the fragmentary Hebrew.
בְּכָלֵ֣ב אֶפְרָ֑תָה בְּכָלֵב אֶפְרָתָה is a preposition prefixed to two proper names: in Caleb-Ephrathah. Ellicott calls the text evidently corrupt and prefers the Septuagint's reading, which has a verb (Caleb went to Ephrath) where our text has a preposition. Cambridge concurs. Pulpit notes no such place is known. BSB prints the Masoretic reading, rightly, but the reader should know what stands behind it.
אֲבִ֥י תְקֽוֹעַ׃ אֲבִי תְקוֹעַ (’ă·ḇî ṯə·qō·w·a‘) is father of Tekoa. Benson: a known place, of which he is called the father because he was either the progenitor of its people, their prince, or the builder of the city. BSB keeps "the father of Tekoa" and lets the English word carry a weight it does not normally bear.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

This is probably a mistake, as the conjunction is wanting in the Hebrew. The LXX. has, “his brother” the Hebrew for which might easily be misread Ahijah. So the Syriac and Arabic read, “and Ozem their sister.” But the statement of 1Chronicles 2:26 , “Jerahmeel had also another wife,” &c., makes it likely that the first wife was mentioned here

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Albert BarnesNotes on the Bible1834

Hence, some would read: "the sons" were born "of" or "from Ahijah," the first wife of Jerahmeel

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

By a slight change in the Heb. we get Ozem his brother (so LXX.); cp. 1 Chronicles 26:20 for a similar confusion of reading

Cambridge's emendation goes the opposite way from Ellicott's and Barnes's; both cannot be right, and the brief gives no means of deciding.

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

This conjecture gains in probability from the mention in 1 Chronicles 2:26 of another wife, whence we might expect that in 1 Chronicles 2:25 the first wife would be named

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The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron: Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

way·yih·yū ḇə·nê- yə·raḥ·mə·’êl bə·ḵō·wr ḥeṣ·rō·wn rām hab·bə·ḵō·wr ū·ḇū·nāh wā·’ō·ren wā·’ō·ṣem ’ă·ḥî·yāh

Word by word11 · parsed

וַיִּהְי֧וּway·yih·yūH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural

hâyâh: to exist, to be Consecutive imperfect. A formulaic opening, not a statement.

בְנֵי־ḇə·nê-The sonsH1121

יְרַחְמְאֵ֛לyə·raḥ·mə·’êlof JerahmeelH3396

√ Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl — Jerachmeel, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl: God pities The firstborn of Hezron, whose line has waited since v. 9 and now runs seventeen verses, longer than David's own.

בְּכ֥וֹרbə·ḵō·wrthe firstbornH1060

√ bᵉkôwr — firstbornNounmasculine singular construct

bᵉkôwr: firstborn Construct. Jerahmeel holds the rank; Ram, third in v. 9, held the kingdom. The chapter never explains the exchange and never conceals it.

חֶצְר֖וֹןḥeṣ·rō·wnof HezronH2696

√ Chetsrôwn — Chetsron, the name of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

רָ֑םrāmRamH7410

√ Râm — Ram, the name of an Arabian and of an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Râm: high A second Ram, not the Ram of v. 9. Ellicott and Gill both warn against confusing them.

הַבְּכ֣וֹר׀hab·bə·ḵō·wrhis firstbornH1060

√ bᵉkôwr — firstbornArticleNounmasculine singular

וּבוּנָ֥הū·ḇū·nāhBunahH946

√ Bûwnâh — Bunah, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וָאֹ֛רֶןwā·’ō·renOrenH767

√ ʼÔren — Oren, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וָאֹ֖צֶםwā·’ō·ṣemOzemH684

√ ʼÔtsem — Otsem, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

אֲחִיָּֽה׃’ă·ḥî·yāhand AhijahH281

√ ʼĂchîyâh — Achijah, the name of nine IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʼĂchîyâh: my brother is Yah The name with no waw. Whether it names a fifth son, a wife, or a copying slip for "his brother" is genuinely open.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-they-were the-sons-of Jerahmeel firstborn-of Hezron: Ram the-firstborn, and-Bunah and-Oren and-Ozem, Ahijah.

Where the English smooths the original

אֲחִיָּֽה׃ אֲחִיָּה (’ă·ḥî·yāh, H281) stands with no conjunctive waw, unlike every other name in the list. Barnes: "There is no 'and' in the original." BSB supplies one. Ellicott and K&D both take the missing letter as evidence that this is the mother's name, and Cambridge and the Septuagint read instead "Ozem his brother." A single absent consonant divides the readings.
בְּכ֥וֹר / הַבְּכ֣וֹר בְּכוֹר appears twice in one verse, first in construct (firstborn of Hezron) and then with the article (his firstborn). The same word ranks father and son in one breath. BSB keeps both but the repetition reads as clumsiness rather than as structure.
וַיִּהְי֧וּ וַיִּהְיוּ (way·yih·yū, H1961, consecutive imperfect plural) opens the verse, and there were, and BSB leaves it untranslated. The same opening recurs at vv. 27, 28 and 52; it is the register's paragraph mark.

Jerahmeel had another wife named Atarah, who was the mother of Onam.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

lî·raḥ·mə·’êl wat·tə·hî ’a·ḥe·reṯ ’iš·šāh ū·šə·māh ‘ă·ṭā·rāh hî ’êm ’ō·w·nām

Word by word9 · parsed

לִֽירַחְמְאֵ֖לlî·raḥ·mə·’êlJerahmeelH3396

√ Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl — Jerachmeel, the name of three IsraelitesPreposition-lNounpropermasculine singular

וַתְּהִ֨יwat·tə·hîhadH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

אַחֶ֛רֶת’a·ḥe·reṯanotherH312

√ ʼachêr — properly, hinderAdjectivefeminine singular

ʼachêr: properly, hinder; another Feminine adjective. The word that implies a first wife, which is why v. 25 is read as naming her.

אִשָּׁ֥ה’iš·šāhwifeH802

√ ʼishshâh — a womanNounfeminine singular

ʼishshâh: a woman Unqualified, as at v. 18. The register is consistently sparing about marital status.

וּשְׁמָ֣הּū·šə·māhnamedH8034

√ shêm — an appellation, as amark or memorial of individualityConjunctive wawNounmasculine singular constructthird person feminine singular

shêm: an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality Strong's gloss is worth the whole chapter's method: a name is a memorial of individuality. That is what these fifty two verses are preserving.

עֲטָרָ֑ה‘ă·ṭā·rāhAtarahH5851

√ ʻĂṭârâh — Atarah, an IsraelitessNounproperfeminine singular

ʻĂṭârâh: a crown One of the few names in the unit with a transparent common meaning.

הִ֖יאhîwhoH1931

√ hûwʼ — he (she or it)Pronounthird person feminine singular

אֵ֥ם’êmwas the motherH517

√ ʼêm — a mother (as the bond of the family)Nounfeminine singular construct

ʼêm: a mother (as the bond of the family) Strong's parenthesis defines the mother as the bond. In a register organised by fathers, the word appears only where a woman is load-bearing.

אוֹנָֽם׃ס’ō·w·nāmof OnamH208

√ ʼÔwnâm — Onam, the name of an Edomite and of an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-there-was to-Jerahmeel another woman, and-her-name Atarah; she the-mother of-Onam.

Where the English smooths the original

אִשָּׁ֥ה אִשָּׁה (’iš·šāh, H802) is a woman. BSB reads "another wife." Gill notes that the bare noun is elsewhere the phrase for a concubine (he cites Judges 11:2) and records Kimchi's view that she may have been one, before preferring the wife reading himself.
עֲטָרָ֑ה עֲטָרָה (‘ă·ṭā·rāh, H5851) means a crown. Ellicott renders it corona and suggests it denotes the ring-fence or fortifications round a city, comparing the Greek use of stephanos for the wall of Troy. If he is right, a woman's name here is a fortification, and the reading of the whole section as topography gains ground.
הִ֖יא אֵ֥ם הִיא אֵם (hî ’êm) is a verbless clause: she the mother of Onam. BSB supplies "who was." Hebrew asserts identity by apposition and needs no copula.

The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

way·yih·yū ḇə·nê- rām bə·ḵō·wr yə·raḥ·mə·’êl ma·‘aṣ wə·yā·mîn wā·‘ê·qer

Word by word8 · parsed

וַיִּהְי֥וּway·yih·yūH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural

hâyâh: to exist The register's paragraph mark.

בְנֵי־ḇə·nê-The sonsH1121

רָ֖םrāmof RamH7410

√ Râm — Ram, the name of an Arabian and of an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Râm: high Jerahmeel's eldest, by his first wife.

בְּכ֣וֹרbə·ḵō·wrthe firstbornH1060

√ bᵉkôwr — firstbornNounmasculine singular construct

bᵉkôwr: firstborn Note the pattern the chapter has now run four times: the firstborn is named, ranked, and then the text moves on through someone else. Here the firstborn's whole branch ends in one verse while Onam's, by the second wife, runs to v. 33.

יְרַחְמְאֵ֑לyə·raḥ·mə·’êlof JerahmeelH3396

√ Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl — Jerachmeel, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

מַ֥עַץma·‘aṣMaazH4619

√ Maʻats — Maats, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Maʻats: Maats, an Israelite Attested here only.

וְיָמִ֖יןwə·yā·mînJaminH3226

√ Yâmîyn — Jamin, the name of three IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וָעֵֽקֶר׃wā·‘ê·qerand EkerH6134

√ ʻÊqer — Eker, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

ʻÊqer: Eker, an Israelite Attested here only. The name means a root or offshoot, which is an irony the register does not press.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-they-were the-sons-of Ram firstborn-of Jerahmeel: Maaz and-Jamin and-Eker.

Where the English smooths the original

וַיִּהְי֥וּ וַיִּהְיוּ (way·yih·yū) again opens the verse and again goes untranslated in BSB. The English reads as a fresh heading; the Hebrew reads as a continuation of the same narrative sequence.
מַ֥עַץ מַעַץ (ma·‘aṣ, H4619) is named here and nowhere else in Scripture, as are his two brothers. Gill: of whom no other notice is taken, perhaps they left no children. The whole verse is a line that stops.
בְּכ֣וֹר יְרַחְמְאֵ֑ל בְּכוֹר יְרַחְמְאֵל is a construct chain, firstborn of Jerahmeel, with no article. BSB adds "the firstborn of Jerahmeel." This is the third firstborn named in three verses, and none of the three carries anything forward.

The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

way·yih·yū ḇə·nê- ’ō·w·nām šam·may wə·yā·ḏā‘ ū·ḇə·nê šam·may nā·ḏāḇ wa·’ă·ḇî·šūr

Word by word9 · parsed

וַיִּהְי֥וּway·yih·yūH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural

בְנֵי־ḇə·nê-The sonsH1121

אוֹנָ֖ם’ō·w·nāmof OnamH208

√ ʼÔwnâm — Onam, the name of an Edomite and of an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

ʼÔwnâm: Onam Son of the second wife. His branch, not the firstborn's, carries the line to v. 33 and then to the Egyptian marriage of v. 34.

שַׁמַּ֣יšam·mayShammaiH8060

√ Shammay — Shammai, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Shammay: Shammai A Shammai recurs at v. 44 in the Calebite lists, a different man.

וְיָדָ֑עwə·yā·ḏā‘and JadaH3047

√ Yâdâʻ — Jada, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Yâdâʻ: Jada His line is taken up at v. 32.

וּבְנֵ֣יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

שַׁמַּ֔יšam·mayof ShammaiH8060

√ Shammay — Shammai, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

נָדָ֖בnā·ḏāḇNadabH5070

√ Nâdâb — Nadab, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

וַאֲבִישֽׁוּר׃wa·’ă·ḇî·šūrand AbishurH51

√ ʼĂbîyshûwr — Abishur, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

ʼĂbîyshûwr: my father is a wall The element ʼâb again, this time inside a personal name rather than as a title of founding.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-they-were the-sons-of Onam: Shammai and-Jada. And-the-sons-of Shammai: Nadab and-Abishur.

Where the English smooths the original

וְיָדָ֑ע וְיָדָע (wə·yā·ḏā‘, H3047) is Jada, spelled with the consonants of the verb to know. The register gives no gloss and neither does BSB; the name simply sits there carrying a common Hebrew root.
וּבְנֵ֣י שַׁמַּ֔י וּבְנֵי שַׁמַּי begins the second half of the verse with the same construct formula that began the first. Hebrew builds the whole verse out of two identical frames; BSB reproduces them as two sentences and the parallelism reads as repetition.
וַאֲבִישֽׁוּר׃ וַאֲבִישׁוּר (wa·’ă·ḇî·šūr, H51) contains ʼâb, father, as its first element, like Abihail and Abijah and Abinadab elsewhere in this chapter. English transliteration keeps the sound and drops the sense.

Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, and she bore to him Ahban and Molid.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’ă·ḇî·šūr ’ê·šeṯ wə·šêm ’ă·ḇî·hā·yil wat·tê·leḏ lōw ’eṯ- ’aḥ·bān wə·’eṯ- mō·w·lîḏ

Word by word10 · parsed

אֲבִישׁ֖וּר’ă·ḇî·šūrAbishur’sH51

√ ʼĂbîyshûwr — Abishur, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

אֵ֥שֶׁת’ê·šeṯwifeH802

√ ʼishshâh — a womanNounfeminine singular construct

ʼishshâh: a woman, a wife In construct, so here unambiguously wife.

וְשֵׁ֛םwə·šêmwas namedH8034

√ shêm — an appellation, as amark or memorial of individualityConjunctive wawNounmasculine singular construct

shêm: an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality The verse exists to record a name. That is not a trivial purpose in a book written to reconstitute a people after exile.

אֲבִיהָ֑יִל’ă·ḇî·hā·yilAbihailH32

√ ʼĂbîyhayil — Abihail or Abichail, the name of three Israelites and two IsraelitessesNounproperfeminine singular

ʼĂbîyhayil: my father is might One of five women named in this chapter with sons registered after them.

וַתֵּ֣לֶדwat·tê·leḏand she boreH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

yâlad: to bear young Consecutive imperfect, feminine.

ל֔וֹlōwto him

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אַחְבָּ֖ן’aḥ·bānAhbanH257

√ ʼAchbân — Achban, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-andH853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

מוֹלִֽיד׃mō·w·lîḏMolidH4140

√ Môwlîyd — Molid, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-name of-the-wife-of Abishur: Abihail; and-she-bore to-him Ahban and-Molid.

Where the English smooths the original

וְשֵׁ֛ם אֵ֥שֶׁת וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת (wə·šêm ’ê·šeṯ) is a double construct chain, and the name of the wife of, with no verb. BSB inverts it to "Abishur's wife was named Abihail," which puts the husband first where the Hebrew puts the name first.
אֲבִיהָ֑יִל אֲבִיהָיִל (’ă·ḇî·hā·yil, H32) means my father is might. It is the fourth name in this chapter built on ʼâb. Gill notes a wife of Rehoboam bore the same name (2 Chronicles 11:18); the Pulpit commentary lists three different manuscript spellings for this one word.
וַתֵּ֣לֶד וַתֵּלֶד (wat·tê·leḏ, consecutive imperfect third person feminine singular) is and she bore. The chapter uses the Qal for mothers and the Hifil for fathers throughout, and BSB's uniform "bore / was the father of" keeps the distinction only by accident of English idiom.

