AN EXPOSITION, WITH PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS, OF THE FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES. IN common things, repetition is thought needless and nauseous; but in sacred things, precept must be upon precept, and line upon line. To me, says the apostle, to write the same things is not grievous, but for you it is safe, Phil. 3. 1. These books of Chronicles are, in a great measure, repetition; so are much of the second and third of the four evangelists: and yet no tautologies, either here or there, no vain repetitions. We may be ready to think that of all the books of holy scripture, we could best spare these two books of Chronicles. Perhaps we might, and yet we could very ill spare them; for there are many most excellent useful things in them, which we find not elsewhere. And as for what we find here which we have already met with, 1. It might be of great use to those who lived when these books were first published, before the canon of the Old Testament was completed, and the particles of it put together; for it would remind them of what was more fully related in the other books. Abstracts, abridgments, and references, are of use in divinity as well as law. That, perhaps, may not be said in vain, which yet has been said before. 2. It is still of use, that out of the mouth of two witnesses, every word may be established, and that, being inculcated, it may be remembered. The penman of these books is supposed to be Ezra, that ready scribe in the law of the Lord, Ezra 7. 6. It is a groundless story of that apocryphal writer, 2 Esd. 14. 21, &c. that, all the law being burned, Ezra was divinely inspired to write it all over again, which yet might take rise from the books of Chronicles, where we find, though not all the same story repeated, yet the names of all those who were the subjects of that story. These books are called in the Hebrew words of days; journals, or annals, because, by divine direction, collected out of some public and authentic records. The collection was made after the captivity, and yet the language of the originals, written before, is sometimes retained, as 2 Chr. 5. 9, There it is unto this day, which must have been written before the destruction of the temple. The Septuagint calls it a book Ilapaλeiroμévwv, of things left, or overlooked, by the preceding historians; and several such things there are in it. It is the rereward, the gathering host, of this sacred camp, which gathers up what remained, that nothing might be lost. In this first book, we have, I. A collection of sacred genealoges, from Adam to David: and they are none of those which the apostle calls endless genealo gies, but we have their use and end in Christ, ch. 1.-9. Divers little passages of history are here inserted, which we had not before. II. A repetition of the history of the translation of the kingdom from Saul to David, and of the triumph of David's reign, with large additions, ch. 10.-21. III. An original account of the settlement David made of the ecclesiastical affairs, and the preparation he made for the building of the temple, ch. 22.-29. These are words of days, of the oldest days, of the best days, of the Old-Testament church. The reigns of kings, and dates of kingdoms, as well as the lives of common persons, are reckoned by days; for a little time often gives a great turn, and yet all time is nothing to eternity. B. C. 4004. CHAPTER I. This chapter, and many that follow it, repeat the genealogies we have hitherto met V. 1-27. This paragraph has Adam for its first word, and Genealogies. Bon of Abraham, the son of Adam. And now that he is come for whose sake In this chapter, we have an abstract of all the genealogies in the book of Genesis, DAM, "Sheth, Enosh, Jered, 3 Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 5 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, b Gen. 10. 2, &c. We all we were all made miserable; by the covenant of grace made with the latter, we all are, or may be, made happy. are, by nature, the seed of Adam, branches of that wild olive. Let us see to it, that, by faith, we become the seed of Abraham, (Rom. 4. 11, 12,) that we be planted into the good olive, and partake of its root and fatness. I. The four first verses of this paragraph, and the four last, (939) and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 6 And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and *Riphath, and Togarmah. 7 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 8 The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 10 And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be mighty upon the earth. 11 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 12 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim. 13 And Canaan begat Zidon his first-born, and Heth, 14 The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, 15 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 16 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. 17 The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. 18 And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. 19 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was $Peleg, (because in his days the earth was divided,) and his brother's name was Joktan. 20 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, 21 Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah, 22 And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba, or, Diphath, as it is in some copies. tor, Rodanim, according to some copies. e Deut. 2. 23. tor, Mash, Gen. 10. 23. Si. e. Division, Gen. 10. 25. d Gen. 11. 10, &c. e Gen. 17. 5. f Gen. 21. 2, 3. g Gen. 16. 11, 15. which are linked together by Shem, (v. 4, 24,) contain the sacred line of Christ from Adam to Abraham, and are inserted in his pedigree; the order, Luke 3. 34-38, ascends, here it descends. This genealogy proves the falsehood of that reproach, As for this man, we know not whence he is. Bishop Patrick well observes here, that a genealogy being to be drawn of the families of the Jews, this appears as the peculiar glory of the Jewish nation, that they alone were able to derive their pedigree from the first man that God created, which no other nation pretended to, but abused themselves and their posterity with fabulous accounts of their originals; the Arcadians fancying that they were before the moon; the people of Thessaly that they sprang from stones; the Athenians that they grew out of the earth; much like the vain imaginations which some of the philosophers had of the origin of the universe. The account which the holy scripture gives both of the creation of the world and of the rise of nations, carries with it as clear evidences of its own truth, as those idle traditions do of their own vanity and falsehoods. II. All the verses between, repeat the account of the replenishing of the earth by the sons of Noah after the flood. 