1 Chronicles 4

1 Chronicles 4:1-0

In this chapter we have, 1. A further account of the genealogies of Judah. The potterity of Shobab the son of Hur, ver. 1—4. Of Aftur, the posthumous son of Haram, who was mentioned, chap. ii. 24. with स्थानीय particular concerning Jatara, ver. 4—10. Of Cheluh, and others, ver. 11—20. Of Shelah, ver. 21—23. 2. An account of the potterity and series of Simma, their conquest of Gethur, and of the Amadeities in Mount Seir, ver. 25—43.

1. THE sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. 2. And Rezaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath, and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites. 3. And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ithma, and Idhath: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi. 4. And Penuel the father of Gethur, and Ezer the father of Hufiah. These are the sons of Hur, the firth-born of Ephraath, the father of Beth-lehem. 5. And Adhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6. And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Hauhaftari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7. And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan. 8. And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel, the son of Harum. 9. And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name; Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coal, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested.

2. 11. ¶ Among the numerous descendants of Judah, in the sons of Moses, Jubea is especially taken notice of, who seems to be of the family of Afsarish.

3. His name was given him from the pangs of travail his mother endured. A memorial of the mercy of God to herself, who restored her from the laws of death; or to him, of the turmoil and trouble to which man is born, as the quirky fly upwards.

4. He was a great man, more honourable than his brethren; either for wealth, or courage, or wisdom; or above all, as from his prayer it appears, for piety. Greatness when united with goodness, is doubly distinguished.

5. His prayer and the answer is recorded to his honour: for nothing is more truly noble, than in prayer to have power with God as a prince, and to prevail. (1.) The prayer is satisfied to the God of Israel, his covenant God. Now, They who draw near to God with faith, as intereled in a covenant of grace, may expect with confidence they shall be heard and answered. (2.) The substance of it is, for God’s blessing either (imprised, the enlargement of his border in the expulsion of the Carnamites, the support of God in his attempts against them, and preservation from danger; or spiritual blessing, the enlargement of his heart in light and love, and every holy affection, the strength of divine grace to subdue his corruptions; and perception from that greatest of evils, for, and in protest and eternal consequences. Now, (1.) Every blessing, temporal and spiritual, comes from God, and should be sought in the way of prayer. (2.) They who wait upon God, will renew their strength, and be kept from the power of the evil one, the evil heart, and the evil world. (3.) Unless God strengthens us, we become a prey to the weakest of our enemies.

6. God granted his prayer. So ready is God to give to him that asforth, and to supply the largest desires of our souls.

On the c. of Noah. Judah, vs. vs. 1. a. Chid. men. § On Uluan. On the Jewels. b Gen. xxxviii. i. 5.

11. ¶ And Chelub, the brother of Shuah, begat Mehir, which was the father of Efston. 12. And Efston begat Beth-rapha, and Pašrah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahafh. These are the men of Rechah. 13. And the sons of Kenaz; ‘Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath. 14. And Meonothai begat Ophra: and Seraiah begat Joah, the father of the valley of Charashim, for they were craftsmen. 15. And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naum: and the sons of Elah § even Kenaz. 16. And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Afareel. 17. And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and the bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ifbah the father of Efstemos. 18. And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekutibek, the father of Zeinah. And these are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharash, which Mered took. 19. And the sons of his wife Hodiah, the sister of Naham, the father of Kelah the Garmite, and Efthemos the Mazahathite. 20. And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ifhi were, Zoheth, and Ben-zohesh. 21. ¶ The sons of Shelah, the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen of the house of Afhbea. 22. And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jahnishchem. And these are ancient things. 23. These were the potters, and those that dwelt amongst plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

12. 11—23. We have here among the descendants of Judah, two families distinguished, as being craftsmen and weavers. These trades descended from father to son: one of these craftsmen was, it seems, nobly allied, v. 18. it was not then counted mean to be an ingenious mechanic. Another family had, during the days of Moab’s subjection, been sent thither as governors for David; but since those ancient conquests, times were now sadly changed, and they were reduced to be potters and hallucinators to the king of Babylon, and turned their bread with the heart of their brow. Now, This world is a changing issue: nothing substantial or enduring is to be expected in it. Let it quicken our diligence to secure a better, where our dignity will be secure without overshadows, or freedom of turning.