The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê nā·ḏāḇ se·leḏ wə·’ap·pā·yim se·leḏ way·yā·māṯ lō ḇā·nîm

Word by word8 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֥יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

נָדָ֖בnā·ḏāḇof NadabH5070

√ Nâdâb — Nadab, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

סֶ֣לֶדse·leḏSeledH5540

√ Çeled — Seled, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Çeled: Seled, an Israelite Ellicott reads the notice clan-wise: the clan Seled did not multiply and subdivide into new groups. That is his reading of the whole section's idiom, not a statement of the verse.

וְאַפָּ֑יִםwə·’ap·pā·yimand AppaimH649

√ ʼAppayim — Appajim, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

סֶ֖לֶדse·leḏSeledH5540

√ Çeled — Seled, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

וַיָּ֥מָתway·yā·māṯdiedH4191

√ mûwth — to die (literally or figuratively)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular

mûwth: to die (literally or figuratively) Consecutive imperfect. The second of three deaths recorded in the unit (Azubah v. 19, Hezron v. 24, Seled here, Jether v. 32), and the only kind of event besides birth and conquest that the register bothers to note.

לֹ֥אlōwithoutH3808

√ lôʼ — not (the simple or absAdverbNegative particle

lôʼ: not The negative particle doing the work of a whole clause.

בָנִֽים׃סḇā·nîmchildrenH1121

√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural

bên: a son (as a builder of the family name) Here in its absence. Strong's gloss makes the point sharp: no son means the family name has no builder, and this is a document built entirely of names.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Nadab: Seled and-Appaim; and-Seled died without sons.

Where the English smooths the original

לֹ֥א בָנִֽים׃ס לֹא בָנִים (lō ḇā·nîm) is two words, not sons, a bare negated noun with no preposition. BSB writes "without children," which is right in sense but softer; the Hebrew states the absence flatly, as an entry in a ledger.
וַיָּ֥מָת וַיָּמָת (way·yā·māṯ, H4191, consecutive imperfect) is and he died, a narrative verb dropped into a list of names. It occurs twice in this unit, here and at v. 32, and both times it marks a line ending.
סֶ֣לֶד סֶלֶד (se·leḏ, H5540) is written twice in one short verse, once as a son and once as the subject of dying. BSB keeps both. The doubling gives the entry a small formal weight the English does not convey.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

Ahlai is the name of a clan, not of an individual. Others would explain such phrases by assuming that “sons of so-and-so” is a conventional expression, used even where only one person has to be registered; or that the chronicler has in such cases abbreviated the contents of his source, by omitting all the names but one. Both assumptions are antiquated

Ellicott dismisses the readings Poole and Benson give as antiquated; we print all three because the brief supplies no means of settling it.

source ↗

Matthew PooleAnnotations upon the Holy Bible1685

an expression oft used, both afterwards in this verse, and elsewhere, and in profane authors too, where there is but one son. It is an enallage of the number, which is frequent in the Hebrew

source ↗

Joseph BensonCommentary on the Old and New Testaments1810s

The plural number is often used, when one son or daughter only is spoken of, for in that one, all the posterity are comprehended. Ahlai — It is plain from 1 Chronicles 2:34-35 , that this Ahlai was not a son, but a daughter

source ↗

The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê ’ap·pa·yim yiš·‘î ū·ḇə·nê yiš·‘î šê·šān ū·ḇə·nê šê·šān ’aḥ·lāy

Word by word9 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֥יū·ḇə·nêThe sonH1121

bên: a son The plural-for-singular idiom, three times over. It is a formula, not a claim about how many.

אַפַּ֖יִם’ap·pa·yimof AppaimH649

√ ʼAppayim — Appajim, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

יִשְׁעִ֑יyiš·‘îIshiH3469

√ Yishʻîy — Jishi, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yishʻîy: my salvation One name, one verse.

וּבְנֵ֤יū·ḇə·nêThe sonH1121

יִשְׁעִי֙yiš·‘îof IshiH3469

√ Yishʻîy — Jishi, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

שֵׁשָׁ֔ןšê·šānSheshanH8348

√ Shêshân — Sheshan, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Shêshân: Sheshan, an Israelite The man whose childlessness turns this whole branch over to a foreigner three verses later. The register gives him three mentions and no epithet.

וּבְנֵ֥יū·ḇə·nêThe sonH1121

שֵׁשָׁ֖ןšê·šānof SheshanH8348

√ Shêshân — Sheshan, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

אַחְלָֽי׃’aḥ·lāyAhlaiH304

√ ʼAchlay — Achlai, the name of an Israelitess and of an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

ʼAchlay: Achlai, the name of an Israelitess and of an Israelite Strong's entry itself allows both sexes. A rare lexeme, two verses in the canon, the other being 1 Chronicles 11:41 where a Zabad is called son of Ahlai. If that is the same Ahlai, then a woman's name stands in David's roll of mighty men as a patronymic.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Appaim: Ishi. And-the-sons-of Ishi: Sheshan. And-the-sons-of Sheshan: Ahlai.

Where the English smooths the original

וּבְנֵ֥י וּבְנֵי (masculine plural construct) occurs three times in this one verse, each time followed by exactly one name. BSB corrects all three to "The son of." Poole calls it an enallage of the number, frequent in Hebrew; Benson says the plural is used because in that one son all the posterity are comprehended.
אַחְלָֽי׃ אַחְלָי (’aḥ·lāy, H304) is registered here as a child of Sheshan, and v. 34 says Sheshan had no sons. Benson and K&D therefore read Ahlai as a daughter; Ellicott and Cambridge as a clan name; Geneva as a son who died in his father's lifetime. BSB simply prints the name.
שֵׁשָׁ֔ן שֵׁשָׁן (šê·šān, H8348) is spelled the same in both halves of the verse but is pointed once with a long vowel in pause. The English cannot show the difference, and nothing hangs on it, but it is a reminder that the Masoretic pointing is reading the list aloud.

The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê yā·ḏā‘ ’ă·ḥî šam·may ye·ṯer wə·yō·w·nā·ṯān ye·ṯer way·yā·māṯ lō ḇā·nîm

Word by word10 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֤יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

יָדָע֙yā·ḏā‘of JadaH3047

√ Yâdâʻ — Jada, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Yâdâʻ: Jada The second son of Onam, taken up from v. 28.

אֲחִ֣י’ă·ḥîthe brotherH251

√ ʼâch — a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))Nounmasculine singular construct

ʼâch: a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity) Here plainly literal, identifying which Jada is meant by naming his brother.

שַׁמַּ֔יšam·mayof ShammaiH8060

√ Shammay — Shammai, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

יֶ֖תֶרye·ṯerJetherH3500

√ Yether — Jether, the name of five or six Israelites and of one MidianiteNounpropermasculine singular

Yether: Jether The same name as Amasa's Ishmaelite father at v. 17, a different man.

וְיוֹנָתָ֑ןwə·yō·w·nā·ṯānand JonathanH3129

√ Yôwnâthân — Jonathan, the name of ten IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

יֶ֖תֶרye·ṯerJetherH3500

√ Yether — Jether, the name of five or six Israelites and of one MidianiteNounpropermasculine singular

וַיָּ֥מָתway·yā·māṯdiedH4191

√ mûwth — to die (literally or figuratively)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular

mûwth: to die The second childless death in three verses. The two stopped lines (vv. 30, 32) stand on either side of Sheshan, whose line is about to be saved by a slave.

לֹ֥אlōwithoutH3808

√ lôʼ — not (the simple or absAdverbNegative particle

בָנִֽים׃סḇā·nîmchildrenH1121

√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Jada brother-of Shammai: Jether and-Jonathan; and-Jether died without sons.

Where the English smooths the original

אֲחִ֣י אֲחִי (’ă·ḥî, H251, masculine singular construct) is brother of. Strong's gloss allows the widest sense, literal relationship or metaphorical affinity, and the chapter uses it for a literal brother here and at v. 42 to link Caleb to Jerahmeel. BSB prints "the brother of" both times without distinction.
יֶ֖תֶר יֶתֶר (ye·ṯer, H3500) is written twice, once as a son and once as the one who dies, exactly as Seled was at v. 30. The two childless entries are formally identical; the register has a standard form for a line that stops.
לֹ֥א בָנִֽים׃ס The same two-word formula as v. 30, not sons. BSB again writes "without children." Twice in three verses the record notes an heirless man, which in a genealogy is the only kind of obituary there is.

The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê yō·w·nā·ṯān pe·leṯ wə·zā·zā ’êl·leh hā·yū bə·nê yə·raḥ·mə·’êl

Word by word8 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֥יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

יוֹנָתָ֖ןyō·w·nā·ṯānof JonathanH3129

√ Yôwnâthân — Jonathan, the name of ten IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

פֶּ֣לֶתpe·leṯPelethH6431

√ Peleth — Peleth, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Peleth: Peleth, the name of two Israelites Named here only in this line.

וְזָזָ֑אwə·zā·zāand ZazaH2117

√ zâzâʼ — Zaza, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

zâzâʼ: Zaza, an Israelite Attested here alone.

אֵ֥לֶּה’êl·lehTheseH428

√ ʼêl-leh — these or thosePronouncommon plural

הָי֖וּhā·yūwereH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iVerbQalPerfectthird person common plural

hâyâh: to exist, to be Qal perfect third person common plural, closing the section opened at v. 25.

בְּנֵ֥יbə·nêthe descendantsH1121

יְרַחְמְאֵֽל׃yə·raḥ·mə·’êlof JerahmeelH3396

√ Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl — Jerachmeel, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl: God pities The name closes its own section. Ellicott counts the names from Judah to Zaza and finds the total again comes to about seventy, matching 1 Chronicles 1 and Genesis 46:27. He calls it noteworthy; whether the compiler intended it we cannot say.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Jonathan: Peleth and-Zaza. These were the-sons-of Jerahmeel.

Where the English smooths the original

אֵ֥לֶּה הָי֖וּ אֵלֶּה הָיוּ (’êl·leh hā·yū) is the closing formula, these were, a subscription rather than a summary. Ellicott identifies it as such and notes the parallel closing at v. 50. BSB translates it plainly and the reader cannot see that it is a structural marker.
בְּנֵ֥י יְרַחְמְאֵֽל׃ בְּנֵי יְרַחְמְאֵל here means descendants at large, not sons. Gill: not only his immediate sons but their posterity, called from him Jerahmeelites. BSB renders "the descendants of Jerahmeel," which is right, but it is the same word bên that meant literal sons three words earlier.
וְזָזָ֑א וְזָזָא (wə·zā·zā, H2117) is attested in this verse alone. Gill says of him and Peleth that no mention is made elsewhere. The list ends, as it began, with names that exist only because someone wrote them down.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

Those who insist upon a literal understanding of these lists reconcile the two statements by making Ahlai a daughter; others suppose that the chronicler has preserved for us in the present section fragments of at least two independent accounts

Ellicott's alternative, that the Chronicler has preserved two independent accounts, is a source-critical proposal; the harmonising reading (Ahlai a daughter) is the older one and is not thereby refuted.

source ↗

Jamieson, Fausset & BrownCommentary Critical and Explanatory1871

either he had no sons alive at his death, or his family consisted wholly of daughters, of whom Ahlai (1Ch 2:31) was one, she being specially mentioned on account of the domestic relations about to be noted

source ↗

Joseph BensonCommentary on the Old and New Testaments1810s

To whom, as being a proselyte to the Jewish religion, and a faithful servant, his master Sheshan first gave his freedom, and then his daughter in marriage

Both the conversion and the manumission are supplied by Benson to make the marriage lawful; neither is stated in the verse.

source ↗

Matthew PooleAnnotations upon the Holy Bible1685

to wit, living when he died, his son Ahlai, 1 Chronicles 2:31 , dying before him; unless Ahlai was the name of a daughter

source ↗

Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. He also had an Egyptian servant named Jarha.

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

lə·šê·šān hā·yāh wə·lō- bā·nîm kî ’im- bā·nō·wṯ ū·lə·šê·šān miṣ·rî ‘e·ḇeḏ ū·šə·mōw yar·ḥā‘

Word by word12 · parsed

לְשֵׁשָׁ֛ןlə·šê·šānSheshanH8348

√ Shêshân — Sheshan, an IsraelitePreposition-lNounpropermasculine singular

Shêshân: Sheshan With the possessive lamed: to Sheshan.

הָיָ֧הhā·yāhhadH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular

וְלֹֽא־wə·lō-noH3808

√ lôʼ — not (the simple or absConjunctive wawAdverbNegative particle

בָּנִ֖יםbā·nîmsonsH1121

√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural

bên: a son (as a builder of the family name) Negated. In this document that is a terminal diagnosis, and the next verse is the cure.

כִּ֣יkîbut onlyH3588

√ kîy — (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below)Conjunction

אִם־’im-. . .H518

√ ʼim — used very widely as demonstrative, lo!Conjunction

בָּנ֑וֹתbā·nō·wṯdaughtersH1323

√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Nounfeminine plural

bath: a daughter Plural, though only one is ever mentioned and Benson notes that we read of no more than one. The plural-for-singular idiom of v. 31 may be at work again.

וּלְשֵׁשָׁ֛ןū·lə·šê·šānHe also hadH8348

√ Shêshân — Sheshan, an IsraeliteConjunctive waw, Preposition-lNounpropermasculine singular

מִצְרִ֖יmiṣ·rîan EgyptianH4713

√ Mitsrîy — a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of MitsrajimNounpropermasculine singular

Mitsrîy: a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of Mitsrajim Egyptian. Of all the nations, the one Judah's own history begins in bondage to. Ellicott points out that Deuteronomy 23:7 to 8 rules such a man's grandchildren full Israelites, and concludes that an Egyptian element was recognised in Judah.

עֶ֥בֶד‘e·ḇeḏservantH5650

√ ʻebed — a servantNounmasculine singular

ʻebed: a servant Strong gives no qualification; the word covers the household slave and the royal minister alike. Whether Sheshan freed him before the marriage is asserted by Benson and Gill from the Targum, not by the text.

וּשְׁמ֥וֹū·šə·mōwnamedH8034

√ shêm — an appellation, as amark or memorial of individualityConjunctive wawNounmasculine singular constructthird person masculine singular

יַרְחָֽע׃yar·ḥā‘JarhaH3398

√ Yarchâʻ — Jarcha, an EgyptianNounpropermasculine singular

Yarchâʻ: Jarcha, an Egyptian Strong's entry names his nationality as part of his identity. Ellicott suggests the name has an Egyptian cast and may mean great river, that is, the Nile.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-there-were-not to-Sheshan sons, but-only daughters; and-to-Sheshan a-servant, an-Egyptian, and-his-name Jarha.