1. He begins with those who were strangers to the church, the sons of Japhet, who were planted in the isles of the Gentiles, those western parts of the world, the countries of Europe. Of these he gives a short account, (v. 5-7,) because with these the Jews had hitherto had little or no dealings. 2. He proceeds to those, many of whom had been enemies to the church, the sons of Ham, who moved southward towards Africa, and those parts of Asia which lay that way. Nimrod son of Cush began to be an oppressor, probably, to the people of God in his time. But Mizraim, from whom came the Egyptians, and Canaan, from whom came the Canaanites, are both of them names of great note in the Jewish story; for with their descendants, the Israel of God had severe struggles to get out of the land of Egypt, and into the land of Canaan; and therefore the branches of Mizraim are particularly recorded, v. 11, 12, and of Canaan, v. 13-16. See at what a rate God valued Israel, when he gave Egypt for their ransom, (Is. 43. 3,) and cast out all these nations before them, Ps. 80. 8. 3. He then gives an account of those that were the ancestors and allies of the church, the posterity of Shem, v. 17-23. These peopled Asia, and spread themselves eastward; the Assyrians, Syrians, Chaldeans, Persians, and Arabians, descended from these. At first, the ori ginals of the respective nations were known; but at this day, we have reason to think the nations are all so mingled with one another, by the enlargement of commerce and dominion, the transplanting of colonies, the carrying away of captives, and many such occasions, that no one nation, no nor the greatest part of any, is descended entire from any of these fountains. Only this we are sure of, that God has created of one blood all nations of men; they are all descended from one Adam, one Noah. Have we not all one father? Has not one God created 23 And Ophir, and Havilah and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 Abram; the same is Abraham. 28 The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael. 29 These are their generations: The first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 30 Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. 32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimram, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan. 33 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah. 34 And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau, and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. 36 The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, "Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. 38 And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezar, and Dishan. 39 And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam :** and Timna was Lotan's sister. 40 The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, A Gen. 25. 13-16. or, Hadar, Gen. 25. 15. i Gen. 25. 1, &c. * Gen. 21. 2, 3. Gen. 25. 25, 26. m Gen. 36. 9, &c. ¶ or, Zepho, Gen. 36. 11. Heman, Gen. 36.22. tt or, Alran, Gen. 36. 23. ** or, us? Mal. 2. 10. Our register hastens to the line of Abraham, breaking off abruptly from all the other families of the sons of Noah, but that of Arphaxad, from whom Christ was to come. The great promise of the Messiah (says Bishop Patrick) was translated from Adam to Seth, from him to Shem, from him to Eber, and so to the Hebrew nation, who were intrusted, above all nations, with that sacred treasure, till the promise was performed, and the Messiah was come, and then that nation was made not a people. V. 28-54. All nations, but the seed of Abraham, are already shaken off from this genealogy; they have no part or lot in this matter. The Lord's portion is his people, them he keeps account of, and knows by name; but those who are strangers to him, he beholds afar off. Not that we are to conclude that therefore no particular persons of any other nation, but the seed of Abrahain, found favour with God. It was a truth, before Peter perceived it, that in every nation he that feared God, and wrought righteousness, was accepted of him. Multitudes will be brought to heaven out of all nations, (Rev. 7. 9,) and we are willing to hope there were many, very many, good people in the world, that lay out of the pale of God's covenant of peculiarity with Abraham, whose names were in the book of life, though not descended from any of the following families written in this book. The Lord knows them that are his. But Israel was a chosen nation, elect in type; and no other nation, in its national capacity, was so dignified and privileged as the Jewish nation was. That is the holy nation, which is the subject of the sacred story; and therefore we are next to shake off all the seed of Abraham, but the posterity of Jacob only, which were all incorporated into one nation, and joined to the Lord, while the other descendants from Abraham, for aught that appears, were estranged both from God and from one another. I. We shall have little to say to the Ishmaelites; they were the sons of the bond-woman, that were to be cast out, and not to be heirs with the child of the promise; and their case was to represent that of the unbelieving Jews, who were rejected, (Gal. 4. 22, &c,) and therefore there is little notice taken of that nation. Ishmael's twelve sons are just named here, (v. 29-31,) to show the performance of the promise God made to Abraham, in answer to his prayer for him, that, for Abraham's sake, he should become a great nation, and particularly that he should beget twelve princes, Gen. 17. 20. II. We shall have little to say to the Midianites, who descended from Abraham's children by Keturah; they were children of the east, (probably, Job was one of them,) and were dismissed from Isaac, the heir of the promise, (Gen. 25. 