1 Chronicles 8:2 — Word Study
WLCנוֹחָה֙ הָֽרְבִיעִ֔י וְרָפָ֖א הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃ ס
BSANohahNôwchâh△ [a son of Benjamin, an Israelite] the fourthrᵉbîyʻîy and RaphaRâphâʼ [meaning healing, a Benjamite] the fifthchămîyshîy
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| נוֹחָה֙ | Nohah | Noun proper masculine |
| הָֽרְבִיעִ֔י | the fourth | Particle |
| וְרָפָ֖א | and Rapha | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃ ס | the fifth | Particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. |
| KJV | Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. |
| ASV | Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. |
| YLT | Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. |
| WEB | Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. |
| BBE | Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. |
Where they part company is in the presentation of the names and their ordinal positions — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is simple, presenting two names with their ordinal positions clearly stated.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 4 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 8:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Sons of Benjamingenerated
1 Chronicles 8:2 records the lineage of Benjamin, highlighting Nohah as the fourth son and Rapha as the fifth. This genealogical list serves to establish the heritage and lineage of the tribe of Benjamin, which is significant in the context of Israel's history and tribal divisions. The mention of these names provides insight into the family structure and the importance of lineage in ancient Israel.
Cross References
The Key Word — נוֹחָה, no.Chahgenerated
The name נוֹחָה (Nochah) is a proper noun referring to a male descendant of Benjamin, specifically noted as the fourth son. It is derived from a root that suggests 'quietude,' and its usage in this context emphasizes the genealogical aspect of the narrative.
Nohah's identification as a son of Benjamin links him to the broader narrative of Israel's tribes, and the mention of his position in the lineage underscores the importance of birth order in familial and tribal identities.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which presents the names clearly as 'Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.' Other translations, including the KJV and ASV, maintain this straightforward listing without variation.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a main clause identifying Nohah and Rapha as sons of Benjamin. The finite verb is implied, as the sentence lists the names and their respective positions directly.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the names and their ordinal numbers, clearly delineating the fourth and fifth positions in the lineage.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נוֹחָה as νωα, which retains the proper noun form. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew name without alteration.
The translation of ordinal numbers in the Septuagint as τέταρτον and πέμπτον aligns with the Hebrew terms, indicating a consistent understanding of the positions in the lineage.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 8:2 lists Nohah as the fourth son of Benjamin and Rapha as the fifth. This verse is part of a genealogy that shows the descendants of Benjamin, highlighting their importance in the history of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Nohah and Rapha were sons of Benjamin, mentioned in the genealogical records of the tribe.
The order of sons in genealogies often indicates inheritance rights and family status within the tribe.
Nohah and Rapha are also mentioned in Genesis 46:21, linking them to the broader narrative of Israel's tribes.
Genealogies establish lineage, inheritance, and the fulfillment of God's promises through specific family lines.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the order of names in genealogies tell us about family dynamics in ancient Israel?
- How can understanding the lineage of Benjamin enhance our comprehension of the biblical narrative?
- In what ways do genealogies reflect God's faithfulness to His promises throughout history?
- How does the mention of Nohah and Rapha contribute to our understanding of the tribe of Benjamin?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 8:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleNohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. Nohah is supposed by some to be the same with Becher, 1 Chronicles 7:6 and by others with Naaman, Genesis 46:21, as Rapha, the same with Rosh there.
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 8 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryNohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 8 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments1 Chronicles 8:2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.Ver. 2. Rapha.] Alias Rosh.
Read John Trapp on 1 Chronicles 8 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersTHE SONS OF AND BELA (1 Chronicles 8:1-5). (See Notes on 1 Chronicles 7:6-7.) Bela his first-born.—The Hebrew word for “firstborn” in Genesis 46:21 may have been turned into the proper name Becher, by an ancient mistake of the scribes. (See Note on 1 Chronicles 7:6.) Ashbel.—Probably the same as Jediael. Aharah the same as Ahiram and Ehirosh. (2) Nohah and Rapha.—These names do not occur in either of the other lists. The present series agrees with Numbers 26:38 in assigning five sons to Benjamin, of whom Bela is the first, and Ashbel the second. Further, there is enough likeness between the name Aharah here and Ahiram there to warrant our assumption of their original identity. But we cannot…
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 8 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah fourth, and Rapha fifth.
Tyndale line
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fift.
Strictly literal
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nochah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Nohah, and Rapha.