Where the English smooths the original

כִּ֣י אִם־ כִּי אִם (kî ’im, H3588 with H518) is a double particle meaning but only, a strong adversative. BSB's "but only daughters" catches it. The construction is emphatic: not sons, rather daughters. The register is stating a legal problem, not a family detail.
וּלְשֵׁשָׁ֛ן וּלְשֵׁשָׁן (ū·lə·šê·šān) is and to Sheshan, a possessive lamed with no verb: Hebrew has no verb "to have." BSB supplies "He also had." Both clauses of the verse are built the same way, one negative and one positive, and the symmetry is lost in English.
מִצְרִ֖י עֶ֥בֶד עֶבֶד מִצְרִי (H5650 and H4713) is a servant, an Egyptian. The interlinear parses Mitsrîy as a proper noun. The register names his nationality before it names him, which is exactly how Deuteronomy 23:7 to 8 frames the legal question Ellicott raises here.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Jamieson, Fausset & BrownCommentary Critical and Explanatory1871

The adoption and marriage of a foreign slave in the family where he is serving, is far from being a rare or extraordinary occurrence in Eastern countries

source ↗

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

This was equivalent to making his servant his heir, an action not unknown in the East

source ↗

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

The passage Deut. Xxiii. 7, 8 rules that in the third generation persons of Egyptian blood are to be treated as full Israelites. This whole section proves that an Egyptian element was recognised in Judah

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John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

Having first given him his freedom, as the Targum premises; this daughter seems to be Ahlai

The manumission comes from the Targum, not from the verse; Gill is explicit that he is reporting it.

source ↗

Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore to him Attai.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

šê·šān ’eṯ- bit·tōw way·yit·tên lə·’iš·šāh ‘aḇ·dōw lə·yar·ḥā‘ wat·tê·leḏ lōw ’eṯ- ‘at·tāy

Word by word11 · parsed

שֵׁשָׁ֧ןšê·šānSheshanH8348

√ Shêshân — Sheshan, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

בִּתּ֛וֹbit·tōwgave his daughterH1323

√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Nounfeminine singular constructthird person masculine singular

bath: a daughter With the suffix: his daughter. Unnamed here, and identified with the Ahlai of v. 31 by Gill and K&D.

וַיִּתֵּ֨ןway·yit·tênin marriageH5414

√ nâthan — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etcConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular

nâthan: to give, used with greatest latitude of application The verb of transfer. Cambridge states what the transfer accomplished: this was equivalent to making his servant his heir, and he compares Abraham reckoning Eliezer his heir at Genesis 15:2 to 3.

לְאִשָּׁ֑הlə·’iš·šāh. . .H802

√ ʼishshâh — a womanPreposition-lNounfeminine singular

ʼishshâh: a woman, a wife With the lamed of purpose.

עַבְדּ֖וֹ‘aḇ·dōwto his servantH5650

√ ʻebed — a servantNounmasculine singular constructthird person masculine singular

ʻebed: a servant Possessive suffix. Master and slave in one construct chain, and a marriage across it.

לְיַרְחָ֥עlə·yar·ḥā‘JarhaH3398

√ Yarchâʻ — Jarcha, an EgyptianPreposition-lNounpropermasculine singular

וַתֵּ֥לֶדwat·tê·leḏand she boreH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

ל֖וֹlōwto him

Prepositionthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

עַתָּֽי׃‘at·tāyAttaiH6262

√ ʻAttay — Attai, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʻAttay: Attai The first of thirteen generations descended from an Egyptian slave and registered, without qualification or asterisk, as the line of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Sheshan gave his-daughter to-Jarha his-servant for-a-wife; and-she-bore to-him Attai.

Where the English smooths the original

וַיִּתֵּ֨ן וַיִּתֵּן (way·yit·tên, H5414 nâthan) is simply and he gave. BSB writes "gave his daughter in marriage," adding the words "in marriage" which the Hebrew carries instead in the phrase for a wife. The bare verb is the verb of transfer, and in this context that is the whole legal point.
לְאִשָּׁ֑ה לְאִשָּׁה (lə·’iš·šāh) is for a wife, a lamed of purpose on the ordinary noun for woman. BSB absorbs it into "in marriage." The Hebrew formula is the standard one of Genesis 34:8 and 1 Samuel 18:17: a woman given for a wife.
עַבְדּ֖וֹ עַבְדּוֹ (‘aḇ·dōw, H5650 with third person masculine singular suffix) is his servant, possessive. The verse says outright that the man remained Sheshan's at the moment of the gift. The commentators who have him freed first are reading in a step the Hebrew does not record.

Attai was the father of Nathan, Nathan was the father of Zabad,

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Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·‘at·tay hō·lîḏ ’eṯ- nā·ṯān wə·nā·ṯān hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- zā·ḇāḏ

Word by word8 · parsed

וְעַתַּי֙wə·‘at·tayAttaiH6262

√ ʻAttay — Attai, the name of three IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

ʻAttay: Attai Son of the Egyptian.

הֹלִ֣ידhō·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

נָתָ֔ןnā·ṯānNathanH5416

√ Nâthân — Nathan, the name of five IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Nâthân: he has given Ellicott observes that this name, along with Obed, Azariah, Shallum, Jekamiah and Elishama in this same short list, also occurs in the house of David in the next chapter: six of thirteen names shared. He calls it a coincidence and so do we.

וְנָתָ֖ןwə·nā·ṯānNathanH5416

√ Nâthân — Nathan, the name of five IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

זָבָֽד׃zā·ḇāḏZabadH2066

√ Zâbâd — Zabad, the name of seven IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Zâbâd: he has bestowed The one name in this branch with a claim to appear elsewhere in Scripture. If the Zabad of 1 Chronicles 11:41 is this family's, then a descendant of Jarha the Egyptian stood in David's roll of mighty men, and was identified there by his great-grandmother's name.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Attai begat Nathan, and-Nathan begat Zabad.

Where the English smooths the original

הֹלִ֣יד הֹלִיד (hō·lîḏ) is here written defectively, without the waw, while the second verb in the same verse is the full הוֹלִיד. The identical form is spelled two ways in eight words. BSB renders both as "was the father of" and the orthographic variation disappears entirely.
נָתָ֔ן נָתָן (nā·ṯān, H5416) is Nathan, from the same root as nâthan, the verb "he gave" in the previous verse. A line begun by a gift produces a son named He Gave. The Hebrew reader hears the echo; the English reader cannot.
זָבָֽד׃ זָבָד (zā·ḇāḏ, H2066) means he has bestowed. Pulpit notes that this name throws considerable doubt on the claim that none of Jerahmeel's descendants here can be found elsewhere, pointing to 1 Chronicles 11:41, where a Zabad son of Ahlai stands among David's warriors.

Zabad was the father of Ephlal, Ephlal was the father of Obed,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·zā·ḇāḏ hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ’ep̄·lāl wə·’ep̄·lāl hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ‘ō·w·ḇêḏ

Word by word8 · parsed

וְזָבָד֙wə·zā·ḇāḏZabadH2066

√ Zâbâd — Zabad, the name of seven IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אֶפְלָ֔ל’ep̄·lālEphlalH654

√ ʼEphlâl — Ephlal, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

ʼEphlâl: Ephlal, an Israelite Named here alone.

וְאֶפְלָ֖לwə·’ep̄·lālEphlalH654

√ ʼEphlâl — Ephlal, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

עוֹבֵֽד׃‘ō·w·ḇêḏObedH5744

√ ʻÔwbêd — Obed, the name of five IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʻÔwbêd: serving A participle used as a name. Nothing in the text links this Obed to David's grandfather, and identifying them would be an error; but the recurrence of the name inside the slave's line is the kind of thing this chapter keeps doing without comment.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Zabad begat Ephlal, and-Ephlal begat Obed.

Where the English smooths the original

עוֹבֵֽד׃ עוֹבֵד (‘ō·w·ḇêḏ, H5744) is the same name and the same H-number as David's grandfather at v. 12, in a wholly unrelated line. The form is a participle, serving, from the root that gives ʻebed, the servant of v. 34. Four generations after an Egyptian slave, the line produces a man named Serving.
אֶפְלָ֔ל אֶפְלָל (’ep̄·lāl, H654) is attested in this verse alone in the whole canon. BSB prints it without comment, as it must; there is nothing else to say about him and the register says nothing.
וְאֶפְלָ֖ל The verse's two halves are built on the identical frame, and X begat Y, and Y begat Z, with the conjunctive waw repeating the second name. This dovetailing is the standard shape of vv. 36 to 41 and gives the passage the feel of a chain being paid out hand over hand.

Obed was the father of Jehu, Jehu was the father of Azariah,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·‘ō·w·ḇêḏ hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- yê·hū wə·yê·hū hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ‘ă·zar·yāh

Word by word8 · parsed

וְעוֹבֵד֙wə·‘ō·w·ḇêḏObedH5744

√ ʻÔwbêd — Obed, the name of five IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

יֵה֔וּאyê·hūJehuH3058

√ Yêhûwʼ — Jehu, the name of five IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yêhûwʼ: Yah is He A confessional name, five men bear it in Scripture, and this is the obscurest of the five.

וְיֵה֖וּאwə·yê·hūJehuH3058

√ Yêhûwʼ — Jehu, the name of five IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

עֲזַרְיָֽה׃‘ă·zar·yāhAzariahH5838

√ ʻĂzaryâh — Azarjah, the name of nineteen IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʻĂzaryâh: Yah has helped Nineteen Israelites carry this name, including a king of Judah. Pulpit tries to date this branch by matching its names against the kings and finds the twenty fourth name falls near Hezekiah's time; the exercise is suggestive and no more, since the names are among the commonest in the language.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Obed begat Jehu, and-Jehu begat Azariah.

Where the English smooths the original

יֵה֔וּא יֵהוּא (yê·hū, H3058) is Jehu, a name Strong assigns to five Israelites, most famously the king who destroyed Ahab's house. Nothing connects this man to that one, and BSB rightly adds nothing; but the reader who recognises the name should be warned off it.
עֲזַרְיָֽה׃ עֲזַרְיָה (‘ă·zar·yāh, H5838) is the identical name and lexeme as the son of Ethan at v. 8, thirty verses and two branches away. The chapter uses the same name for unrelated men without distinguishing them, which is a standing hazard of reading genealogies for identifications.
וְיֵה֖וּא The repeated name with conjunctive waw carries the chain forward. In Hebrew the entire stretch vv. 36 to 41 is one syntactic breath; BSB's commas and full stops chop it into six sentences.

Azariah was the father of Helez, Helez was the father of Elasah,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wa·‘ă·zar·yāh hō·lîḏ ’eṯ- ḥā·leṣ wə·ḥe·leṣ hō·lîḏ ’eṯ- ’el·‘ā·śāh

Word by word8 · parsed

וַעֲזַרְיָה֙wa·‘ă·zar·yāhAzariahH5838

√ ʻĂzaryâh — Azarjah, the name of nineteen IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הֹלִ֣ידhō·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

חָ֔לֶץḥā·leṣHelezH2503

√ Chelets — Chelets, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Chelets: Chelets, the name of two Israelites One of David's thirty bears the same name (2 Samuel 23:26); nothing connects them.

וְחֶ֖לֶץwə·ḥe·leṣHelezH2503

√ Chelets — Chelets, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הֹלִ֥ידhō·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אֶלְעָשָֽׂה׃’el·‘ā·śāhElasahH501

√ ʼElʻâsâh — Elasah, the name of four IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʼElʻâsâh: God has made Four Israelites bear it. In a register built to prove descent, the names themselves keep confessing that the descent was given and not achieved.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Azariah begat Helez, and-Helez begat Elasah.

Where the English smooths the original

חָ֔לֶץ / וְחֶ֖לֶץ חָלֶץ and חֶלֶץ (H2503) are the same name pointed two ways in one verse, the first in pause with a lengthened vowel. BSB prints Helez twice. The Masoretes are reading the list aloud with cadence; the English is silent about it.
אֶלְעָשָֽׂה׃ אֶלְעָשָׂה (’el·‘ā·śāh, H501) means God has made. It is a whole sentence about creation used as a label in a list of otherwise unknown men. BSB transliterates and the confession goes unheard.
הֹלִ֣יד Both verbs in this verse are the defective spelling הֹלִיד, without waw, in contrast to v. 38 where both were full. The orthography of the Hifil shifts back and forth through this whole passage and no English version can register it.

Elasah was the father of Sismai, Sismai was the father of Shallum,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·’el·‘ā·śāh hō·lîḏ ’eṯ- sis·māy wə·sis·may hō·lîḏ ’eṯ- šal·lūm

Word by word8 · parsed

וְאֶלְעָשָׂה֙wə·’el·‘ā·śāhElasahH501

√ ʼElʻâsâh — Elasah, the name of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הֹלִ֣ידhō·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

סִֽסְמָ֔יsis·māySismaiH5581

√ Çiçmay — Sismai, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Çiçmay: Sismai, an Israelite Attested here alone.

וְסִסְמַ֖יwə·sis·maySismaiH5581

√ Çiçmay — Sismai, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הֹלִ֥ידhō·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

שַׁלּֽוּם׃šal·lūmShallumH7967

√ Shallûwm — Shallum, the name of fourteen IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Shallûwm: recompense From the root of peace and requital. Ellicott notes that this name, like Nathan, Obed, Azariah, Jekamiah and Elishama in this same branch, recurs in the royal house of 1 Chronicles 3. He counts six of thirteen and calls it a coincidence.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Elasah begat Sismai, and-Sismai begat Shallum.

Where the English smooths the original

סִֽסְמָ֔י / וְסִסְמַ֖י סִסְמָי and סִסְמַי (H5581) differ again only by pausal pointing within the one verse. BSB prints Sismai twice, as it should; the variation is a feature of reading, not of the name.
שַׁלּֽוּם׃ שַׁלּוּם (šal·lūm, H7967) means recompense or retribution, from the root of shalom. Strong records fourteen Israelites bearing it, among them a son of Josiah. BSB transliterates and the sense is gone.
הֹלִ֥יד The chain of identical Hifil perfects has now run without a break from v. 36. In Hebrew the effect is incantatory; BSB's "was the father of" repeated eleven times reads instead as a formatting problem.

Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·šal·lūm hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- yə·qam·yāh wî·qam·yāh hō·lîḏ ’eṯ- ’ĕ·lî·šā·mā‘

Word by word8 · parsed

וְשַׁלּוּם֙wə·šal·lūmShallumH7967

√ Shallûwm — Shallum, the name of fourteen IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֣ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

יְקַמְיָ֔הyə·qam·yāhJekamiahH3359

√ Yᵉqamyâh — Jekamjah, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Yᵉqamyâh: Yah raises up Two Israelites bear it, the other a brother of Shealtiel in the royal line (1 Chronicles 3:18).

וִֽיקַמְיָ֖הwî·qam·yāhand JekamiahH3359

√ Yᵉqamyâh — Jekamjah, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הֹלִ֥ידhō·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

אֱלִישָׁמָֽע׃’ĕ·lî·šā·mā‘ElishamaH476

√ ʼĔlîyshâmâʻ — Elishama, the name of seven IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

ʼĔlîyshâmâʻ: God has heard The last name in the Jerahmeelite section and the twenty fourth from Judah on Ellicott's count. Gill passes on a rabbinic reading that the whole branch was recorded for the sake of this man's grandson Ishmael, who murdered Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:1) and is there called of the seed royal. That identification is not demonstrable and we do not adopt it.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Shallum begat Jekamiah, and-Jekamiah begat Elishama.