6.) and therefore they are only named here, v. 32. The sons of Jokshan, the son of Keturah, are named also, and the sons of Midian, (v, 32, 33,) who became most eminent, and perhaps gave denomination to all these families, as Judah to the Jews. III. We shall not have much to say to the Edomites; they had an inveterate enmity to God's Israel; yet, because they and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah. 41 The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Úz, and Aran. 43 Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 44 And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 45 And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. 46 And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, (which smote Midian in the field of Moab,) reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith. 47 And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. 48 And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. 49 And when Shaul was dead, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. 50 And when Baal-hanan was dead, Hadads reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, "duke Jetheth, 52 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon, 53 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar, 54 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom. CHAPTER II. We are now come to what was principally intended, the register of the children of Israel, that distinguished people, that were to dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations. Here is, I. The names of the twelve sons of Israel, .1, 2. And then, II. An account of the tribe of Judah, which has the prece dency, not so much for the sake of David, as for the sake of the Son of David, our Lord, who sprang out of Judah, Heb. 7. 14. 1. The first descendants from Judah, down to Jesse, v. 3-12. 2. The children of Jesse, v. 13-17. 3. The posterity of Hezron, not only through Ram, from whom David came, but through Caleb, v. 18-20. Segub, v. 21-24. Jerahmeel, v. 25-33, and so to v. 41, and more by Caleb, v. 42-49, with the family of Caleb, the son of Hur, v. 50-55. The best expositions we can give of this and the following chapters, and which will give the clearest view of them, is, those genealogical tables which were published with some of the first impressions of the Inst English Bible about a hundred years ago, and continued for some time; and it is pity but they were revived or, Shepho. Gen. 35. 23. tor, Hemian, Gen. 36. 26. tor, Achan. Gen. 36. 27. or, Hatar, Gen. 36, 39. or, Pau, Gen. 36. 39. Tor, Aleah. ⚫ or, Jacob. a Gen. 29. 32, &c. 30. 5, &c. 35, 18, &c. 46. 8, &c. b Gen. 38. 3, &c. 46. 12. Nom. 26. 19. c Gen. 38. 29, 30. Matt. 1. 3. d Gen. 46. 12. Ruth 4. 18. tor, Zabdi, Josh. 7. 1. or, Darda. descended from Esau the son of Isaac, we have here an account of their families, and the names of some of their famous men, v. 35, to the end. Some slight differences there are between some of the names here, and as we had them, Gen. 36. whence this whole account is taken. Three or four names that were written with a Vau there are written with a Jod here; probably, the pronunciation being altered, as is usual in other languages. We now write many words very differently from what they were written but 200 years ago. Let us take occasion, from the reading of these genealogies, to think, 1. Of the multitudes that have gone through this world, have acted their part in it, and then quitted it. Job, even in his early day, saw not only every man drawing after him, but innumerable before him, Job 21. 33. All these, and all theirs, had their day; many of them made a mighty noise and figure in the world; but their day came to fall, and their place knew them no more. The paths of death are trodden paths, but, Vestigia nulla retrorsum-None can retrace their steps. 2. Of the providence of God, which keeps up the generations of men, and so preserves that degenerate race, though guilty and obnoxjous, in being upon earth. How easily could he cut it off without either a deluge or a conflagration! Write but all the children of men childless, as some are, and, in a few years, the earth will be eased of its burden under which it groans; but the divine patience lets the trees that cumber the ground, not only grow, but propagate. As one generation, even of sinful men, passes away, another comes, (Ec. 1. 4. Num. 32. 14,) and will do so while the earth remains. Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it. in some of our latter editions; for they are of great use to those who diligently search the scriptures. They are said to be drawn up by that great master in scripture learning, Mr. Hugh Broughton. We meet with them sometimes in old Bibles. The HESE are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 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 first-born of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him. 4 And Tamar his daughter-in-law bare him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five. 5 The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul. 6 And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara, five of them in all. 7 And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed. 8 And the sons of Ethan; Azariah. 9 The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and "Ram, and Chelubai. 10 And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahishon, prince of the children of Judah; 11 And Nahshon begat **Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, 12 And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, 13 And Jesse begat his first-born Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, 14 Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15 Ozem the sixth, David the seventh, 16 Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three. 17 And Abigail bare Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite. 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. 19 And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath,' which bare him Hur. 20 And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel." 21 And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir "the father of Gilead, whom he $marSor, Achan. e Josh. 6. 18. 7. 1, 25. or, Aram, Matt. 1. 3, 4. Tor, Caleb, ver. 18, 42. f Ruth 4. 19, 20. g Num. 1. 7. or, Salmon, Ruth 4. 21. h1 Sam. 16. 6, &c. tt or, Shammah, 1 Sam. 16. 9. i 2 Sam. 2. 18. k 2 Sam. 17.25.2 Sam. 17. 25, 1thra, an Israelite. I ver. 50. m Ex. 31. 2. n Num. 27. 