*H Now Benjamin begot Bale his firstborn, Asbel the second, Ahara the third,
Ver. 1. Benjamin. Some farther particulars of his genealogy are given, for the honour of Saul; (C.) and many of those, who returned from captivity, are mentioned. 1 Esd. x. 11. Sanctius. — Bale, &c. are called Bela, (M. C. vii. 6.) Jadiel, and Ahiram, or Echi, Num. xxvi. 36. and Gen. xlvi.
* Footnote * Genesis 46 : 21
The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Bechor, and Asbel and Gera, and Naaman and Echi, and Ross and Mophim, and Ophim and Ared.*H Nohaa the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Ver. 2. Nohaa is probably styled Bechor; and Rapha, Ros, in Genesis.
*H And the sons of Bale were Addar, and Gera, and Abiud,
Ver. 3. Addar, Ared or Hered. C.
*H These are the sons of Abed, heads of families that dwelt in Gabaa, who were removed into Manahath.
Ver. 6. Ahod, the judge. Judg. iii. 15. — Manahath; the Menuchat, in the tribe of Juda, (C. ii. 54.) after the captivity. C. — Abulensis thinks Manahath was in Moab, v. 8. M.
*H And Naaman, and Achia, and Gera he removed them, and begot Oza, and Ahiud.
Ver. 7. And. Lit. "but," autem. H. — The sentence is clearer without this particle. M. — Naaman was the first-born of Ahod; and Gera prevailed on his brethren to leave Gabaa, (T.) and was probably the father of Oza. C.
*H And Saharim begot in the land of Moab, after he sent away Husim and Bara his wives.
Ver. 8. Saharim. His father is not specified: but his was a Benjamite. M. — Some force the Heb. text to say that Ahod had three sons, whom he sent to form a colony at Manahath, and afterwards he had three others by his two wives, and at last, by Rodes, he had Jobab, &c. C. — Begot. Prot. "children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away: Hushim and Baara were his wives." But the Sept. intimate, that "Saharim begot...after he had sent away Osim, and his wife Baara, and he begot of Ada," &c. H. — He had perhaps retired into Moab, at the same time as Elimelech. Ruth i. T. — Those who were sent away were men, (eos) according to the Heb. unless (H.) the word should be eas. D.
*H And Mehusim begot Abitob, and Elphaal.
Ver. 11. Mehusim. Heb. and Sept. "of Husim (v. 8) he begot."
*H And the sons of Elphaal were Heber, and Misaam, and Samad: who built Ono, and Lod, and its daughters.
Ver. 12. Ono was three miles from Lod, or Diospolis, (Lightfoot) built after the return from Babylon, (1 Esd. ii. 23. C.) in the territory of Benjamin. M.
*H And Baria, and Sama were heads of their kindreds that dwelt in Aialon: these drove away the inhabitants of Geth.
Ver. 13. And Sama. They are supposed to have been sons of Elphaal. C. — Aialon belonged to Dan. Jos. xix. 42. But it was near Benjamin, (M.) and was probably occupied by people chiefly of that tribe. H. — Geth. We know not at what period.
*H And Michael, and Jespha, and Joha, the sons of Baria.
Ver. 16. Baria, son of Elphaal. Whether the following were his brothers does not appear certain, as it seems more natural to have placed all his father's children together, v. 12. and 18.
*H And Adaia, and Baraia, and Samareth, the sons of Semei.
Ver. 21. Semei; perhaps Sama, v. 13. C. — Sept. read, Samai. H.
*H And Jephdaia, and Phanuel the sons of Sesac.
Ver. 25. Sesac, probably mentioned v. 14. C. — Sept. have "Sosek," in both places.
*H These were the chief fathers, and heads of their families who dwelt in Jerusalem.
Ver. 28. Families. Heb. "These were heads of the fathers by their generations, chief men." Prot. H. — Jerusalem, probably after the captivity. We find none of these names from v. 14, in the days of Josue; and it was not easy for people to establish themselves at Jerusalem, till David had expelled the Jebusites. C. — Yet we find that the tribes of Juda and Benjamin had seized the lower city long before. Jos. xviii. 28. H.
*H And at Gabaon dwelt Abigabaon, and the name of his wife was Maacha:
Ver. 29. Dwelt. Lit. "they dwelt." But Heb. and Sept. "in Gabaon, dwelt the father of Gaboan," (H.) who was called Jehiel, (C. ix. 35.) or Abiel. 1 K. ix. 1. C. — The following verses are repeated in the next chapter, (H.) and seem to have been originally the same; though now many variations occur, which shew that "every Hebrew letter" has not been preserved. Kennicott.
*H And his firstborn son Abdon, and Sur, and Cis, and Baal, and Nadab,
Ver. 30. Baal. Add, "and Ner," (v. 33. C. ix. 36.) as the Sept. have it here also.
*H And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher, and Macelloth:
Ver. 31. Zacher, or Zacharias. C. ix. Heb. omits the following name, as well as (H.) the end of the preceding one. Ken. — The Alex. Sept. has the same faults. But the Vatican retains Macelloth. H.
*H And Macelloth begot Samaa: and they dwelt over against their brethren in Jerusalem with their brethren.
Ver. 32. Over-against, in the vicinity, while some remained at Gabaon. See Gen. xvi. 12. C. — The family of Cis resided at Gabaa. 1 K. x. 26. M.
*H And Ner begot Cis and Cis begot Saul. And Saul begot Jonathan and Melchisua, and Abinadab, and Esbaal.
Ver. 33. Ner, son of Abiel, or of Jeheil, prince of Gabaon, v. 29. H. — From Aphia sprung Bechorah, Seror, Abiel, (1 K. ix.) who is also called Ner and Jehiel. He had Ner, the father of Abner, and Cis, father of Saul. M. — Abinadab, or Jessui. 1 K. xiv. 49. C. — Esbaal, alias Isboseth. Ch. — The Hebrews avoid pronouncing the name of the idol, and substitute boseth, "confusion." C. — Hence it is clear that many had two names. D.
* Footnote * 1_Kings 14 : 51
For Cis was the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, was son of Abiel.*H And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begot Micha.
Ver. 34. Meribbaal, alias Mephiboseth. 2 K. iv. 4. Ch. 2 K. ix. M.
*H And Ahaz begot Joada: and Joada begot Alamath, and Azmoth, and Zamri: and Zamri begot Mosa,
Ver. 36. Joada, or Jara. C. ix. 42. C. — "Strange mistakes these!" Kennicott.
*H And the sons of Ulam were most valiant men, and archers of great strength: and they had many sons and grandsons, even to a hundred and fifty. All these were children of Benjamin.
Ver. 40. Archers, particularly the natives of Gabaa. Judg. xx. 16. Jonathan is praised for his skill. 2 K. i. 22. M. — Benjamin. We might hence conclude that here ended the genealogy of that family. Yet we find it partly repeated in the following chapter, v. 35. H.