Where the English smooths the original

יְקַמְיָ֔ה יְקַמְיָה (yə·qam·yāh, H3359) means Yah raises up. In a list of thirteen generations descended from a slave, a name meaning Yah raises up is not nothing, though the register makes no use of it.
אֱלִישָׁמָֽע׃ אֱלִישָׁמָע (’ĕ·lî·šā·mā‘, H476) means God has heard. The branch ends on this word with no closing formula at all, unlike the subscription at v. 33 and v. 50. BSB reproduces the abruptness faithfully.
וִֽיקַמְיָ֖ה The dovetail repeats one last time, וִיקַמְיָה with conjunctive waw. Then the chain simply stops. Ellicott reckons Elishama the twenty fourth generation from Judah and dates him near 610 BC; the register itself supplies no date and no ending.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

The key to it appears to be the assumption that it is an ancient record of the relations between certain great branches of the tribe of Judah, and their various settlements; in other words, these lists are tribal and topographical, rather than genealogical

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Geneva Study BibleMarginal Notes1599

That is, the chief governor or prince of the Ziphims, because the prince should have a fatherly care and affection for his people

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Albert BarnesNotes on the Bible1834

The supposed omissions in this verse have been supplied as follows: (1) "Mesha, the father of Ziph; and the sons of Ziph, Mareshah, the father of Hebron;" or (2) "Mareshah, the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah, the father of Ziph, Hebron." Ziph, like Jorkoam 1 Chronicles 2:44 and Beth-zur 1 Chronicles 2:45 , is the name of a place where the respective chiefs

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

We must therefore take Hebron as the name of a person, as in 1 Chronicles 6:2 and Exodus 6:18 . But if Hebron be the name of a man, then Mareshah also must be interpreted in the same manner

K&D is arguing directly against the topographical reading Ellicott and Barnes adopt. The two positions in these four voices are not compatible, and the brief does not settle them.

source ↗

The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and Mareshah his second son, who was the father of Hebron.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê ḵā·lêḇ ’ă·ḥî yə·raḥ·mə·’êl mê·šā‘ bə·ḵō·rōw hū ’ă·ḇî- zîp̄ mā·rê·šāh ū·ḇə·nê ’ă·ḇî ḥeḇ·rō·wn

Word by word13 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֤יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

כָלֵב֙ḵā·lêḇof CalebH3612

√ Kâlêb — Caleb, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Kâlêb: Caleb The Chelubai of v. 9 and the Caleb of v. 18, returning after twenty three verses. K&D says all exegetes recognise the identity of the forms.

אֲחִ֣י’ă·ḥîthe brotherH251

√ ʼâch — a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))Nounmasculine singular construct

ʼâch: a brother (used in the widest sense) Linking this Caleb to Jerahmeel, and so back to Hezron.

יְרַחְמְאֵ֔לyə·raḥ·mə·’êlof JerahmeelH3396

√ Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl — Jerachmeel, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

מֵישָׁ֥עmê·šā‘MeshaH4337

√ Mêyshâʻ — Mesha, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Mêyshâʻ: Mesha The same name as the Moabite king of the famous inscription found in 1868 (Ellicott, Cambridge). Cambridge glosses it Victory, enlargement, and notes the Septuagint reads Mareshah here instead.

בְּכֹר֖וֹbə·ḵō·rōwhis firstbornH1060

√ bᵉkôwr — firstbornNounmasculine singular constructthird person masculine singular

ה֣וּאhūwhoH1931

√ hûwʼ — he (she or it)Pronounthird person masculine singular

אֲבִי־’ă·ḇî-was the father ofH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

ʼâb: father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application From this verse to the end of the chapter, the remote sense governs: founder, chief, or lord of a town. Ellicott's summary is that these lists are tribal and topographical rather than genealogical. K&D resists that for Hebron and Mareshah specifically, since v. 44 uses hôlîḏ, which he says can only denote the propagation of a race.

זִ֑יףzîp̄ZiphH2128

√ Zîyph — Ziph, the name of a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

מָרֵשָׁ֖הmā·rê·šāhand MareshahH4762

√ Marʼêshâh — Mareshah, the name of two Israelites and of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

Marʼêshâh: Mareshah, the name of two Israelites and of a place A town in the Shephelah, about twenty four minutes south of Beit-Jibrin on K&D's reckoning.

וּבְנֵ֥יū·ḇə·nêhis second sonH1121

אֲבִ֥י’ă·ḇîwho was the father ofH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

חֶבְרֽוֹן׃ḥeḇ·rō·wnHebronH2275

√ Chebrôwn — Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Chebrôwn: Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two Israelites Strong's entry allows both, which is exactly the ambiguity the commentators are fighting over here.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Caleb brother-of Jerahmeel: Mesha his-firstborn, he father-of-Ziph; and-the-sons-of Mareshah father-of-Hebron.

Where the English smooths the original

וּבְנֵ֥י מָרֵשָׁ֖ה וּבְנֵי מָרֵשָׁה sets a plural construct, and the sons of Mareshah, in parallel with the single name Mesha. K&D calls the collocation very surprising and Barnes prints two rival emendations. BSB reads "and Mareshah his second son," which is a reconstruction, not a translation of the consonants as they stand.
אֲבִי־זִ֑יף אֲבִי זִיף (’ă·ḇî zîp̄) is father of Ziph, and Ziph is a town near Hebron (Joshua 15:55). Geneva glosses the phrase as "the chief governor or prince of the Ziphims, because the prince should have a fatherly care and affection for his people." BSB keeps the English word father and lets it stretch.
ה֣וּא הוּא (hū, H1931) is the bare pronoun he, used as a copula: he, the father of Ziph. Hebrew asserts identity with a pronoun and no verb; BSB writes "who was the father of Ziph," converting a nominal clause into a relative one.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

Elsewhere the name of a subdivision of the Kohathite Levites; in 1Chronicles 1:35 it was a tribe of Edomites. In this place, therefore, it may be a clan of Hebronites

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John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

One of these, Tappuah, is the name of a city in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:34 and there is also Bethtappuah in the same tribe, 1 Chronicles 2:53 which one, or both, might have their name from this man

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

For of these names, Tappuah, i.e., apple, is indeed met with several times as the name of a city ( Joshua 12:17 ; Joshua 15:34 ; Joshua 16:8 ); and Rekem is the name of a city of Benjamin ( Joshua 18:27 ), but occurs also twice as the name of a person - once of a Midianite prince ( Numbers 31:8 ), and once of a Manassite ( 1 Chronicles 7:16 ); but the other two, Korah and Shema, only occur as the names of persons

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The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê ḥeḇ·rō·wn qō·raḥ wə·ṯap·pu·aḥ wə·re·qem wā·šā·ma‘

Word by word6 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֖יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

חֶבְר֑וֹןḥeḇ·rō·wnof HebronH2275

√ Chebrôwn — Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Chebrôwn: Hebron Whether the city or a man is the question K&D spends a page on; the fact that sons are then assigned to him is his decisive argument for a man.

קֹ֥רַחqō·raḥKorahH7141

√ Qôrach — Korach, the name of two Edomites and three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Qôrach: bald, ice Elsewhere a Levite clan and an Edomite tribe.

וְתַפֻּ֖חַwə·ṯap·pu·aḥTappuahH8599

√ Tappûwach — Tappuach, the name of two places in Palestine, also of an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Tappûwach: apple Gill notes there is both a Tappuah and a Beth-tappuah in Judah, and that one or both may have taken their name from this man.

וְרֶ֥קֶםwə·re·qemRekemH7552

√ Reqem — Rekem, the name of a place in Palestine, also of a Midianite and an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וָשָֽׁמַע׃wā·šā·ma‘and ShemaH8087

√ Shemaʻ — Shema, the name of a place in Palestine and of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Shemaʻ: he hears The same three consonants that open Deuteronomy 6:4. The register makes nothing of it, and neither should we beyond noting that these clan names are ordinary Hebrew words.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Hebron: Korah and-Tappuah and-Rekem and-Shema.

Where the English smooths the original

קֹ֥רַח קֹרַח (qō·raḥ, H7141) is Korah, a name Strong assigns to two Edomites and three Israelites, most famously the Levite of Numbers 16. Ellicott suggests that in this place it may be a clan of Hebronites. BSB prints it plain and the reader must know the risk of identification.
וְתַפֻּ֖חַ וְתַפּוּחַ (wə·ṯap·pu·aḥ, H8599) means apple, as K&D notes, and is elsewhere a town in the Shephelah (Joshua 15:34). A word for fruit stands here in a list of sons, which is precisely the ambiguity of this whole section.
וָשָֽׁמַע׃ וָשָׁמַע (wā·šā·ma‘, H8087) is Shema, the consonants of the verb to hear. Strong's entry lists it as both a place in Palestine and four Israelites. His descendants follow in the next verse, so here at least a person is meant.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

Occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament. The LXX. (Alex.) has Ἰεκλάν , Jeklan. Probably, therefore, the correct reading is Jokdeam

Ellicott's emendation rests on a Septuagint variant and a proposed letter change; it is a conjecture, and the Masoretic form stands in BSB.

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John GillExposition of the Entire Bible1746–63

Which Hillerus (s) takes to be the name of a city in the tribe of Judah; and Jarchi's note is, that wherever the word "father" is here used, it is to be understood of the prince of a city that follows

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

moreover, the descendants of Shema and Rekem are spoken of, and that, too, in connection with the word הוליד, "he begat," which demonstrably can only denote the propagation of a race

source ↗

Shema was the father of Raham the father of Jorkeam, and Rekem was the father of Shammai.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·še·ma‘ hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- ra·ḥam ’ă·ḇî yā·rə·qo·‘ām wə·re·qem hō·w·lîḏ ’eṯ- šam·māy

Word by word10 · parsed

וְשֶׁ֣מַעwə·še·ma‘ShemaH8087

√ Shemaʻ — Shema, the name of a place in Palestine and of four IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הוֹלִ֔ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

yâlad: to bear young (Hifil) The verb that, for K&D, proves these entries are people and not merely places.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

רַ֖חַםra·ḥamRahamH7357

√ Racham — Racham, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Racham: Racham, an Israelite The consonants of rechem, womb, and of rachamim, compassion.

אֲבִ֣י’ă·ḇîthe fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

יָרְקֳעָ֑םyā·rə·qo·‘āmof JorkeamH3421

√ Yorqᵉʻâm — Jorkeam, a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

Yorqᵉʻâm: Jorkeam, a place in Palestine Strong's own entry calls it a place, and the verse calls a man its father. That is the whole grammar of vv. 42 to 55 in one word.

וְרֶ֖קֶםwə·re·qemand RekemH7552

√ Reqem — Rekem, the name of a place in Palestine, also of a Midianite and an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Reqem: Rekem, the name of a place in Palestine, also of a Midianite and an Israelite Strong again allows all three.

הוֹלִ֥ידhō·w·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

שַׁמָּֽי׃šam·māyShammaiH8060

√ Shammay — Shammai, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Shammay: Shammai A second Shammai, unrelated to the Jerahmeelite of v. 28. Gill notes the coincidence of names and does not identify them.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Shema begat Raham father-of-Jorkeam; and-Rekem begat Shammai.

Where the English smooths the original

הוֹלִ֔יד הוֹלִיד is used here with a man who is himself called father of a town. K&D makes this the hinge of his argument: hôlîḏ demonstrably can only denote the propagation of a race, so these must be persons even though the names are places. BSB's "was the father of" obscures the force of the verb and so obscures the argument.
רַ֖חַם רַחַם (ra·ḥam, H7357) is written with the consonants of the word for womb and for compassion. Strong gives only "Racham, an Israelite." BSB prints Raham. The name of a founder of a town in Judah is, in its letters, the word for mercy.
יָרְקֳעָ֑ם יָרְקֳעָם (yā·rə·qo·‘ām, H3421) occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, as Ellicott says. He proposes the correct reading is Jokdeam, a town of the hill country (Joshua 15:56), on the ground that the Alexandrian Septuagint reads Jeklan. BSB prints the Masoretic form.

The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇen- šam·may mā·‘ō·wn ū·mā·‘ō·wn ’ă·ḇî ḇêṯ- ṣūr

Word by word7 · parsed

וּבֶן־ū·ḇen-The sonH1121

bên: a son Singular construct, and pointedly so.

שַׁמַּ֖יšam·mayof ShammaiH8060

√ Shammay — Shammai, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

מָע֑וֹןmā·‘ō·wnwas MaonH4584

√ Mâʻôwn — Maon, the name of an Israelite and of a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

Mâʻôwn: a dwelling, a habitation Nabal's country in 1 Samuel 25, and the wilderness David hid in at 1 Samuel 23:24 to 25.

וּמָע֖וֹןū·mā·‘ō·wnand MaonH4584

√ Mâʻôwn — Maon, the name of an Israelite and of a place in PalestineConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

אֲבִ֥י’ă·ḇîwas the father ofH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

ʼâb: father Benson states the rule for this whole stretch: the father is the founder, and Madmannah, Machbenah and Gibea are names not of persons but of places.

בֵֽית־ḇêṯ-vvvH1049

√ Bêyth Tsûwr — Beth-Tsur, a place in PalestinePreposition

צֽוּר׃ṣūrBeth-zurH1049

√ Bêyth Tsûwr — Beth-Tsur, a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

Bêyth Tsûwr: house of rock A stronghold of the Judaean hill country, fortified by Rehoboam.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-son-of Shammai: Maon; and-Maon father-of-Beth-zur.

Where the English smooths the original

וּבֶן־ וּבֶן (ū·ḇen, H1121, masculine singular construct) is genuinely singular here, unlike the plural-for-singular of vv. 8 and 31. BSB writes "The son of" and reads exactly right; the point is that the register can use the singular when it chooses, which makes the plurals elsewhere deliberate.
מָע֑וֹן מָעוֹן (mā·‘ō·wn, H4584) means a dwelling, and Strong's entry names both a man and a place. Cambridge is blunt: it is improbable that Maon was ever used as the name of a person, and Nabal the Calebite lived at the town of Maon (1 Samuel 25:2 to 3). BSB keeps the personal reading of the verse.
בֵֽית־צֽוּר׃ בֵּית־צוּר (H1049) is two words in Hebrew, house of rock, split across two interlinear indices. BSB hyphenates to Beth-zur. A fortified town of Judah (Joshua 15:58, 2 Chronicles 11:7) is here registered as a son.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

These sons of concubines appear to represent mixed populations or tribal groups considered to be of less pure descent than the chief houses of Caleb

The equation of concubine-born sons with mixed populations is Ellicott's sociological reading of the genealogy, not a statement of the text.

source ↗

Geneva Study BibleMarginal Notes1599

The difference between the wife and the concubine was that the wife was taken with a ceremony of marriage and her children inherited, while the concubine had no marriage ceremony, neither did her children inherit, but had a portion of goods or money given to them

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

But Haran may also have given to his son the name of his younger brother, so that a son and grandson of Caleb may have borne the same name

source ↗

Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

kā·lêḇ pî·le·ḡeš wə·‘ê·p̄āh yā·lə·ḏāh ’eṯ- ḥā·rān wə·’eṯ- mō·w·ṣā wə·’eṯ- gā·zêz wə·ḥā·rān hō·lîḏ ’eṯ- gā·zêz

Word by word14 · parsed

כָּלֵ֔בkā·lêḇCaleb’sH3612

√ Kâlêb — Caleb, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

פִּילֶ֣גֶשׁpî·le·ḡešconcubineH6370

√ pîylegesh — a concubineNounfeminine singular construct

pîylegesh: a concubine The first of two in this chapter, both Caleb's. Ellicott reads them as representing mixed populations of less pure descent, comparable to the clients of the great Roman houses. That is his reading; the text says only concubine.

