Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 4. Synopsis of the Chapter
The descendants of Juda and Simeon, and their victories and heroic deeds.
1. The sons of Juda: Phares, Hesron, and Charmi, and Hur, and Sobal. 2. And Raia the son of Sobal begot Jahath, of whom were born Ahumai and Laad. These are the families of the Sarathites. 3. And this is the stock of Etam: Jezrahel, and Jesema, and Jedebos. And the name of their sister was Asalelphuni. 4. And Phanuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hosa. These are the sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrata, the father of Bethlehem. 5. And Assur the father of Thecua had two wives, Halaa and Naara. 6. And Naara bore him Oozam, and Hepher, and Themani, and Ahastari. These are the sons of Naara. 7. And the sons of Halaa were Sereth, Isaar, and Ethnan. 8. And Cos begot Anob, and Soboba, and the kindred of Aharehel the son of Arum. 9. And Jabes was more honourable than his brethren, and his mother called his name Jabes, saying: Because I bore him with sorrow. 10. And Jabes called upon the God of Israel, saying: If blessing thou wilt bless me, and wilt enlarge my borders, and thy hand be with me, and thou wilt keep me from being oppressed by evil. And God granted him the things he prayed for. 11. And Caleb the brother of Sua begot Mahir, who was the father of Esthon. 12. And Esthon begot Bethrapha, and Phesse, and Tehinna the father of the city of Naas: these are the men of Recha. 13. And the sons of Cenez: Othoniel and Saraia. And the sons of Othoniel: Hathath and Maonathi. 14. Maonathi begot Ophra, and Saraia begot Joab the father of the Valley of artificers: for there the artificers dwelt. 15. And the sons of Caleb, the son of Jephone: Hir, and Ela, and Naham. And the sons of Ela: Cenez. 16. And the sons of Jaleleel: Ziph, and Zipha, Tiria, and Asrael. 17. And the sons of Ezra: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she conceived Mariam, and Sammai, and Jesba the father of Esthamo. 18. And his wife Judaia bore Jared the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Icuthiel the father of Zanoe. And these are the sons of Dethia the daughter of Pharao, whom Mered took. 19. And the sons of the wife of Odaia, the sister of Naham, the father of Ceila, were Garmi and Esthamo, who was of Machathi. 20. And the sons of Simon: Amnon, and Rinna the son of Hanan, and Thilon. And the sons of Jesi: Zoheth and Benzoheth. 21. The sons of Sela, the son of Juda: Her the father of Lecha, and Laada the father of Maresa, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen in the house of the oath. 22. And he that made the sun stand, and the men of Lying, and Secure, and Burning, who were princes in Moab, and who returned to Lahem: now these are ancient things. 23. These are the potters dwelling in Plantations and Hedges, with the king for his works, and they dwelt there. 24. The sons of Simeon: Namuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zara, Saul. 25. Sellum his son, Mapsam his son, Masma his son. 26. The sons of Masma: Hamuel his son, Zachur his son, Semei his son. 27. The sons of Semei were sixteen, and daughters six; but his brethren had not many sons, and all their kindred could not equal the sum of the sons of Juda. 28. And they dwelt in Berai, and in Saarim: these were their cities until the reign of David. 32. Their villages also: Etam, and Aen, Remmon, and Thochen, and Asan, five cities. 33. And all their villages round about these cities as far as Baal: this was their habitation, and the distribution of their seats. 34. Mosobab also and Jemlech, and Josa the son of Amasias, 35. and Joel, and Jehu the son of Josabias the son of Saraia the son of Asiel, 36. and Elioenai, and Jacoba, and Isuhaia, and Asaia, and Adiel, and Ismiel, and Banaia, 37. Ziza also the son of Sephei the son of Allon the son of Idaia the son of Semri the son of Samaia. 38. These are named as princes in their families, and in the house of their kindred they were multiplied exceedingly. 39. And they went forth to enter into Gador, as far as the east of the valley, to seek pastures for their flocks. 40. And they found fat pastures and very good, and a land exceeding wide and quiet and fruitful, where some of the race of Cham had dwelt before. 41. These therefore came, whom we have described by name, in the days of Ezechias king of Juda: and they smote their tents, and the inhabitants that were found there, and destroyed them until this present day: and they dwelt in their place, because they found there very fat pastures. 42. Of the sons also of Simeon, five hundred men went to mount Seir, having for their captains Phaltias and Naarias and Raphaias and Oziel the sons of Jesi: 43. and they smote the remnant of the Amalecites, who could escape, and they dwelt there in their place until this day.
