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1 Chronicles Chapter Two                            

 

1 Chronicles 2

Chapter Contents

Genealogies.

We are now come to the register of the children of Israel that distinguished people who were to dwell alone and not be reckoned among the nations. 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.

── Matthew HenryConcise Commentary on 1 Chronicles

 

1 Chronicles 2

Verse 3

[3] The sons of Judah; Er and Onan and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er the firstborn of Judah was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

Judah — Whom he puts first because the best part of the right of the firstborn namely the dominion was conferred upon him Genesis 49:8 and because the Messiah was to come out of his loins.

Verse 6

[6] And the sons of Zerah; Zimri and Ethan and Heman and Calcol and Dara: five of them in all.

Dara — If these be the same who are mentioned as the sons of Machol 1 Kings 4:31 either the same man had two names Zerah and Machol as was usual among the Hebrews: or one of these was their immediate father and the other their grand-father. These are named because they were the glory of their father's house. When the Holy Ghost would magnify the wisdom of Solomon he saith he was wiser than these four men. That four brothers should be so eminent was a rare thing.

Verse 7

[7] And the sons of Carmi; Achar the troubler of Israel who transgressed in the thing accursed.

Carmi — Who is here mentioned because he was the son of Zimri who is also called Zabdi Joshua 7:1.

Achar — Called Achan Joshua 7:1 and here Achar with a little variation for greater significancy: for Achar signifies a troubler.

Verse 13

[13] And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab and Abinadab the second and Shimma the third

Eliab — Called also Elihu chap. 27:18 unless that was another person and the word brother be taken more largely for a kinsman as it is frequently.

Verse 15

[15] Ozem the sixth David the seventh:

Seventh — He had eight sons 1 Samuel 16:10 but probably one of them died presently after that time.

Verse 17

[17] And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite.

Ishmaelite — By birth or habitation but by profession an Israelite 2 Samuel 17:25.

Verse 18

[18] And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher and Shobab and Ardon.

Her sons — The sons of Azubah who is by way of distinction called his wife when Jerioth probably was only his concubine and it may seem barren: therefore upon Azubah's death he married another wife. And those other sons of this Caleb mentioned verse 42 are his sons by some other wife distinct from all these.

Verse 21

[21] And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.

Gilead — Of a man so called: a man of noted valour and the great champion in those parts.

Verse 23

[23] And he took Geshur and Aram with the towns of Jair from them with Kenath and the towns thereof even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

Sons of Machir — Partly to his own sons and partly to his son-in-law Jair who by reason of that dear affection which was betwixt them and his forsaking his own tribe and kindred to fight for them and to dwell with them is here reckoned as his own son.

Verse 24

[24] And after that Hezron was dead in Calebephratah then Abiah Hezron's wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa.

Tekoa — A known place whose father he is called because he was either the progenitor of the people inhabiting there: or their prince and ruler: or the builder of the city.

Verse 31

[31] And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.

The sons — An expression often used in prophane authors too where there is but one son.

Verse 35

[35] And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai.

Jarha — Probably he was not only a proselyte but an eminent man: else an Israelite would not have given him his only daughter.

Verse 45

[45] And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur.

Beth-zur — A place in Judah.

Verse 49

[49] She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.

Madmannah — This and divers other following names are the names of places in Judah.

Verse 51

[51] Salma the father of Bethlehem Hareph the father of Bethgader.

Bethlehem — That is the inhabitants of Bethlehem.

Verse 55

[55] And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites the Shimeathites and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath the father of the house of Rechab.

Scribes — Either civil who were public notaries that wrote and signed legal instruments: or ecclesiastical. And these were either Levites or Simeonites or rather Kenites and are here mentioned not as if they were of the tribe of Judah but because they dwelt among them and probably were allied to them by marriages and so in a manner incorporated with them.

── John WesleyExplanatory Notes on 1 Chronicles

 

02 Chapter 2

 

Verses 1-55


Verse 3


Verses 7-34


Verse 7

1 Chronicles 2:7

Achar the troubler of Israel.