וְעֵיפָה֙wə·‘ê·p̄āhEphahH5891

√ ʻÊyphâh — Ephah, the name of a son of Midian, and of the region settled by himConjunctive wawNounproperfeminine singular

ʻÊyphâh: Ephah, the name of a son of Midian, and of the region settled by him Strong's entry makes her name a Midianite tribe (compare 1 Chronicles 1:33). Ellicott draws the inference that we have here a record of Midianite admixture with the southern Judaeans.

יָֽלְדָ֛הyā·lə·ḏāhwas the motherH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbQalPerfectthird person feminine singular

yâlad: to bear young Qal, feminine, as of Tamar in v. 4 and Abigail in v. 17.

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

חָרָ֥ןḥā·rānof HaranH2771

√ Chârân — Charan, the name of a man and also of a placeNounpropermasculine singular

Chârân: Charan, the name of a man and also of a place The same consonants as Abraham's brother and as the city where Terah settled (Genesis 11:26, 31). Ellicott notes that the Midianites claimed descent from Abraham, so the name may well belong to a half-Midianite clan.

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

מוֹצָ֖אmō·w·ṣāMozaH4162

√ môwtsâʼ — Motsa, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

גָּזֵ֑זgā·zêzand GazezH1495

√ Gâzêz — Gazez, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Gâzêz: Gazez, the name of two Israelites Strong's entry already assumes two men, which is one way of taking the doubling in this verse.

וְחָרָ֖ןwə·ḥā·rānHaranH2771

√ Chârân — Charan, the name of a man and also of a placeConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

הֹלִ֥ידhō·lîḏwas the father ofH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

גָּזֵֽז׃סgā·zêzGazezH1495

√ Gâzêz — Gazez, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-Ephah, concubine-of Caleb, bore Haran and-Moza and-Gazez; and-Haran begat Gazez.

Where the English smooths the original

פִּילֶ֣גֶשׁ פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pî·le·ḡeš, H6370) is concubine, in the construct: concubine of Caleb. BSB writes "Caleb's concubine Ephah." Geneva sets out what the word meant legally: no marriage ceremony, and children who did not inherit but received a portion of goods or money.
יָֽלְדָ֛ה יָלְדָה (Qal perfect third person feminine) is she bore, and two verses later the same root appears as masculine יָלַד with a woman as subject. The inconsistency is in the Hebrew, not in the translation, and K&D explains v. 48 by supposing the begetting father was present to the writer's mind.
גָּזֵ֑ז / גָּזֵֽז׃ס גָּזֵז (H1495) appears twice in one verse, first as Ephah's son and then as Haran's. Pulpit calls the repetition remarkable and suggestive of a mistake, and notes the Septuagint omits the second clause entirely. K&D allows instead that Haran may have named his son after his own younger brother.

The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·ḇə·nê yā·hə·dāy re·ḡem wə·yō·w·ṯām wə·ḡê·šān wā·p̄e·leṭ wə·‘ê·p̄āh wā·šā·‘ap̄

Word by word8 · parsed

וּבְנֵ֖יū·ḇə·nêThe sonsH1121

יָהְדָּ֑יyā·hə·dāyof JahdaiH3056

√ Yehday — Jehdai, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Yehday: Jehdai, an Israelite Unattached and unexplained. Gill guesses he is the Moza of v. 46 under another name, or Hillerus's son of Moza; Pulpit floats that Jahdai may be yet another concubine. All three are guesses and are labelled as such by the men who make them.

רֶ֧גֶםre·ḡemRegemH7276

√ Regem — Regem, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Regem: Regem, an Israelite Attested here alone.

וְיוֹתָ֛םwə·yō·w·ṯāmJothamH3147

√ Yôwthâm — Jotham, the name of three IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וְגֵישָׁ֥ןwə·ḡê·šānGeshanH1529

√ Gêyshân — Geshan, an IsraeliteConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וָפֶ֖לֶטwā·p̄e·leṭPeletH6404

√ Peleṭ — Pelet, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

וְעֵיפָ֥הwə·‘ê·p̄āhEphahH5891

√ ʻÊyphâh — Ephah, the name of a son of Midian, and of the region settled by himConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

ʻÊyphâh: Ephah Twice in two verses, once as a woman and once as a man. The lexeme is Midianite in 1 Chronicles 1:33.

וָשָֽׁעַף׃wā·šā·‘ap̄and ShaaphH8174

√ Shaʻaph — Shaaph, the name of two IsraelitesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

Shaʻaph: Shaaph, the name of two Israelites Strong's entry records two, and this chapter contains both.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-sons-of Jahdai: Regem and-Jotham and-Geshan and-Pelet and-Ephah and-Shaaph.

Where the English smooths the original

יָהְדָּ֑י יָהְדָּי (yā·hə·dāy, H3056) appears with no link whatever to what precedes or follows. K&D: the genealogical connection of the names in this verse is entirely wanting, and Jahdai appears quite abruptly. BSB prints the verse as if it belonged; the Hebrew simply drops it in.
וְעֵיפָ֥ה וְעֵיפָה (wə·‘ê·p̄āh, H5891) is Ephah, the same lexeme that named Caleb's concubine one verse earlier, here a man. Ellicott calls it curious to find the Midianite name recurring among them. BSB gives no signal that it is the same word.
וָשָֽׁעַף׃ וָשָׁעַף (wā·šā·‘ap̄, H8174) is Shaaph, and a different Shaaph appears two verses later as son of Maacah. K&D notes the two are distinct. The chapter reuses names freely, which is a standing trap for identification.

Caleb’s concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

kā·lêḇ pi·le·ḡeš ma·‘ă·ḵāh yā·laḏ še·ḇer wə·’eṯ- tir·ḥă·nāh

Word by word7 · parsed

כָּלֵב֙kā·lêḇCaleb’sH3612

√ Kâlêb — Caleb, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Kâlêb: Caleb The verse opens with the man's name and the woman's status, and only then gives her name.

פִּלֶ֤גֶשׁpi·le·ḡešconcubineH6370

√ pîylegesh — a concubineNounfeminine singular construct

pîylegesh: a concubine Caleb's second, after Ephah.

מַעֲכָ֔הma·‘ă·ḵāhMaacahH4601

√ Maʻăkâh — Maakah (or Maakath), the name of a place in Syria, also of a Mesopotamian, of three Israelites, and of four Israelitesses and one Syrian womanNounproperfeminine singular

Maʻăkâh: Maakah A Syrian state on the north east border of Israel (Deuteronomy 3:14). If Ellicott is right that this entry records Aramean blood in Caleb's house, then within four verses the register has admitted a Midianite element (v. 46) and an Aramean one, in the very clan that holds Hebron and Bethlehem.

יָ֥לַדyā·laḏwas the motherH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular

yâlad: to bear young Masculine form with a feminine subject. The grammar is broken, the commentators know it, and the register was copied faithfully anyway.

שֶׁ֖בֶרše·ḇerof SheberH7669

√ Sheber — Sheber, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Sheber: a breaking, a fracture Attested here alone.

וְאֶֽת־wə·’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker

תִּרְחֲנָֽה׃tir·ḥă·nāhand TirhanahH8647

√ Tirchănâh — Tirchanah, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Literal — word-for-word from the original

Concubine-of Caleb: Maacah; he-bore Sheber and Tirhanah.

Where the English smooths the original

יָ֥לַד יָלַד (yā·laḏ, H3205) is parsed here as Qal perfect third person masculine singular, he bore, with a woman as the apparent subject. Two verses earlier the same root was feminine. BSB reads "was the mother of," silently taking the variant reading. Gill notes the verb is masculine and so does K&D; Ellicott observes that a masculine verb makes sense if Maachah names a race rather than a woman.
פִּלֶ֤גֶשׁ פִּלֶגֶשׁ here is spelled defectively, without the yod that v. 46 has. The same noun, two spellings, two verses apart. BSB prints concubine both times.
מַעֲכָ֔ה מַעֲכָה (ma·‘ă·ḵāh, H4601) is a name Strong assigns to a place in Syria, a Mesopotamian, three Israelites, four Israelitesses and one Syrian woman. Ellicott notes that Maachah was a well known Aramean state and infers that these Calebites were partly of Aramean origin. BSB simply names her.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

In Joshua 15:13-19 the father of Achsah is called Caleb son of Jephunneh. This Caleb son of Jephunneh is associated with Joshua in the Pentateuch ( Numbers 12:6 ; Numbers 12:8 ), and took a prominent part in the conquest of Canaan. As he represents Judah ( Numbers 12:6 ; comp. Judges 1:10-12 ), it is reasonable to see in Caleb son of Jephunneh the chief of the tribal division of Hezron-Caleb in the time of Joshua. Already in these curious lists we have met with special memorials of remarkable members of clans (comp. 1Chronicles 2:6-7 ; 1Chronicles 2:20 ), and we may see in the brief clause “and Achsah, daughter of Caleb” a similar notice that this famous person was a Calebite

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

This notice can only refer to the Achsah so well known in the history of the conquest of the tribal domain of Judah, whom Caleb had promised, and gave as a reward to the conqueror of Debir ( Joshua 15:16 .; Judges 1:12 ); otherwise in its abrupt form it would have no meaning. Women occur in the genealogies only when they have played an important part in history

K&D goes on to conclude that the two Calebs cannot be one person and that the two Achsahs must be distinguished; Bertheau argues the opposite. We report the deadlock.

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

who according to Joshua 15:13-19 was Caleb son of Jephunneh) also had a daughter Achsah

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She was also the mother of Shaaph father of Madmannah, and of Sheva father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Acsah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wat·tê·leḏ Ša·ʿap̲ ’ă·ḇî maḏ·man·nāh ’eṯ- šə·wā ’ă·ḇî maḵ·bê·nāh wa·’ă·ḇî ḡiḇ·‘ā kā·lêḇ ū·ḇaṯ- ‘aḵ·sāh

Word by word13 · parsed

וַתֵּ֗לֶדwat·tê·leḏShe was also the motherH3205

√ yâlad — to bear youngConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person feminine singular

yâlad: to bear young Feminine consecutive imperfect, continuing Maacah from v. 48.

שַׁ֚עַףŠa·ʿap̲of ShaaphH8174

√ Shaʻaph — Shaaph, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Shaʻaph: Shaaph Different from the Shaaph of v. 47 (K&D).

אֲבִ֣י’ă·ḇîfatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

מַדְמַנָּ֔הmaḏ·man·nāhof MadmannahH4089

√ Madmannâh — Madmannah, a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

אֶת־’eṯ-H853

√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker

שְׁוָ֛אšə·wāand of ShevaH7724

√ Shᵉvâʼ — Sheva, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Shᵉvâʼ: Sheva, an Israelite K&D notes that David's scribe is called by this name in the Qere of 2 Samuel 20:25.

אֲבִ֥י’ă·ḇîfatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

מַכְבֵּנָ֖הmaḵ·bê·nāhof MachbenahH4343

√ Makbênâʼ — Macbena, a place in Palestine settled by himNounpropermasculine singular

וַאֲבִ֣יwa·’ă·ḇî. . .H1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationConjunctive wawNounmasculine singular construct

גִבְעָ֑אḡiḇ·‘āand GibeaH1388

√ Gibʻâʼ — Giba, a place in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular

Gibʻâʼ: Giba, a place in Palestine Probably the Gibeah of the Judaean hill country (Joshua 15:57).

כָּלֵ֖בkā·lêḇCaleb’sH3612

√ Kâlêb — Caleb, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

וּבַת־ū·ḇaṯ-daughterH1323

√ bath — a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)Conjunctive wawNounfeminine singular construct

bath: a daughter K&D states the principle this verse rests on: women occur in the genealogies only when they have played an important part in history. Of the several women in this chapter, only Acsah gets a story elsewhere.

עַכְסָֽה׃ס‘aḵ·sāhwas AcsahH5915

√ ʻAkçâh — Aksah, an IsraelitessNounproperfeminine singular

ʻAkçâh: anklet The woman of Joshua 15:16 to 19 and Judges 1:12 to 15, who asked her father for springs of water in the dry Negeb and got them. If that is this Acsah, then the chronology is impossible, since Caleb son of Hezron lived centuries before Caleb son of Jephunneh; K&D therefore distinguishes them, Bertheau identifies them, Movers would delete the clause, and Ellicott reads it as a note that the famous woman was of Calebite stock. The problem is real and unresolved.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-she-bore Shaaph father-of-Madmannah, Sheva father-of-Machbenah and-father-of-Gibea; and-the-daughter-of Caleb: Acsah.

Where the English smooths the original

וַתֵּ֗לֶד וַתֵּלֶד is feminine here, immediately after the masculine יָלַד of v. 48, with the same subject. BSB smooths both to "was the mother of" and "She was also the mother of," so the reader never meets the clash.
וּבַת־כָּלֵ֖ב עַכְסָֽה׃ס וּבַת כָּלֵב עַכְסָה is a verbless clause tacked onto the end of a list: and the daughter of Caleb, Acsah. BSB gives it a full sentence, "Caleb's daughter was Acsah." K&D calls the remark abrupt and says that in this form it would have no meaning unless it referred to the famous Achsah of Joshua 15:16.
אֲבִ֥י / וַאֲבִ֣י אֲבִי occurs three times in this one verse, of Madmannah, Machbenah and Gibea, all of them towns. Poole: these and divers other following names are the names of places in Judah, and father is meant as in vv. 23 and 24. The English word father cannot carry three town foundings without strain.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Charles EllicottCommentary for English Readers1878

one of the four cities of the Gibeonites ( Joshua 9:17 ), also called Kirjath-Baal and Baalah ( Joshua 15:9 ; Joshua 15:60 ), in the hill-country of Judah

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Albert BarnesNotes on the Bible1834

Hur was the son, not the father, of Caleb 1 Chronicles 2:19 . The text should perhaps be read

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

Read with LXX., These were the sons of Caleb. The sons of Hur (Cp. R.V.). Hur was the son of Caleb

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

The superscription, "These are the sons (descendants) of Caleb," is more accurately defined by the addition, "the son of Hur, the first-born of Ephratah;" and by this definition the following lists of Caleb's descendants are limited to the families descended from his son Hur

K&D defends the Masoretic singular against the Septuagint plural that Barnes and Cambridge adopt; the reading is genuinely contested.