5. And Assur the father (that is, the prince) of Thecua.—So says Vatablus. Others, however, think that “Assur” is pro-
1. The sons of Juda: Phares, Hesron and Charmi, etc.—“Sons,” that is, descendants: for Judas begot Phares, Phares begot Hesron, Hesron begot Charmi, etc. Here, therefore, “sons” means grandsons and great-grandsons, who descend from Juda through a long series. For the author’s aim in this book was to name men celebrated for virtue or for a great family, who were descended from Juda or from some other Patriarch.
4. Ephrata the father of Bethlehem.—“Father,” that is, prince, says Vatablus, for so the servants of Naaman call him father, 4 Kings 5. Others, however, think that Bethlehem is the name of a son of “Ephrata,” not of the city so called. For so in chapter 2, verse 54, “Bethlehem” is called “the son of Salma.”
perly the father of a son whose name was “Thecua.”
9. And his mother called his name Jabes, saying: Because I bore him with sorrow.—For “Jabes” in Hebrew signifies sorrow. This Jabes seems to have been the son of Aram, who preceded, the brother of Aharehel, verse 8, and of Othoniel, verse 13. It is a metathesis or transposition of letters; for he is called “Jabes” in Hebrew Jaabes for Jaaseb: for otseb is sorrow, as follows. So Pagninus. So for Kebes, that is, lamb, it is said Keseb.
14. And Saraia begot Joab the father (that is, prince) of the Valley of artificers.—“Therefore,” says St. Jerome, “he is called father of the Valley of artificers, because from his sons were the architects for building the house of the Lord.”
21. In the house of the oath.—In Hebrew Esbaa is a proper name signifying an oath; hence the Septuagint translate, In the house of Aseba. Our Vulgate in these ten chapters often does not retain the Hebrew proper names, but translates their meanings, because it thinks that in the meanings some mystery lies hidden, or an allusion fitting the thing or person. Add that the Latins often render the proper names of the Greeks or Hebrews into Latin words of the same meaning. So for Theodosius or Theodorus they say Adeodatus; for Chrysostom, golden mouth; for Anna, Grace; for Solomon, Peaceful; for Jesus, Saviour; for Gregory, Vigilant; for Macarius, Happy; for Nicon, Victor.
22. And he that made the sun stand, and the men of Lying, Secure and Burning.—All these are proper names, whose meanings our Vulgate has rendered in translating. But the Septuagint, Pagninus, Vatablus and others retain the Hebrew names as proper names, and translate: Joacim also and the men of Chozeba and Joas and Saraph, who ruled in Moab. For Joacim, or as it is in Hebrew Jokim, is the same as he who made stand, namely the sun. Chozeba is the same as lying; Joas is secure; Saraph is burning; as if to say: All these now named are sons and grandsons descending from Juda through Sela, though the Hebrews would have them descend through Phares.
Hear them in St. Jerome in the Traditions: “He that made the sun stand goes back to the progeny of Phares, from whom David came, judging it fitting to end the progeny of Juda, from which the royal tribe sprang, in David. For the Hebrews hand down that this was Elimelech, the husband of Noemi, the father of Mahalon and Chelion, in whose time the sun stood still; on account of the transgressors of the law, that having seen so great a miracle they might be converted to the Lord their God. Because they refused to do this, a famine therefore grew strong, and he who seemed first in the tribe of Juda was driven by the want of famine, with his wife and sons, not only from his country, but even died in that same exile with his sons. The men of lying, they say, are Mahalon and Chelion, who are here called Secure and Burning, and of whom it is said that they were princes in Moab, because they married Moabite wives; in the Hebrew it is put more expressly, and we have learned from the learned of that language, that they are called not princes, but husbands. And what follows: Who returned to Lehem, shows Noemi and Ruth, who in Carn Lehem, that is, bread, after the want of famine, hearing of the abundance of bread, returned to Bethlehem. And because this history is written in the Book of Ruth, there follows: Now these are ancient things.”
The Hebrews are followed by Lyranus, the Gloss, Abulensis, Hugh, Dionysius, Fevardentius on chapter 1 of Ruth, Baradius on Matthew chapter 1, who say that “Elimelech” was a most holy man, and therefore, when he saw his fellow citizens turning aside to idols, he asked God to stop the sun, and with that portent to terrify the idolaters.
