Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 7. Synopsis of the Chapter
The sons, that is, the descendants, of Issachar, Benjamin, Nephthali, Manasses, Ephraim and Aser,
1. And the sons of Issachar: Thola, and Phua, Jasub, and Semron, four. 2. The sons of Thola: Ozi, and Raphaia, and Jeriel, and Jemai, and Jebsem, and Samuel, princes according to their kindreds. Of the race of Thola, most valiant men were numbered in the days of David, twenty-two thousand six hundred. 3. The sons of Ozi: Izrahia, of whom were born Michael, and Obadia, and Johel, and Jesia, five, all princes. 4. And with them by their families and peoples, girded for battle, most valiant men, thirty-six thousand: for they had many wives and sons. 5. And their brethren, throughout all the kindred of Issachar, most strong for fighting, were numbered eighty-seven thousand. 6. The sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Bechor, and Jadiel, three. 7. The sons of Bela: Esbon, and Ozi, and Oziel, and Jerimoth, and Urai, five princes of families, and most strong for fighting: and the number of them was twenty-two thousand and thirty-four. 8. And the sons of Bechor:
math: all these were the sons of Bechor. 9. And they were numbered by their families, the princes of their kindreds, most valiant for wars, twenty thousand and two hundred. 10. And the sons of Jadihel: Balan. And the sons of Balan: Jehus, and Benjamin, and Aod, and Chanana, and Zethan, and Tharsis, and Ahisahar: 11. all these were the sons of Jadihel, princes of their kindreds, most valiant men: seventeen thousand and two hundred, going forth to battle. 12. Sepham also and Hapham the sons of Hir: and Hasin the son of Aher. 13. And the sons of Nephthali: Jasiel, and Guni, and Jeser, and Sellum, the sons of Bala. 14. And the son of Manasses was Esriel: and his concubine of Syria bore Machir the father of Galaad. 15. And Machir took wives for his sons Happhim and Saphan: and he had a sister named Maacha: and the name of the second was Salphaad, and Salphaad had daughters. 16. And Maacha the wife of Machir bore a son, and called his name Phares: and the name of his brother was Sares; and his sons were Ulam and Recen. 17. And the son of Ulam was Badan. These are the sons of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses. 18. And his sister Regina bore a comely man, and Abiezer, and Mohola. 19. And the sons of Semida were Ahin, and Sechem, and Leci, and Aniam. 20. And the sons of Ephraim: Suthala, Bared his son, Thahath his son, Elada his son, Thahath his son, whose son was Zabad, 21. and his son Suthala, and his son Ezer and Elad: and the men of Geth, natives of the land, slew them, because they had come down to invade their possessions. 22. And Ephraim their father mourned for many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. 23. And he went in to his wife; who conceived, and bore a son, and he called his name Beria, because he was born in the evils of his house: 24. and his daughter was Sara, who built Bethoron the nether and the upper, and Ozensara. 25. And his son Rapha, and Reseph, and Thale, of whom was born Thaan, 26. who begot Laadan: whose son also was Ammiud, who begot Elisama, 27. of whom came Nun, who had a son Josue. 28. And their possession and habitation was Bethel with its daughters, and toward the east Noran, and on the west side Gazer and its daughters, Sichem also with its daughters, as far as Aza with its daughters. 29. And next to the sons of Manasses: Bethsan and its daughters, Thanach and its daughters, Mageddo and its daughters, Dor and its daughters: in these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel. 30. The sons of Aser: Jemna, and Jesua, and Jessui, and Baria, and Sara their sister. 31. And the sons of Baria: Heber, and Melchiel: he is the father of Barzaith. 32. And Heber begot Jephlat, and Somer, and Hotham, and Suaa their sister. 33. The sons of Jephlat: Phosech, and Chamaal, and Asoth: these are the sons of Jephlat. 34. And the sons of Somer: Ahi, and Roaga, and Aaba, and Aram. 35. And the sons of Helem his brother: Supha, and Jemna, and Selles, and Amal. 36. The sons of Supha: Sue, Harnapher, and Sual, and Beri, and Jamra, 37. Bosor, and Hod, and Samma, and Salusa, and Jethran, and Bera. 38. The sons of Jether: Jephone, and Phaspha, and Ara. 39. And the sons of Olla: Aree, and Haniel, and Resia. 40. All these were the sons of Aser, princes of kindreds, chosen and most valiant captains of captains: and the number of them of an age fit for war was twenty-six thousand.
3. The sons of Ozi.—“Sons,” that is, son; for only one is named, namely Izrahia, because Esdras wished to carry on the line of him alone, as the distinguished one: for it is likely that Ozi had several sons, but less illustrious. For it is certain that in these ten chapters the names of many descendants of the Patriarchs are passed over; for it would have been lengthy and almost endless to enumerate them all. Wherefore only some of the more illustrious are enumerated here, the rest left out. So Genesis 46:23 it is said: “The sons of Dan, Husim.” “Sons,” that is, son; for he had only one, from whom the whole Tribe of Dan was propagated. It is an enallage of number. For it enumerates all the sons of the Patriarchs, of whom Dan had only one.
6. The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Bechor and Jadiel, three.—These three were the more illustrious: for altogether there were ten, who are enumerated in Genesis 46:21.
18. And his sister Regina bore a comely man.—The Hebrew: and his sister Molechet bore Isehod. So the Septuagint, Pagninus, Vatablus and others; but our Vulgate in its manner translated the proper names by their meanings: Molechet signifies queen, and Isehod a comely man. See what I said on chapter 4, verse
21. And the men of Geth, natives of the land, slew them (the sons of Ephraim, the firstborn of Joseph), because they had come down to invade their possessions.—It is likely that Pharao gave Joseph, whom he had advanced because of the famine averted from Egypt, some possessions in it, especially on its borders, and in the land of Gessen which he had assigned to his brethren for feeding their flocks. Joseph, dying, left these possessions to his son Ephraim; and Ephraim handed them on to his sons; but the Gethites, neighbours of Egypt, slew them and occupied their possessions, and this is what is said here. The Chaldee Paraphrast mentions this slaughter, Canticle 2:7, but, as is his way, mixes many fables with the truth.
24. And his daughter was Sara, who built Bethoron.—“Daughter,” that is, granddaughter or rather great-granddaughter: for a daughter of Ephraim dwelling with him in Egypt could not have built Bethoron and two other cities, which were in Chanaan.