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These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’êl·leh hā·yū bə·nê ḵā·lêḇ ben- ḥūr bə·ḵō·wr ’ep̄·rā·ṯāh šō·w·ḇāl ’ă·ḇî qir·yaṯ yə·‘ā·rîm

Word by word12 · parsed

אֵ֤לֶּה’êl·lehTheseH428

√ ʼêl-leh — these or thosePronouncommon plural

הָיוּ֙hā·yūwereH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iVerbQalPerfectthird person common plural

hâyâh: to exist, to be Perfect plural, closing a section.

בְּנֵ֣יbə·nêthe descendantsH1121

כָלֵ֔בḵā·lêḇof CalebH3612

√ Kâlêb — Caleb, the name of three IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Kâlêb: Caleb The name has now appeared nine times in this chapter, in at least two and possibly three senses. JFB, Barnes and Cambridge all judge that the words here have been transposed in copying and should read Hur the son of Caleb, since v. 19 makes Hur Caleb's son.

בֶּן־ben-The sonsH1121

ח֖וּרḥūrof HurH2354

√ Chûwr — Chur, the name of four Israelites and one MidianiteNounpropermasculine singular

Chûwr: Hur Bezalel's grandfather (v. 20), now the head of a group of Judaean towns.

בְּכ֣וֹרbə·ḵō·wrthe firstbornH1060

√ bᵉkôwr — firstbornNounmasculine singular construct

bᵉkôwr: firstborn The fifth and last firstborn in the unit.

אֶפְרָ֑תָה’ep̄·rā·ṯāhof EphrathahH672

√ ʼEphrâth — Ephrath, another name for BethlehemNounproperfeminine singular

ʼEphrâthâh: Ephrathah, another name for Bethlehem A woman's name at v. 19, a mother's name here, and a town's name at Micah 5:2. All three are the same word.

שׁוֹבָ֕לšō·w·ḇālShobalH7732

√ Shôwbâl — Shobal, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

אֲבִ֖י’ă·ḇîthe fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

קִרְיַ֥תqir·yaṯvvvH7157

√ Qiryath Yᵉʻârîym — Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in Palestine

יְעָרִֽים׃yə·‘ā·rîmof Kiriath-jearimH7157

√ Qiryath Yᵉʻârîym — Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

Qiryath Yᵉʻârîym: city of woods One of the four Gibeonite cities (Joshua 9:17), and the place where the ark rested twenty years after its return from the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:1 to 2).

Literal — word-for-word from the original

These were the-sons-of Caleb. Son-of Hur, firstborn-of Ephrathah: Shobal father-of-Kiriath-jearim,

Where the English smooths the original

בֶּן־ח֖וּר בֶּן חוּר (ben ḥūr) is son of Hur, singular, though three names follow in vv. 50 and 51. Cambridge and Barnes both read with the Septuagint, the sons of Hur. K&D defends the singular and argues that it proves the words are a heading, not an apposition to Caleb. BSB prints "The sons of Hur," adopting the emendation.
אֵ֤לֶּה הָיוּ֙ אֵלֶּה הָיוּ is the same subscription formula that closed the Jerahmeelite list at v. 33. Ellicott says it should be connected with v. 49 as a concluding remark to vv. 42 to 49, not read as an opening. BSB keeps it as the first words of v. 50 and the structural signal is lost.
בְּכ֣וֹר אֶפְרָ֑תָה בְּכוֹר אֶפְרָתָה is firstborn of Ephrathah, the fuller form of the Ephrath of v. 19. Hur is reckoned by his mother, not his father: the fourth time in this chapter that a line is traced through a woman.

Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

śal·mā ’ă·ḇî ḇêṯ- lā·ḥem ḥā·rêp̄ ’ă·ḇî ḇêṯ- gā·ḏêr

Word by word8 · parsed

שַׂלְמָא֙śal·māSalmaH8007

√ Salmâʼ — Salma, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Salmâʼ: Salma, the name of two Israelites Strong's entry itself records two men. The chapter contains both, forty verses apart.

אֲבִ֣י’ă·ḇîthe father ofH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

ʼâb: father Founder or prince, as Gill glosses from the Targum.

בֵֽית־ḇêṯ-vvvH1035

√ Bêyth Lechem — Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestinePreposition

לָ֔חֶםlā·ḥemBethlehemH1035

√ Bêyth Lechem — Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

Bêyth Lechem: house of bread Entered here as a settlement founded by a Calebite. The Chronicler's readers knew what came out of it, and the register says nothing.

חָרֵ֖ףḥā·rêp̄and HarephH2780

√ Chârêph — Chareph, an IsraeliteNounpropermasculine singular

Chârêph: Chareph, an Israelite Named here alone, and nothing is told of his descendants; K&D says so plainly.

אֲבִ֥י’ă·ḇîthe fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

בֵית־ḇêṯ-vvvH1013

√ Bêyth-Gâdêr — Beth-Gader, a place in PalestinePreposition

גָּדֵֽר׃gā·ḏêrof Beth-gaderH1013

√ Bêyth-Gâdêr — Beth-Gader, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

Bêyth-Gâdêr: house of the wall K&D distinguishes it from the Gederah of Joshua 15:36 and identifies it probably with Gedor in the hill country, west of the Hebron to Jerusalem road.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

Salma father-of-Bethlehem, Hareph father-of-Beth-gader.

Where the English smooths the original

שַׂלְמָא֙ שַׂלְמָא (śal·mā, H8007) is the same lexeme as the Salma of v. 11, David's ancestor, but K&D insists they are not the same person: one belongs to the family of Ram, the other to the family of Caleb. Poole says the same. BSB prints the name identically both times and gives no warning.
בֵֽית־לָ֔חֶם בֵּית לָחֶם (H1035) is two Hebrew words, house of bread, split across two interlinear indices. BSB writes Bethlehem. In this verse the town is the object of a founding, not a birthplace, and K&D cannot resist naming it the birth-place of David and Christ.
חָרֵ֖ף חָרֵף (ḥā·rêp̄, H2780) occurs here alone. Poole and Gill both identify his town Beth-gader with the Gedor of 1 Chronicles 4:4, where the founder's name is given instead as Penuel. The two lists do not agree and the brief does not reconcile them.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

If the text be sound, render, Who provided for half the resting-places , the description applying to Shobal, whose work apparently was to supervise some of the halting-stations of the caravans which passed through the territory of Judah

Cambridge's rendering is offered conditionally and is a minority reading; it rests on the parallel of Seraiah's title at Jeremiah 51:59.

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Matthew PooleAnnotations upon the Holy Bible1685

which may signify an overseer, a prophet, or teacher, or ruler; but here is a proper name, as appears from 1 Chronicles 4:2

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

These words, which are translated in the Vulgate, qui videbat dimidium requietionum, give, so interpreted, no fitting sense, but must contain proper names

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These were the descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim: Haroeh, half the Manahathites,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

way·yih·yū ḇā·nîm lə·šō·w·ḇāl ’ă·ḇî qir·yaṯ yə·‘ā·rîm hā·rō·’eh ḥă·ṣî ham·mə·nu·ḥō·wṯ

Word by word9 · parsed

וַיִּהְי֤וּway·yih·yūThese wereH1961

√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural

בָנִים֙ḇā·nîmthe descendantsH1121

√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural

bên: a son Indefinite plural in a possession clause.

לְשׁוֹבָ֔לlə·šō·w·ḇālof ShobalH7732

√ Shôwbâl — Shobal, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesPreposition-lNounpropermasculine singular

Shôwbâl: Shobal, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites The Verifier links this lexeme back to 1 Chronicles 1:40 and Genesis 36:23, where a Shobal is a Horite chief in Edom. The name crosses the line between Esau's register and Jacob's.

אֲבִ֖י’ă·ḇîthe fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

קִרְיַ֣תqir·yaṯvvvH7157

√ Qiryath Yᵉʻârîym — Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in Palestine

יְעָרִ֑יםyə·‘ā·rîmof Kiriath-jearimH7157

√ Qiryath Yᵉʻârîym — Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

הָרֹאֶ֖הhā·rō·’ehHaroehH7204

√ Rôʼêh — Roeh, an IsraeliteArticleNounmasculine singular

Rôʼêh: the seer The article on what should be a name. Cambridge would read Reaiah with 1 Chronicles 4:2.

חֲצִ֥יḥă·ṣîhalfH2677

√ chêtsîy — the half or middleNounmasculine singular construct

chêtsîy: the half or middle Construct. The same word recurs at v. 54 for the other half, which is the strongest argument that a real division of a real group is meant.

הַמְּנֻחֽוֹת׃ham·mə·nu·ḥō·wṯthe ManahathitesH4506

√ Mânachath — Manachath, the name of an Edomite and of a place in MoabArticleNounpropermasculine singular

Mânachath: Manachath, the name of an Edomite and of a place in Moab Strong's entry is itself Edomite and Moabite. Whether the Hebrew here names a people or the resting places of a caravan road is genuinely open.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-there-were sons to-Shobal father-of-Kiriath-jearim: Haroeh, half of-the-Manahathites.

Where the English smooths the original

הָרֹאֶ֖ה הָרֹאֶה (hā·rō·’eh, H7204) carries the definite article and is, in form, the participle the seer. Poole notes it may signify an overseer, a prophet, a teacher or a ruler, but is here a proper name; 1 Chronicles 4:2 gives the man as Reaiah. K&D suspects the form in our text is a corruption produced by a reader trying to make sense of the next phrase.
חֲצִ֥י הַמְּנֻחֽוֹת׃ חֲצִי הַמְּנֻחוֹת is literally half of the resting places. The Vulgate translated it that way and produced nonsense (K&D quotes it: qui videbat dimidium requietionum). BSB reads "half the Manahathites," a family name; Cambridge suggests instead that Shobal provided for half the caravan halting stations of Judah. The two readings are very far apart.
בָנִים֙ בָנִים (ḇā·nîm) stands here without the article and without a construct, and there were sons to Shobal. BSB writes "These were the descendants of Shobal." The Hebrew is a possession clause of the same kind as v. 22 and v. 34.

and the clans of Kiriath-jearim—the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ qir·yaṯ yə·‘ā·rîm hay·yiṯ·rî wə·hap·pū·ṯî wə·haš·šu·mā·ṯî wə·ham·miš·rā·‘î mê·’êl·leh yā·ṣə·’ū haṣ·ṣā·rə·‘ā·ṯî wə·hā·’eš·tā·’u·lî

Word by word11 · parsed

וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת֙ū·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯand the clansH4940

√ mishpâchâh — a family, iConjunctive wawNounfeminine plural construct

mishpâchâh: a family, a clan The word occurs in 224 verses and is the standard unit of Israelite social reckoning, between the tribe and the household.

קִרְיַ֣תqir·yaṯvvvH7157

√ Qiryath Yᵉʻârîym — Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in Palestine

יְעָרִ֔יםyə·‘ā·rîmof Kiriath-jearimH7157

√ Qiryath Yᵉʻârîym — Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

הַיִּתְרִי֙hay·yiṯ·rîthe IthritesH3505

√ Yithrîy — a Jithrite or descendant of JetherArticleNounpropermasculine singular

Yithrîy: a Jithrite or descendant of Jether Two of David's mighty men came from this clan.

וְהַפּוּתִ֔יwə·hap·pū·ṯîPuthitesH6336

√ Pûwthîy — a Puthite (collectively) or descendants of an unknown PuthConjunctive waw, ArticleNounpropermasculine singular

וְהַשֻּׁמָתִ֖יwə·haš·šu·mā·ṯîShumathitesH8126

√ Shumâthîy — a Shumathite (collectively) or descendants of ShumahConjunctive waw, ArticleNounpropermasculine singular

וְהַמִּשְׁרָעִ֑יwə·ham·miš·rā·‘îand MishraitesH4954

√ Mishrâʻîy — a Mishraite, or inhabitant (collectively) of MishraConjunctive waw, ArticleNounpropermasculine singular

מֵאֵ֗לֶּהmê·’êl·lehFrom theseH428

√ ʼêl-leh — these or thosePreposition-mPronouncommon plural

יָצְאוּ֙yā·ṣə·’ūdescendedH3318

√ yâtsâʼ — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proximVerbQalPerfectthird person common plural

yâtsâʼ: to go or bring out, in a great variety of applications Qal perfect, third person common plural. The verb of issuing, used here for clans budding off into new towns. Benson describes the process concretely: two men of Kiriath-jearim built Zorah and Eshtaol and left two great families called after them.

הַצָּ֣רְעָתִ֔יhaṣ·ṣā·rə·‘ā·ṯîthe ZorathitesH6882

√ Tsorʻîy — a Tsorite or Tsorathite, iArticleNounpropermasculine singular

Tsorʻîy: a Tsorite or Tsorathite Of Zorah, Samson's home town (Judges 13:2), on the Danite border.

וְהָאֶשְׁתָּ֖אֻֽלִֽי׃סwə·hā·’eš·tā·’u·lîand EshtaolitesH848

√ ʼEshtâʼulîy — an Eshtaolite (collectively) or inhabitant of EshtaolConjunctive waw, ArticleNounpropermasculine singular

ʼEshtâʼulîy: an Eshtaolite or inhabitant of Eshtaol Eshtaol lay near Zorah, and between the two Samson was first stirred by the Spirit of the LORD (Judges 13:25). The register is quietly mapping a Judaean clan onto ground the book of Judges calls Danite.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-clans of-Kiriath-jearim: the-Ithrite and-the-Puthite and-the-Shumathite and-the-Mishraite; from-these went-out the-Zorathite and-the-Eshtaolite.

Where the English smooths the original

וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת֙ וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת (ū·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ, H4940) is clans or families, and K&D argues that the waw simply continues the list of Shobal's sons from v. 52. So the Hebrew makes clans and sons items in one series. BSB starts a new clause and the continuity is broken.
הַיִּתְרִי֙ הַיִּתְרִי (hay·yiṯ·rî, H3505) is a gentilic singular with the article, the Ithrite, standing for the whole clan. BSB pluralises all four to Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, Mishraites. K&D notes that David's heroes Ira and Gareb were of this family (2 Samuel 23:38).
יָצְאוּ֙ יָצְאוּ (yā·ṣə·’ū, H3318) is they went out, came forth, a verb of movement and issuing. BSB renders it "descended," which is genealogical; the Hebrew word is the one used of armies marching out and of a people going out of Egypt, and here it describes settlement spreading.

The Voices✦ 3 public domain

Joseph BensonCommentary on the Old and New Testaments1810s

That is, the inhabitants of Beth-lehem: and so of Ataroth, and the house of Joab, or, as it should rather be rendered, Beth-joab, for the writer is not speaking of a family, but of a place. The people of those towns, and the Manahethites, and the Zorites, were all the descendants of this Salma, the son of Caleb. So that, it appears, he had a very numerous posterity

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Albert BarnesNotes on the Bible1834

probably so called, to distinguish it from Ataroth-Adar, a city of Benjamin Joshua 18:13 . It is uncertain from what Joab it derived its distinctive appellation

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

the Netophathites, i.e., the inhabitants of the town of Netophah, which, according to our verse and Ezra 2:22 , and especially Nehemiah 7:26 , is to be looked for in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem (cf. 1 Chronicles 9:16 ); a family which produced at various times renowned men

source ↗

The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

bə·nê śal·mā bêṯ le·ḥem ū·nə·ṭō·w·p̄ā·ṯî ‘aṭ·rō·wṯ bêṯ yō·w·’āḇ wa·ḥă·ṣî ham·mā·naḥ·tî haṣ·ṣā·rə·‘î

Word by word11 · parsed

בְּנֵ֣יbə·nêThe descendantsH1121

bên: a son (as a builder of the family name) Here the builders of the family name are literally settlements.