On Jewels. Gen. xxxi. 10. Judah. vs. 11. Noah. xxxi. 12. On Judah. § On Father.

24. ¶ The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jasmin; Jarih, § Zerah, and Shaul: 25. Shatham his son, Mibham his son, Mifsma his son. 26. And the sons of Mifsma; Hamuel his son, Ziechur his son, Shimei his son. 27. And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children; neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah. 28. And they dwelt at Beer-theba, and Mohallah, and Hazar-thoel. 29. And at Bithah, and at Faren, and at Tobad. 30. And at Bethor, and at Hormah, and at Zidah. 31. And at Beth-mereabadi, and § Hazar-fusim, and at Beth-birei, and at Shaaraim: These were their cities, unto the reign of David. 32. And their villages were, Esani, and Ain, Rimmon, and Toches, and Afhan, five cities. 33. And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baak. These were their habitations, § and their genealogy. 34. And Mefsobah, and Jamlech, and Jofshah, the son of Amaziah. 35. And Joel, and Jehu the son of Jofshiah, the son of Seruiah, the son of Adel. 36. And Elioneer, and Jaakobah, and Jefhohaiah, and Alaiah, and Asfiel, and Jefimiel, and Beniah. 37. And Zizat the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedauh, the son of Shimeri, the son of Shemaiah. 38. These mentioned by their names, were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly. 39. ¶ And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the exult side of the valley, to seek palture for their flocks. 40. And they found fat palture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable: for they of Ham had dwelt there of old. 41. And these written by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their teens, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was palture there for their flocks. 42. And some of them, were of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to a mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiath, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzrael, the sons of Ifhi. 43. And they lmote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

men; but his brethren had not many children; neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah. 28. And they dwelt at Beer-theba, and Mohallah, and Hazar-thoel. 29. And at Bithah, and at Faren, and at Tobad. 30. And at Bethor, and at Hormah, and at Zidah. 31. And at Beth-mereabadi, and § Hazar-fusim, and at Beth-birei, and at Shaaraim: These were their cities, unto the reign of David. 32. And their villages were, Esani, and Ain, Rimmon, and Toches, and Afhan, five cities. 33. And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baak. These were their habitations, § and their genealogy. 34. And Mefsobah, and Jamlech, and Jofshah, the son of Amaziah. 35. And Joel, and Jehu the son of Jofshiah, the son of Seruiah, the son of Adel. 36. And Elioneer, and Jaakobah, and Jefhohaiah, and Alaiah, and Asfiel, and Jefimiel, and Beniah. 37. And Zizat the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedauh, the son of Shimeri, the son of Shemaiah. 38. These mentioned by their names, were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly. 39. ¶ And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the exult side of the valley, to seek palture for their flocks. 40. And they found fat palture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable: for they of Ham had dwelt there of old. 41. And these written by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their teens, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was palture there for their flocks. 42. And some of them, were of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to a mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiath, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzrael, the sons of Ifhi. 43. And they lmote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

9. 24—43. The tribe of Simeon follows that of Judah, as being reckoned with it, and having in lot in the midst of Judah. Three things are remarked of them.

10. That in the reign of David, they either quitted, or were removed from those cities mentioned, v. 28, 31.

11. That in the time of Hezekiah, they prospered greatly; enlarged their borders by two expeditions; one against those who inhabited the valley of Gedor, who, as being of the race of Ham, v. 40, were probably Philistines: the other against the Amalekites, who, after the general Daughters of Saul and David, fixed upon this spot of Edom for their abode, but were now utterly extirpated.

12. That they who were in Seir, were not carried captives with the other Israelites into Babylon, but continued there at the return of Ezra, the author of that book. Now, (1.) The wrath of God, like the destruction of Amalek, will, though long suspended, overtake the sinner. (2.) That may appear as afflictive separation, which by and by proves a most providential deliverance.