Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 8. Synopsis of the Chapter
The descendants of Benjamin are enumerated more fully, so that thereafter the genealogy of Saul may be carried through, verse 33.
1. And Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Asbel the second, Ahara the third, 2. Noha the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. 3. And the sons of Bela were Addar, and Gera, and Abiud, 4. Abisue also and Naaman, and Ahoe, 5. and Gera, and Sephuphan, and Huram. 6. These are the sons of Ahod, princes of kindreds dwelling in Gabaa, who were carried away into Manahath. 7. And Naaman, and Achia, and Gera, he carried them away, and begot Oza and Ahiud. 8. And Saharaim begot children in the country of Moab, after he had put away Husim and Bara his wives. 9. And he begot of Hodes his wife, Jobab, and Sebia, and Mosa, and Molchom, 10. Jehus also, and Sechia, and Marma. These are his sons, princes in their families. 11. And Mehusim begot Abitob, and Elphaal. 12. And the sons of Elphaal: Heber, and Misaam, and Samad: he built Ono, and Lod, and its daughters. 13. And Baria and Sama, princes of kindreds dwelling in Aialon: they put to flight the inhabitants of Geth. 14. And Ahio, and Sesac, and Jerimoth, 15. and Zabadia, and Arod, and Heder, 16. Michael also, and Jespha, and Joha, sons of Baria. 17. And Zabadia, and Mosollam, and Hezeci, and Heber, 18. and Jezamari, and Jezlia, and Jobab, sons of Elphaal, 19. and Jacim, and Zechri, and Zabdi, 20. and Elioenai, and Selethai, and Eliel, 21. and Adaia, and Baraia, and Samarath, sons of nia, and Elam, and Anathothia, 25. and Jephdaia, and Phanuel, sons of Sesac, 26. and Samsari, and Sohoria, and Otholia, 27. and Jersia, and Elia, and Zechri, sons of Jeroham. 28. These were patriarchs, and chiefs of kindreds, who dwelt in Jerusalem. 29. And in Gabaon dwelt Abigabaon, and the name of his wife was Maacha: 30. and his firstborn son Abdon, and Sur, and Cis, and Baal, and Nadab, 31. Gedor also, and Ahio, and Zacher, and Macelloth: 32. and Macelloth begot Samaa: and they dwelt over against their brethren in Jerusalem with their brethren. 33. And Ner begot Cis, and Cis begot Saul. And Saul begot Jonathan, and Melchisua, and Abinadab, and Esbaal. 34. And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begot Micha. 35. The sons of Micha: Phithon, and Melech, and Tharaa, and Ahaz, 36. and Ahaz begot Joada: and Joada begot Alamath, and Azmoth, and Zamri: and Zamri begot Mosa, 37. and Mosa begot Banaa, whose son was Rapha, of whom came Elasa, who begot Asel. 38. And Asel had six sons of these names: Ezricam, Bocru, Ismael, Saria, Obdia, and Hanan: all these were the sons of Asel. 39. And the sons of Esec his brother: Ulam the firstborn, and Jehus the second, and Eliphalet the third. 40. And the sons of Ulam were most valiant men, and who bent the bow with great strength: and they had many sons and grandsons, even to a hundred and fifty. All these were the sons of Benjamin.
7. And Naaman, and Achia, and Gera (supply: they are the sons of Abod, whom in the preceding verse I promised to enumerate here) he (namely “Gera,” who immediately preceded) carried them away,—namely the Ahodites from Gabaa into Manahath, as was said in verse 6. And the same Gera “begot Oza and Ahiud,” and a third, “Saharaim,” being “in the country of Moab,” as follows in verse 8, to which Gera migrated perhaps with Elimelech on account of the famine, Ruth 1.
28. Who dwelt in Jerusalem.—For Jerusalem belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, which yielded it to Juda, so that it might cast out the Jebusites from it, as I said on Josue 18, and Judges 1.
29. And in Gabaon dwelt Abigabaon, etc.,—that is, the father of Gabaon, namely the prince of Gabaon, whose proper name was Jehiel, as is said in the following chapter, verse 35, who was the father of Cis the father of Saul, as follows. You will say: How then in verse 33 is Ner said to be the father of Cis and grandfather of Saul? I answer that Jehiel was called by another name Ner, that is, lamp, because he shone before his whole family like a lamp. So Emmanuel Sa and Mariana, although others think that Jehiel was the father of Ner, whose son was Cis, the grandfather of Saul, and they gather this from the following chapter, verse 36, where Jehiel is said to have begotten Ner, but in the same place Jehiel is said to have begotten Cis; wherefore Ner there was not the father but the brother of Cis, on whom his father Ner imposed his own name.
33. Esbaal.—He was called by another name Isboseth, who was the fourth son of Saul, and David’s
34. And the son of Jonathan, Meribbaal.—“Meribbaal” is Miphiboseth; for he was the only son of Jonathan, and the father of Michas, as follows. Now Miphiboseth is called Meribbaal, that is, contending with the lord, or Meribaal, that is, rebelling against the lord: for what reason he was so called is not known. The Hebrews in St. Jerome in the Traditions give as the cause that he murmured against the Lord, who had brought David back to the kingdom, because David had taken away his goods and had given them to Siba his servant who slandered him, 2 Kings 19:29. But this is plainly uncertain. Others will have it that he was so called because he destroyed the idols of Baal: for on this account Gedeon was called “Jerobaal,” that is, binding with Baal, Judges 6:32. It is more likely that he was called Meribbaal because with his servant Siba, who falsely accused him before David of aiming at the kingdom, he was compelled to contend, not as with a servant, but as with a master and lord, nay to divide his own inheritance (David so ordering). For this was a notable injury and contempt to him.
The chief men of the Jews who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem are enumerated, with the priests, Levites and Nathinites; also the Benjamites, and the parents and descendants of Saul.