שַׂלְמָ֗אśal·māof SalmaH8007

√ Salmâʼ — Salma, the name of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Salmâʼ: Salma Hur's son of v. 51, not David's ancestor of v. 11.

בֵּ֥יתbêṯvvvH1035

√ Bêyth Lechem — Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestinePreposition

לֶ֙חֶם֙le·ḥemBethlehemH1035

√ Bêyth Lechem — Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

Bêyth Lechem: house of bread Entered a second time, now as a clan rather than a town.

וּנְט֣וֹפָתִ֔יū·nə·ṭō·w·p̄ā·ṯîthe NetophathitesH5200

√ Nᵉṭôphâthîy — a Netophathite, or inhabitant of NetophahConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular

עַטְר֖וֹת‘aṭ·rō·wṯvvvH5854

√ ʻAṭrôwth bêyth Yôwʼâb — Atroth-beth-Joab, a place in Palestine

בֵּ֣יתbêṯvvvH5854

√ ʻAṭrôwth bêyth Yôwʼâb — Atroth-beth-Joab, a place in PalestinePreposition

יוֹאָ֑בyō·w·’āḇAtroth-beth-joabH5854

√ ʻAṭrôwth bêyth Yôwʼâb — Atroth-beth-Joab, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

ʻAṭrôwth bêyth Yôwʼâb: crowns of the house of Joab Not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture. The Joab whose house it was cannot be identified, as Barnes says.

וַחֲצִ֥יwa·ḥă·ṣîhalfH2677

√ chêtsîy — the half or middleConjunctive wawNounmasculine singular construct

הַמָּנַחְתִּ֖יham·mā·naḥ·tîthe ManahathitesH4506

√ Mânachath — Manachath, the name of an Edomite and of a place in MoabArticleNounpropermasculine singular

Mânachath: Manachath The other half of v. 52. Two halves, two fathers: the register is recording that one district was settled from two directions.

הַצָּרְעִֽי׃haṣ·ṣā·rə·‘îthe ZoritesH6882

√ Tsorʻîy — a Tsorite or Tsorathite, iArticleNounpropermasculine singular

Tsorʻîy: a Tsorite The second Zorah clan.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

The-sons-of Salma: Bethlehem and-the-Netophathite, Atroth-beth-Joab, and-half of-the-Manahathite, the-Zorite.

Where the English smooths the original

בְּנֵ֣י שַׂלְמָ֗א בְּנֵי שַׂלְמָא is the sons of Salma, and the sons that follow are a town, a gentilic, a fortress name, half a district and another gentilic. BSB writes "The descendants of Salma," which softens the collision. Benson states it flatly: that is, the inhabitants of Bethlehem.
עַטְר֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית יוֹאָ֑ב עַטְרוֹת בֵּית יוֹאָב is three Hebrew words meaning crowns of the house of Joab, spread over three interlinear indices. BSB hyphenates to Atroth-beth-joab. Ellicott suggests Joab's castle; Barnes says the name distinguishes it from Ataroth-Adar and that it is uncertain which Joab is meant.
הַצָּרְעִֽי׃ הַצָּרְעִי (haṣ·ṣā·rə·‘î, H6882) is a shorter gentilic form of the הַצָּרְעָתִי of v. 53, the same lexeme. K&D takes the two as a second division of the same town's people, one branch from Shobal and one from Salma. BSB prints Zorathites in v. 53 and Zorites here, and the identity of the lexeme is invisible.

The Voices✦ 4 public domain

Albert BarnesNotes on the Bible1834

It is remarkable that Kenites - people of a race quite distinct from the Israelites Genesis 15:19 - should be attached to, and, as it were, included in the descendants of Judah. It seems, however, that the friendly feeling between the two tribes - based on the conduct of the Kenites at the time of the Exodus Exo 18:10-19; Numbers 10:29-32 ; 1 Samuel 15:6 - led to their intermixture and almost amalgamation with the Israelites, Kenite families not only dwelling among them but being actually regarded as of one blood with them

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Jamieson, Fausset & BrownCommentary Critical and Explanatory1871

either civil or ecclesiastical officers of the Kenite origin, who are here classed with the tribe of Judah, not as being descended from it, but as dwelling within its territory, and in a measure incorporated with its people

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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges—1880s

The Rechabites ( 2 Kings 10:15 ; Jeremiah 35:2 ff.) are here traced to a non-Israelite source

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Keil & DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament1860s

The Vulgate has taken these words in an appellative sense of the occupations of these three classes, and translates canentes et resonantes et in tabernaculis commemorantes

K&D quotes the Vulgate's reading of the three clan names as occupations (singing, resounding, dwelling in tents) in order to reject it; Pulpit reports that Bertheau advocates it. The reading is disputed.

source ↗

and the clans of the scribes who lived at Jabez—the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ sō·p̄ə·rîm yō·šə·ḇū ya‘·bêṣ tir·‘ā·ṯîm šim·‘ā·ṯîm śū·ḵā·ṯîm hêm·māh haq·qî·nîm hab·bā·’îm mê·ḥam·maṯ ’ă·ḇî ḇêṯ- rê·ḵāḇ

Word by word14 · parsed

וּמִשְׁפְּח֤וֹתū·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯand the clansH4940

√ mishpâchâh — a family, iConjunctive wawNounfeminine plural construct

mishpâchâh: a family, a clan The chapter's last use of its social unit.

סֹפְרִים֙sō·p̄ə·rîmof the scribesH5608

√ çâphar — properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, iNounmasculine plural

çâphar: properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record The root behind scribe, book and number. A genealogy built by tallying names ends by registering the tally-keepers themselves, and registering them as Kenites.

יֹשְׁבוּyō·šə·ḇūwho livedH3427

√ yâshab — properly, to sit down (specifically as judgeVerbQalParticiplemasculine plural construct

yâshab: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge) Qal participle. Strong's parenthesis, as judge, sits oddly and well with a clan of scribes.

יַעְבֵּ֔ץya‘·bêṣat JabezH3258

√ Yaʻbêts — Jabets, the name of an Israelite, and also of a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular

Yaʻbêts: Jabets, the name of an Israelite, and also of a place JFB takes it for a place in Judah; Cambridge and Gill connect it with the Jabez of 1 Chronicles 4:9, and Pulpit expressly doubts the connection.

תִּרְעָתִ֥יםtir·‘ā·ṯîmthe TirathitesH8654

√ Tirʻâthîy — a Tirathite or inhabitant of an unknown TirahNounpropermasculine plural

שִׁמְעָתִ֖יםšim·‘ā·ṯîmShimeathitesH8101

√ Shimʻâthîy — a Shimathite (collectively) or descendants of ShimahNounpropermasculine plural

שׂוּכָתִ֑יםśū·ḵā·ṯîmand SucathitesH7756

√ Sûwkâthîy — a Sukathite or descendant of an unknown Israelite named SukahNounpropermasculine plural

הֵ֚מָּהhêm·māhTheseH1992

√ hêm — they (only used when emphatic)Pronounthird person masculine plural

הַקִּינִ֣יםhaq·qî·nîmare the KenitesH7017

√ Qêynîy — a Kenite or member of the tribe of KajinArticleNounpropermasculine plural

Qêynîy: a Kenite or member of the tribe of Kajin Descendants of the father-in-law of Moses (Judges 1:16, 4:11), who came up with Israel and lived among them. Saul warned them out of Amalek before the slaughter (1 Samuel 15:6). Here they are written into Judah's own register, and Barnes concludes that Kenite families were actually regarded as of one blood with Israel.

הַבָּאִ֔יםhab·bā·’îmwho cameH935

√ bôwʼ — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)ArticleVerbQalParticiplemasculine plural

bôwʼ: to go or come Qal participle with the article, the ones coming. Cambridge renders it "the Kenites who came in," that is, who attached themselves to Israel. The last verb in the chapter is a verb of joining.

מֵחַמַּ֖תmê·ḥam·maṯfrom HammathH2575

√ Chammath — Chammath, a place in PalestinePreposition-mNounpropermasculine singular

אֲבִ֥י’ă·ḇîthe fatherH1

√ ʼâb — father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationNounmasculine singular construct

בֵית־ḇêṯ-of the houseH1004

√ bayith — a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etcNounmasculine singular construct

bayith: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family) Construct.

רֵכָֽב׃סrê·ḵāḇof RechabH7394

√ Rêkâb — Rekab, the name of two Arabs and of two IsraelitesNounpropermasculine singular

Rêkâb: Rechab, the name of two Arabs and of two Israelites The Rechabites of Jeremiah 35, who drank no wine and built no houses and were commended by the LORD for obeying their father. Cambridge notes that this verse traces them to a non-Israelite source. The register of Judah closes on a family of foreigners famous for faithfulness.

Literal — word-for-word from the original

And-the-clans of-scribes dwelling-at Jabez: Tirathites, Shimeathites, Sucathites. These the-Kenites who-came from-Hammath, father-of-the-house-of Rechab.

Where the English smooths the original

סֹפְרִים֙ סֹפְרִים (sō·p̄ə·rîm, H5608) is glossed by Strong at the root as properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record. These are the men whose trade is keeping lists, appearing in a list. BSB renders "the scribes"; Geneva glosses them as men learned and expert in the law, Poole allows civil notaries or ecclesiastics, and Benson leaves both open.
יֹשְׁבוּ יֹשְׁבוּ (yō·šə·ḇū, H3427) is parsed as a Qal participle masculine plural construct, dwellers of. Poole argues the participle should be rendered simply "dwelt" rather than "which dwelt," because the relative form might insinuate that these were descendants of Judah, which he says they were not. A participle carries the whole question of who belongs.
הַקִּינִ֣ים הַקִּינִים (haq·qî·nîm, H7017) is the Kenites, a people Genesis 15:19 lists among the nations whose land was promised to Abraham's seed. BSB prints the name plain. Barnes calls it remarkable that a race quite distinct from the Israelites should be included among the descendants of Judah.

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The register opens on a scandal it refuses to explain — 2:4 to 2:8

⚙ The first woman named in Judah's register is Tamar, and the first verb is hers: יָלְדָה, Qal perfect, she bore. Ellicott states the matter without euphemism, that the twins were the fruit of her incest with Judah, and Gill compresses it to two words, "Through incest." JFB supplies the reason Judah stands at the head of the whole book at all: the privileges of the primogeniture had been transferred to him, and from his tribe the Messiah was to spring. So the line that will end in a king begins in a case the law would have burned a woman for.

⚙ Then, three verses later, it produces a man renamed after his crime. The interlinear puts עָכָר and עוֹכֵר side by side, H5917 and H5916, the same consonants twice: Achar the troubler. Ellicott prints the Hebrew jingle whole, "Achar 'ocher Yisrael," and Barnes judges that the form Achar was adopted here to assimilate the name to the Hebrew for troubler. Notice what the Chronicler has done. Of all Zerah's line he keeps four sages and one thief, and he keeps the thief under a name that is a verdict. The register is not flattering Judah. It is keeping accounts.

ii. Seven generations to a title, and four more to a king — 2:9 to 2:17

⚙ From v. 10 the Qal gives way to the Hifil, הוֹלִיד, and the verse rhythm becomes a drumbeat. Only once does the chain pause to say anything about a man: Nahshon is נְשִׂיא, an exalted one, prince of the sons of Judah. K&D notes that he was prince at the Exodus (Numbers 1:7, 2:3, 7:12), and Gill transmits Kimchi's and Jarchi's view that the title is written here for the honour of David. K&D also does the arithmetic that unsettles the list: three names cover the 430 years in Egypt, and four cover the 400 years from Nahshon to David, so several links must have been passed over. The genealogy is a selection, and its compiler knew it.

⚙ Then the count of Jesse's sons runs to seven and stops at David, and 1 Samuel 16:10 and 17:12 say eight. Barnes, JFB, Poole, Cambridge and K&D each meet the difficulty and none of them can close it from evidence; the shared guess is that one son died without issue. Cambridge goes further and says one seems deliberately passed over. We record the disagreement rather than hide it. What the Hebrew does say is worth more than the harmonisation: Eliab is בְּכֹרוֹ, his firstborn, and the register names him first and then walks straight past him, exactly as the LORD did at Bethlehem.

⚙ And then two women. וְאַחְיֹתֵיהֶם carries a masculine plural suffix: their sisters, the seven brothers' sisters. Cambridge observes that Joab and his brothers are always named after their mother, and K&D quotes Bertheau's reason that the father goes unmentioned because their more famous mother challenged the greater attention. In a patrilineal document, that is a concession made to fact.

iii. Caleb, Machir, and a family that spills out of its tribe — 2:18 to 2:24

⚙ Here the text itself fails us in places, and honesty requires saying so. At v. 18 the Hebrew has אִשָּׁה, a woman, with no possessive suffix, and בָנֶיהָ, her sons, with no clear antecedent. K&D: "The first half of the 18th verse is obscure, and the text is probably corrupt." Ellicott, Cambridge, Barnes and JFB each reconstruct it differently. At v. 24 Ellicott says the text is evidently corrupt and follows the Septuagint; Pulpit concedes that the solution will probably not yield to anything but a justly restored text. We pass these on as open.

⚙ What is not obscure is the direction of travel. Hezron at sixty marries the daughter of Machir (v. 21), and by v. 23 the offspring are reckoned sons of Machir, Manassites, holding twenty three towns east of Jordan. Barnes states the principle: they were reckoned sons of Machir rather than sons of Hezron because they cast in their lot with the Manassites. JFB says Jair had been adopted into Manasseh. Ellicott reads the marriage as the figure for a whole Hezronite branch amalgamating with the Machirites of Gilead. A tribal register, read closely, turns out to record the places where the tribal boundaries would not hold.

⚙ And Cambridge tells us why vv. 18 to 20 are here at all: it is quite in accordance with the mind of the Chronicler to single out the artificer of the tabernacle and tell his family history. Bezalel, in the shadow of God, is the point of that branch.

iv. Sheshan's daughter and the Egyptian slave — 2:25 to 2:41

⚙ The firstborn's line, held back sixteen verses, now runs for seventeen, and its centre is v. 34. עֶבֶד, a servant; מִצְרִי, an Egyptian; יַרְחָע, Jarha. Sheshan has no sons. So he gives his daughter to his own slave לְאִשָּׁה, for a wife, and the line of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron continues for thirteen generations through a foreigner's body. Cambridge states the legal effect: this was equivalent to making his servant his heir. JFB argues that Jarha must first have embraced the Jewish faith, and that his marriage led to his adoption into the tribe of Judah as well as to his becoming heir of the family property; Benson says Sheshan first gave him his freedom and then his daughter. Ellicott adds the law that governs the case, Deuteronomy 23:7 to 8, and concludes that this whole section proves an Egyptian element was recognised in Judah.