But that this is a fable of the Rabbis is clear: first, because here the descendants of Sela are treated of, whereas “Elimelech” was of the descendants of Phares. Secondly, because Joacim, or as it is in Hebrew Jokim, signifies only standing, making stand, confirming; hence some, from the fable of the Rabbis, added in the margin “the sun,” which afterwards crept into the text, says Serarius on Josue chapter 10, question 25. Or rather, because Josue, since he stopped the sun, was surnamed by the Hebrews Jokim, that is, making stand and stopping, namely the sun: hence Jokim in popular usage signified the same as “he that made the sun stand,” as our Vulgate translates. For all the copies have “the sun.” For this “Jokim” is placed among the sons, that is, descendants, of Sel; hence he could have lived after Josue; but if he lived before, certainly Esdras who wrote this lived after Josue, from whom “Jokim” signifies him “who made the sun stand.” Thirdly, because the corrected Roman Bible, for “who returned” corrects to “who returned to Lechem.” But Chelion and Mahalon did not return to Bethlehem, but died in Moab. Fourthly, because the “men of Lying” are different from “Secure and Burning,” as is clear from the conjunction “and,” which is interposed between them and joins different things. Fifthly, because “Elimelech” is not Joacim or Jokim, nor does it signify him who made the sun stand, but God is king, or my God is king: nor does Mahalon signify secure but weak and sick, or one who leads the choir and blows the pipe; and Chelion does not signify burning but consumed and perfected, and one who is wholly dove-like. Sixthly, Mahalon and Chelion were not princes in Moab, being foreigners and strangers, poor and famished. Seventhly, the Book of Ruth, which relates the famine and the life of Elimelech, Mahalon and Chelion, would not have passed over so great a thing in silence. Finally, the whole matter rests on an insipid tradition of the Rabbis, which St. Jerome (or whoever is the author) reported plainly in his manner, but did not approve. So Cajetan, Serarius, Salianus, Sanchez and others everywhere. No miraculous standing of the sun, therefore, is to be introduced, besides that which is related to have been done under Josue, chapter 10, and under Ezechias, Isaias 38. Wherefore this Jokim seems to have been a notable man, who performed works of heroic fortitude, so that he seemed to be as it were another Josue, who stopped the sun, and therefore was called Jokim like Josue, that is, Stayer of the sun; even if he did not in fact stop the sun, as Josue stopped it. So today men are called Hercules, Samsons, Julius, Alexanders, Pompeys, Scipios, to imitate those ancient heroes so named, even if they have not performed their heroic deeds. Moreover that Jokim in popular usage among the Hebrews signified a stayer of the sun is clear from the Rabbis already cited in St. Jerome, who, thinking Jokim to be Elimelech, from that invented that he stopped the sun.
In a similar way Jupiter was named by the Romans Jokim or Stator, namely of the fleeing line of battle, because he had made the Romans stand who had been turned to flight by the Samnites. Hear Cicero, in the oration Before he went into exile: “Jupiter Stator, whom our ancestors truly named the stayer of this empire; in whose temple I drove back the hostile attack of Catiline from the walls, whose temple was placed by Romulus at the foot of the Palatine with victory when the Sabines had been conquered.” And Ovid, book 4 of the Fasti:
The same time shall be that of the Stator, which Romulus once founded before the borders of the Palatine ridge.
So Jokim or Joakim, says Pagninus, can be composed from Jehovah abbreviated and Jakim, to signify God establishes, or God the stayer, namely of the sun at the prayers of Josue.
And who returned to Lahem.—That is, “to Bethlehem,” which by apheresis is called “Lahem” or “Lehem,” as in 1 Paralipomenon 20 “Adeodatus” in Hebrew is called Lehemites, that is, Bethlehemite, as our Vulgate translates; so in chapter 2:9 Aram is called Ram, and Jechonias is called Chonias, Jeremias 22:24.
And these are ancient things.—As if to say: These are the ancient names of the ancient Heroes. So Vatablus.
23. These are the potters (some wrongly read “singly”) dwelling in Plantations and in Hedges, with the king for his works.—Vatablus: These are those potters dwelling in Nathaim and Gedera with the king in his work. The names of the places are taken from gardens and hedges, as if to say: These are those famous potters who dwelt in Nathaim and Gedera, namely among “plants and hedges,” doubtless those who were employed in the gardens with king David, to help his royal works, and therefore were held by him in great esteem. So Vatablus; so also Pagninus.
40. Where some of the race of Cham had dwelt before.—That is, Chanaanites; for these were descended from Chanaan the son of Cham the son of Noe. The sense is, as if to say: The tribe of Simeon, the number of its sons increasing, since they dwelt in a narrow space, especially in the midst of the tribe of Juda, which after the schism made under Roboam received its cities back from the Simeonites; for this reason they attacked the neighbouring Chanaanites, who had remained in the Holy Land after Josue and could not be driven out by the Hebrews, and occupied their cities, fields and pastures at the beginning of the reign of Ezechias: but they enjoyed them only a short time, for in the sixth year of Ezechias, with the other nine tribes, they were carried away captive by Salmanasar into Assyria, 4 Kings 17:6, and chapter 16, The sons, that is, the descendants of the tribe of Ruben, Gad and half Manasses are enumerated, who likewise drove out the neighbouring Chanaanites from their regions under the kings Joatham, but soon under Ezechias for idolatry were the first to be carried away into