Bible Commentaries

INTRODUCTION TO 1 Chronicles 7

In this chapter are given the genealogies of the tribes of Issachar, 1 Chronicles 7:1 of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 7:6 Naphtali, 1 Chronicles 7:13, of Manasseh, 1 Chronicles 7:14 of Ephraim, 1 Chronicles 7:20 and of Asher, 1 Chronicles 7:30, even of the chief men of them; and their numbers are reckoned as in the times of David. The tribes of Dan and Zebulun are omitted.

Now the sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. The same number is given, Genesis 46:13 with a small variation of two of their names, there called Phuvah and Job, from whence so many families sprang, mentioned Numbers 26:23, where the names are the same as here.

And the sons of Tola,.... The eldest son of Issachar, whose posterity are only reckoned by name:

Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola; the principal man of his family:

they were valiant men of might in their generations, famous for their courage and military exploits, though they sprang from Tola, whose name signifies "a worm"; and which name Bochart (k) conjectures was given him by his parents, because he was so weakly that they had no hopes of raising him; and yet from him sprung such mighty men, and from them such a numerous race, as follows:

whose number was, in the days of David, two and twenty thousand and six hundred; besides those of the posterity of Uzzi, after mentioned. This was at the time Joab took the number of Israel, by the order of David, 1 Chronicles 21:5.

(k) Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 4. c. 21. col. 630.

And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah,.... Including his posterity:

and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five; together with their father, all reckoned the sons of Uzzi:

all of them chief men; in their father's house, heads of families.

And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war,.... Companies of men of military courage and skill, who could and did go out to war upon occasion:

six and thirty thousand men; besides the 22,600 Tolaites, 1 Chronicles 7:2,

for they had many wives and sons; having many wives, they had many sons; polygamy was the cause of their large numbers; and that they gave into for the sake of the multiplication of Abraham's seed, according to the divine promise.

And their brethren among all the families of Issachar,.... As those of Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, 1 Chronicles 7:1.

were men of might; valiant and courageous:

reckoned in all, by their genealogies, fourscore and seven thousand; that is, including with these those of Tola and Uzzi before given.

The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three. Benjamin had ten sons, but three only are mentioned first; the latter of these seems to be the same with Ashbel, Genesis 46:21.

And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five,.... These are thought by some to be the grandsons of Bela, because of the different names in 1 Chronicles 8:3,

heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; principal men in their tribe and families, and of great courage:

and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four; who sprung from these men.