⚙ Two of those readings are inference. That Jarha was freed first, and that he converted first, are supplied by the commentators to make the marriage lawful; the Chronicler says only that Sheshan gave. Under-claiming is the right instinct here. But the fact itself needs no help: the register of the tribe from which Messiah comes runs, in one of its branches, straight through a slave out of Egypt, and it says so on purpose.

v. When a family tree is really a map — 2:42 to 2:55

⚙ From v. 42 the word אָב stops meaning father. Strong's own entry allows it, "in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application," and here the remote sense takes over: father of Ziph, of Hebron, of Tekoa, of Beth-zur, of Madmannah, of Kiriath-jearim, of Bethlehem. Benson says it plainly, that Madmannah, Machbenah and Gibea are the names not of persons but of places. Barnes lists them as names it is not probable were ever borne by persons. Ellicott gives the key: these lists are tribal and topographical, rather than genealogical. Geneva, reading v. 42, glosses father as the chief governor or prince, "because the prince should have a fatherly care and affection for his people."

⚙ K&D resists a full topographical reading and insists Hebron and Mareshah must be persons here, on the ground that v. 44 uses הוֹלִיד, which can only denote the propagation of a race. That disagreement is real and we do not resolve it. Either way the closing verses are a gazetteer of southern Judah written in the grammar of a family.

⚙ And the last verse of all is the strangest. Scribes, סֹפְרִים, from a root Strong's glosses as to score with a mark as a tally or record: the men whose trade is exactly the trade that produced this chapter. They dwell at Jabez, and then the register says what they are: These are the Kenites, who came of Hammath, father of the house of Rechab. Barnes calls it remarkable that people of a race quite distinct from the Israelites should be included in the descendants of Judah, and concludes that Kenite families were actually regarded as of one blood with them. Cambridge notes that the Rechabites are here traced to a non-Israelite source. The tribe's own record ends by naming outsiders as its own.

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ Under Sola Scriptura, offered to be tested and corrected: this chapter is usually skipped as fifty two verses of names, and that judgement mistakes what kind of document it is. A genealogy is a claim about who belongs. Read for that, the list is doing something deliberate and repeated.

⚙ Four times over it records an entry that should not have been admitted. Tamar, the daughter-in-law who got her sons by deceiving Judah, opens the register (v. 4). Jether the Ishmaelite fathers Amasa inside David's own generation (v. 17). Jarha the Egyptian slave marries his master's daughter and carries the firstborn's line thirteen generations (vv. 34 to 41). And the Kenites, of a race quite distinct from Israel as Barnes says, are written into the closing verse as the scribal clans of Judah (v. 55). Set beside these, notice what the same list does to insiders: Achar is entered under a nickname meaning troubler (v. 7); Eliab the firstborn is named and passed (v. 13); Seled and Jether die without sons and the lines simply stop (vv. 30, 32).

⚙ So the register's own logic is not blood but grafting. It is not that pedigree does not matter; it is that this pedigree keeps being saved by people who had no pedigree in it. That is not read into the text. It is the pattern the text keeps recording, in its own grammar, about itself. If the reading is wrong, it is wrong by over-reading a compiler's mere accuracy as a compiler's intent, and we hold it loosely on that point. But the facts it rests on are all in the interlinear, and none of them is ours.

Not Scripture, a fallible reading offered for testing: the tribe that produced the King keeps its records by naming the outsiders who saved its line.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

Four names that turn up again as Solomon's measure of wisdom verbal / quotation: confirmed

⚙ The sons of Zerah at v. 6 are Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara. At 1 Kings 4:31 Solomon is said to be wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda. The Verifier confirms the shared lexemes, and one of them is decisive: כַּלְכֹּל (H3633, Calcol) occurs in two verses of the entire canon, this one and that one. Ellicott adds that Ezrah and Zerah are equivalent forms and that many manuscripts, the Syriac, the Targum and the Vulgate read Darda here. Cambridge agrees that the same four names occur in the same order. K&D weighs the objections at length and concludes the persons are most probably identical, while noting the four were not brothers by blood. We follow the lexical evidence and hold K&D's identification as probable rather than proven.

1 Kings 4:31

basis: Verifier: shared Hebrew lexemes H3633 Kalkôl (in 2 vv, effectively unique to this pair), H387 ʼÊythân (in 8 vv), H1968 Hêymân (in 15 vv). The rarity of H3633 makes this a genuine verbal link between the two lists, not a coincidence of common names.

The five sons of Judah, copied out of Genesis verbal / quotation: confirmed

⚙ K&D states the dependence directly: the five sons of Judah are given according to Genesis 38, and the names are found also in Genesis 46:12, from which the two sons of Perez are taken. Ellicott says the same of v. 5, and adds that Numbers 26:21 registers the clans of the Hezronites and Hamulites in the census of Moses. The Verifier supplies the lexical basis, including the rare name חָמוּל (H2538, Hamul), which occurs in three verses of the whole canon.

Genesis 46:12 · Numbers 26:21

basis: Verifier: shared Hebrew lexemes H6557 Perets (in 13 vv) and H2226 Zerach (in 21 vv) with Genesis 46:12; H6557 Perets and H2538 Châmûwl (in 3 vv, rare) with Numbers 26:21. K&D and Ellicott both state that the Chronicler is drawing these names from the Genesis and Numbers lists.

The same ten generations, kept twice structural / thematic: confirmed

⚙ Ruth closes with a genealogy from Perez to David that runs through Hezron and Ram exactly as vv. 9 to 12 do. The Verifier records the shared lexemes; רָם (H7410) is uncommon, six verses in the canon. Cambridge notes the parallel at Ruth 4:18 to 22, K&D observes that the same genealogy is found there, and Gill notes that the order here matches. What Chronicles adds is the single word נְשִׂיא over Nahshon, a title Ruth does not give him. We tier this structural rather than verbal: two records of one lineage, not a citation of one by the other.

Ruth 4:19

basis: Verifier: shared Hebrew lexemes H2696 Chetsrôwn (in 17 vv) and H7410 Râm (in 6 vv). The link is a shared ordered lineage attested independently in both books, with no claim that either quotes the other.

Ahlai, a name that survives into David's muster roll structural / thematic: confirmed

⚙ At v. 31 the children of Sheshan are given as Ahlai, and v. 34 says Sheshan had no sons but daughters. Benson concludes from the two verses together that Ahlai was not a son but a daughter, and K&D calls her the heiress of Sheshan. At 1 Chronicles 11:41 Zabad son of Ahlai stands among David's mighty men, and a Zabad appears in this very line at v. 36. Gill draws the connection and says it confirms that the daughter given to Jarha was Ahlai. The lexeme אַחְלָי (H304) occurs in two verses only. We stop short of calling this verbal: what is shared is an identification of persons, not a quotation, and Ellicott and Cambridge both think Ahlai may be a clan name rather than an individual's.

1 Chronicles 11:41

basis: Verifier: shared Hebrew lexemes H304 ʼAchlay (in 2 vv, rare) and H2066 Zâbâd (in 8 vv). Despite the rarity, the link is an identification of persons across two lists, argued by Gill and K&D, not a textual quotation, so it is tiered structural rather than verbal.

Jerahmeel: a firstborn's name in the wrong century structural / thematic: confirmed

⚙ יְרַחְמְאֵל (H3396), which Ellicott glosses "God pitieth," is a rare name: eight verses in the canon. Two of them are outside Chronicles, and at Jeremiah 36:26 a Jerahmeel the king's son is sent to seize Jeremiah and Baruch. Ellicott, commenting on vv. 35 to 41, observes that the last name of this branch, Elishama, falls near the date of the Elishama who was a prince under Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:12), and that six of the thirteen names in the branch recur in the house of David. He calls it at least a coincidence, and so do we. There is no claim here that the men are the same.

Jeremiah 36:26 · 1 Chronicles 24:29

basis: Verifier: shared Hebrew lexeme H3396 Yᵉrachmᵉʼêl (in 8 vv) with both refs. The shared lexeme is real and uncommon; the persons are almost certainly distinct, and Ellicott himself calls the overlap of names a coincidence. No identification is claimed.

The same line in Greek, where no shared lexeme can exist structural / thematic: confirmed

⚙ Matthew 1:3 to 6 and Luke 3:31 to 33 carry this lineage from Perez to David. Ellicott, Cambridge, Geneva and Gill all note the correspondence, and Ellicott adds that Matthew calls Ram by the form Aram, which Chronicles keeps as Ram. No verbal tier is possible or honest here: the Evangelists write Greek and this chapter is Hebrew, so a shared Strong's number cannot exist between them. What is shared is the ordered sequence of persons, including Tamar, whom Matthew names in his list as this chapter does in v. 4.

Matthew 1:3-6 · Luke 3:31-33

basis: Cross-Testament link, so no shared Strong's lexeme is possible (Greek against Hebrew) and no verbal tier may be claimed. The recorded basis is the identical ordered name sequence Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salma, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David, plus the shared naming of Tamar, noted by Ellicott, Cambridge, Geneva and Gill.

Zimri or Zabdi: a link the commentators cannot secure flagged: verify source

⚙ Verse 6 makes Zimri a son of Zerah, and v. 7 makes Carmi the father of Achar. Joshua 7:1 makes Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah. Poole, JFB, Benson and Cambridge all identify Zimri with Zabdi and so close the gap. K&D refuses: either name may be an error for the other, or Zabdi may have been a son of Zimri, and "nothing certain can, however, be ascertained." The Verifier returns no candidate pair here, so the link rests entirely on the commentators' conjecture, and one weighty commentator declines it.

Joshua 7:1

basis: No Verifier candidate for this pair, and no shared lexeme is recorded in the brief. The connection rests solely on the commentators' identification of Zimri (H2174) with Zabdi, which Poole, JFB and Cambridge accept and which K&D expressly leaves undecided. Flagged so the reader does not take a conjecture for a datum.

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The road to Bethlehem, laid out as a list ancient/widely-held

⚙ JFB gives the Chronicler's own reason for placing Judah first: the right of the primogeniture had been transferred to him, and from his tribe the Messiah was to spring. K&D, arriving at v. 51, calls Bethlehem without ornament "the birth-place of David and Christ." Between those two remarks the chapter walks the whole distance: Perez at v. 5, Boaz at v. 11, Jesse at v. 12, David last of seven at v. 15, and then, forty verses later, the town itself entered as a name in the register (vv. 19, 50, 51, 54). Matthew 1 and Luke 3 take the same sequence into Greek and put a person at the end of it. This is the apostolic reading of Judah's genealogy, and it is recorded here by Ellicott, Cambridge, Geneva, Gill and K&D alike.

Matthew 1:3-6 · Luke 3:31-33 · Micah 5:2

A slave made son and heir novel

⚙ Sheshan had no sons. He gave his daughter to Jarha his Egyptian slave לְאִשָּׁה, for a wife, and the firstborn's line ran on through him for thirteen generations (vv. 34 to 41). Cambridge states the legal substance: this was equivalent to making his servant his heir. JFB notes that the marriage led to Jarha's adoption into the tribe of Judah as well as to his becoming heir of the family property. Ellicott points to Deuteronomy 23:7 to 8, which rules that in the third generation persons of Egyptian blood are to be treated as full Israelites.

⚙ ⚙ The figural reading is ours and we mark it novel. Paul's argument in Galatians 4:7, that you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir, is not drawn from this passage and does not cite it. But the shape is the same shape, and it is not an allegory imposed on the text: it is the legal transaction the text records, in the tribe whose genealogy this is. Henry, writing over the whole chapter, reaches the same instinct in different words when he says that in Christ all are welcome to his salvation who come to him, and all have equal privileges. We offer the connection as a resonance to be tested, not as a claim that the Chronicler intended it.

Galatians 4:7 · Deuteronomy 23:7-8 · Ephesians 2:12-13

The troubler under the ban novel

⚙ Verse 7 keeps one man from Zerah's branch and keeps him under a name that means trouble: Achar, who מָעַל (acted covertly, broke faith) בַּחֵרֶם, in the devoted thing. Ellicott records the Hebrew jingle and the valley of Achor that took its name from his execution; Barnes and JFB say the form Achar was chosen here to make the verdict audible in the name. The chêrem is what has been handed over to God and so withdrawn from human use, and Achar died under it with all that was his.

⚙ ⚙ Ours, and marked novel: Galatians 3:13 says Christ was made a curse for us, and Hosea 2:15 promises the valley of Achor for a door of hope. Neither text is quoted in this chapter and neither commentator in this brief draws the line. We note only that the Chronicler chose to preserve, in a register otherwise built of bare names, one man defined entirely by having taken what was devoted, and that Scripture elsewhere takes both his valley and his curse and turns them. The reading is a resonance, offered to be tested, not an exegesis of v. 7.

Joshua 7:25-26 · Hosea 2:15 · Galatians 3:13

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
Keil & Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1860s)
Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Text. Three places in this unit are textually disturbed and no reading here should be leaned on hard. (1) v. 18: the Hebrew has אִשָּׁה without a possessive suffix and בָנֶיהָ with no clear antecedent; K&D calls the verse obscure and the text probably corrupt, Cambridge says the Heb. seems to be corrupt and the Septuagint gives no help, and Ellicott, Barnes and JFB each reconstruct the family differently. (2) v. 24: Ellicott calls the text evidently corrupt and follows the Septuagint's reading that Caleb went in to Ephrath; Cambridge concurs; Pulpit concedes the problem will probably not yield to anything but a justly restored text. (3) v. 42: K&D devotes a long discussion to the phrase "sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron" and Barnes lists two rival emendations. We have translated the Masoretic text as it stands in every case and flagged the doubt rather than smoothed it.

Names as places. From v. 42 onward אָב functions as founder, chief or lord of a town at least as often as it means father. Benson, Barnes, Geneva, Poole and Ellicott all say so; Ellicott goes furthest and calls the lists tribal and topographical rather than genealogical. K&D expressly resists the full topographical reading for Hebron and Mareshah. Our notes follow the disagreement rather than choose a side.

Numbers that do not agree. v. 15 makes David the seventh son; 1 Samuel 16:10 to 11 and 17:12 make him the eighth. v. 22 gives Jair twenty three cities; Judges 10:4 gives thirty; Deuteronomy 3:4 and this verse together imply sixty for the whole district. No commentator in the brief resolves either, and we do not.

Sources. Scripture text is the Berean Standard Bible (CC0). Parsing, transliteration and Strong's numbers are from the Berean interlinear as supplied in the brief. All ✦ commentary is verbatim public domain (Ellicott 1878, Henry 1706, Barnes 1834, JFB 1871, Poole 1685, Gill 1746 to 1763, Geneva 1599, Keil and Delitzsch 1860s, Cambridge Bible 1880s, Benson 1810s, Pulpit Commentary 1880s), selected by anchor and copied by machine, never retyped. Several K&D and Pulpit entries in the brief are capped; excerpts were taken only from the visible portion. Henry's note is written once for the whole of chapter 2 and comments on no single verse, which is why it appears only once here and is labelled as such. Cross-reference bases are Verifier output; where none exists, the thread is flagged.

What is uncertain and is ours. The sola reading and two of the three ⚙ Christ entries are marked novel and are the machine's own fallible construction. Everything sourced is attributed; everything unattributed in those sections is ours and may be wrong.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)