The troubler of Israel

I have read many biographies but never met with any which hit off a man’s character in a line as this word of inspiration does. The noble and the great used frequently to suspend the “achievement” over the tomb of their departed ancestor in memorial of his renown bearing a motto which described the leading characteristic of the ancient founder of the family. Here is the tomb of Achar or Achan and here is the motto for his achievement. The tomb consists of a large heap of stones which am injured people by God’s command piled upon his ashes after they had stoned him to death and burned his dead body with fire. What is the motto? “The troubler of Israel.” What a finale to a man’s life! What a record to paint on his escutcheon!

I. What made Achan a troubler of Israel? Sin. All trouble may be traced to this. It led Achan to commit the threefold crime of disobedience defiance of God’s scrutiny and sacrilege. His one sin brought trouble into all the camp. This is all the mere remarkable when you remember how insignificant his position was among the tribes. We die all alone but we cannot all sin alone. Even our secret sins are public calamities and no transgression is without its malign influence upon the common weal.

II. The troubles Achan brought upon his people.

1. Defeat before a less powerful foe.

2. Depression of spirit which unremedied would he fatal to the very existence of the nation.

3. Anger from God which would not be appeased even by the intercession of Joshua.

4. The threat of abandonment by God if they did not root out the evil from among them. (George Venables.)

Achan the troubler of Israel

Why was the punishment of Achan so severe?

1. His was a terrible sin; it was a wilful disobedience; it was high treason against God; it was sacrilege; it was stealing lying coveting and practically murder.

2. This sin struck at the very life of the nation. If the people could disobey God with impunity the nation would soon be ruined and the hope of the world be put out.

3. The course Achan took would have degraded God in the eyes of Israel and of the Gentiles. The people and cities of Canaan were rich; the Israelites were poor. Canaan had the resources of a somewhat high civilisation--gold silver vessels of brass and of iron; goodly Babyionish garments. Now suppose the Lord had given them free license to plunder to steal and hide and appropriate all they could lay hands on? This movement for the conquest of Canaan would have become a savage plundering marauding expedition.

4. These fascinating spoils--these glittering prizes of gold and silver and these ornaments of the cultured Canaanites--were linked in on every hand with idolatry. Art and wealth in Canaan as in every other heathen nation lent their power to augment the attractions towards idol-worship.

5. But another consideration must have great weight. The Israelites had before them the task of conquering Palestine a task which required the utmost discipline in the army. God was the Captain directing through Joshua all the campaign. It was absolutely necessary in the interests of military discipline to check the first buddings of that cupidity which so often characterised ancient warfare. (Christian Age.)


Verse 34

1 Chronicles 2:34

Now Sheshan had no sons but daughters.

Compensations

Men should always put down after a statement of their deficiencies a statement of their possessions; thus: had no money but heal mental power; had no external fame but had great home repute; had no genius but had great common sense; had no high connections of a social kind but enjoyed easy access to heaven in prayer; had no earthly property but was rich in ideas and impulses; was not at the head of a great circle of admirers but was truly respected and trusted wherever known; had no health but had great cheerfulness. Thus we must keep the two sides so to say parallel; if we have not one thing we have another. (J. Parker D. D.)

The compensations of life

The disproportion in man’s inheritances is far less than we are prone to think. If one hand of the Universal Giver be closed the other is expanded; no one is left without his need of compensation; only in our weakness and unthankfulness we look more at the darker side of our lot and at what appears to us the brighter side of our neighbour’s. Epictetus explains the mystery in part: “It is not fortune that is blind but ourselves.” Whatever be our lot if man will but just concede that that must be best for him which the Best of Beings has ordained life thenceforward has a solace which no fortune can wrest away. (Leo H. Grindon.)


Verse 55

1 Chronicles 2:55

And the families of the Scribes which dwelt at Jabez

Scribes

I.
A noble calling. To study and expound sacred books inform society and spread the will of God.

II. A family calling. “The families of the scribes.” mere ditary pursuits in all communities.

III. A needful calling. A literary profession useful to society. A learned ministry the want of the times. (James Wolfendale.)

──The Biblical Illustrator