From the Latin
Nohaa the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Simplified
Nohah (fourth), and Rapha (fifth).
Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
Both the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the names and their order, with no significant variations in the wording. The Septuagint follows the Hebrew closely in this instance.
נוֹחָה֙ הָֽרְבִיעִ֔י וְרָפָ֖א הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃ ס
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 8:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
נוֹחָה (Nochah) refers to a man from the tribe of Benjamin, noted as the fourth son of Benjamin in 1 Chronicles 8:2. The term also translates to 'quietude' and is linked to the name 'Nohah.' There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meaning or usage.
נוֹחָה n.pr.m. 4th son of Benjamin acc. to 1 Ch 8:2.
ref
H5119 נוֹחָה
5119 Nowchah no-chaw'
feminine of 5118; quietude; Nochah, an Israelite:--Nohah.
see HEBREW for 05118
נוֹחָה (no.chah) — Nohah.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.21;
son of: Benjamin (H1144);
brother of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Muppim (H4649), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Nohah at 1Ch.8.2;
Another name of na.a.man (נַעֲמָן "Naaman" H5283G)
§ Nohah = "rest"
the 4th son of Benjamin
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(rest), the fourth son of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 8:2)
→ Son of Benjamin 1Ch 8:2
רְבִיעִי (rbiy`iy) means 'fourth' and can also refer to a 'fourth part' or describe something as 'foursquare.' It is derived from the root word for 'four' and has both masculine and feminine forms. The term appears in contexts where ordinal numbers are used.
רְבִיעִי m., רְבִיעִית f., adj.num.ordin. fourth
base
H7243 רְבִיעִי, רְבִיעִית fourth
7243 rbiy`iy reb-ee-ee'
or rbiiy {reb-ee-ee'}; from 7251; fourth; also
(fractionally) a fourth:--foursquare, fourth (part).
see HEBREW for 07251
רְבִיעִי (re.vi.i) — fourth.
1) fourth
1a) fourth
1b) four square
1c) fourth part
Aramaic equivalent: re.vi.ay (רְבִיעִי "fourth" H7244)
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aomsa
רָפָא (Rapha) refers to two individuals from the tribe of Benjamin in the Old Testament. The name likely means 'tall.' One Rapha is a descendant of Saul, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:2, while the other is listed in Genesis 46:21 as a son of Benjamin. The entries suggest a connection to the term for 'giant' but do not elaborate further.
רָפָא n.pr.m. in Benj., 1 Ch 8:2
ref
H7498 רָפָא, רָפָה
7498 Rapha' raw-faw'
or Raphah {raw-faw'}; probably the same as 7497; giant; Rapha
or Raphah, the name of two Israelites:--Rapha.
see HEBREW for 07497
רָפָא (ra.pah) — Raphah.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.37;
son of: Binea (H1150);
brother of: Eleasah (H0501H) and Azel (H0682A); also called Rephaiah at 1Ch.9.43;
Also named: re.pha.yah (רְפָיָה "Rephaiah" H7509K)
§ Rapha = "tall"
1) son of Binea and a descendant of Saul
2) son of Benjamin
רָפָא (ra.pah) — Rapha.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.21;
son of: Benjamin (H1144);
brother of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Muppim (H4649), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Rapha at 1Ch.8.2;
Another name of rosh (רֹאשׁ "Rosh" H7220)
§ Rapha = "tall"
1) son of Binea and a descendant of Saul
2) son of Benjamin
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Rapha
Tall. (1.) A Benjamite, the son of Binea (1 Chr. 8:2, 37), a descendant of Saul. (2.) Margin of 1 Chr. 20:4, 6, where “giant” is given in the text.
(tall). Son of Binea, among the descendants of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:37) One of Benjamin’s descendants. (1 Chronicles 8:2)
חֲמִישִׁי (chamiyshiy) means 'fifth' and serves as an ordinal number indicating the position of five. It can also refer to a fifth part. The word is derived from a root associated with the number five, as noted in various lexicons.
חֲמִישִׁי m., חֲמִישִׁית f.adj.num.ordin. fifth
base
H2549 חֲמִישִׁי, חֲמִישִׁית fifth
2549 chamiyshiy kham-ee-shee'
or chamishshiy {kham-ish-shee'}; ord. from 2568; fifth; also
a fifth:--fifth (part).
see HEBREW for 02568
חֲמִישִׁי (cha.mi.shi) — fifth.
ordinal number, 5th
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aomsa