1. § took. free grace, that it was said, Jacob have I loved: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 2. The family of Judah. That tribe was most praised, most increased, and most dignified, of any of the tribes, and therefore the genealogy of it is the first and largest of them all. In the account here given of the first branches of that illustrious tree, which Christ was to be the Top Branch of, we meet, (1.) With some that were very bad. Here is Er, Judah's eldest son, that was evil in the sight of the Lord, and was cut off, in the beginning of his days, by a stroke of divine vengeance; the Lord slew him, v. 3. His next brother, Onan, was no better, and fared no better. Here is Tamar, with whom Judah, her fatherin-law, committed incest, v. 4. And here is Achan, called Achar, a troubler, that troubled Israel by taking of the accursed thing, v. 7. Note, The best and most honourable families may have those belonging to them, that have their blemishes. (2.5 With some that were very wise and good, as Heman and Ethan, Calcol and Darda, who were not, perhaps, the immediate sons of Zerah, but descendants from him, and are named because they were the glory of their father's house for when the Holy Ghost would magnify the wisdom of Solomon, he declares him wiser than these four men, who, though the sons of Mahol, are called Ezrahites, from Zerah, 1 Kings 4. 31. That four brothers should be eminent for wisdom and grace, was a rare thing. (3.) With some that were very great, as Nahshon, who was prince of the tribe of Judah, when the camp of Israel was formed in the wilderness, and so led the van in that glorious march; and Salma, or Salmon, who was in that post of honour when they entered Canaan, v. 10, 11. 3. The family of Jesse, of which a particular account is kept for the sake of David, and the Son of David, who is a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, Is. 11. 1. Hence it appears that David was a seventh son, and that his three great commanders, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were the sons of one of his sisters, and Amasa of another. Three of the four went down slain to the pit, though they were the terror of the mighty. V. 18-55. The persons mentioned in the first seventeen verses, are most of them such as we read of, and most of them ried when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub. 22 And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead. 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. 24 And after that Hezron was dead in Calebephratah, then Abiah, Hezron's wife, bare him Ashur Pthe father of Tekoa. 25 And the sons of Jerahmeel, the first-born of Hezron, were, Ram the first-born, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 27 And the sons of Ram, the first-born of Jerahmeel, were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker. 28 And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur. 29 And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid. 30 And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children. 31 And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan ; Ahlai. 32 And the sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children. 33 And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. 34 Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters: and Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. 35 And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife, and she bare him Attai. 36 And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad, 37 And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed, 38 And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah, 39 And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah, 40 And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum, o Num. 32. 41. Deut. 3, 14. Josh. 13. 30. p. 4. 5. g ver. 34, 35. r c. I. 41. # Per. 9. t Josh. 15. 17, or, Ephrath, ver. 19. tor, Reaiah, c. 4. 2. or, such as we read much of, in other scriptures. But there are very few of those here, that are mentioned any where else. It should seem, the tribe of Judah were more full and exact in their genealogies than any other of the tribes; in which we must acknowledge a special providence, for the clearing of the genealogy of Christ. 41 And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama. 42 Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, were Mesha his first-born, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah, the father of Hebron. 43 And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema. 44 And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam; and Rekem begat Shammai. 45 And the son of Shammai was Maon; and Maon was the father of Beth-zur. 46 And Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez. 47 And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph. 48 Maachah, Caleb's concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah. 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 Achsa.' 50 These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the first-born of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim, 51 Salma the father of Beth-lehem, Hareph the father of Beth-gader. 52 And Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites. 53 And the families of Kirjath-jearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites. 54 The sons of Salma; Beth-lehem, and the Netophathites, $Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites. 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." CHAPTER III. Of all the families of Israel, none was so illustrious as the family of David. That is the family which was mentioned in the chapter before, v. 15. Here we have a full account of it. I. David's sons, v. 1-9. 11. His successors in the brone as long as the kingdom continued, v. 10-16. III. The remains of his family in, and after, the captivity, v. 17-24. From this family, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. Now were in Hebron; the first-born Am OW these were the sons of David, which were a half of the Menuchites, or, Hatsikammenuchoth. § or, Atarites, or, crowns of the house of Joab. u Judg. 1. 16. Jer. 35. 2. a 2 Sam. 3. 2, &c. of one who had an only daughter, and married her to his servant an Egyptian, v. 34, 35. If it be mentioned to his praise, we must suppose that this Egyptian was proselyted to the Jewish religion, and that he was very eminent for wisdom and virtue ; else it had not become a true-born Israelite to match a daughter to him, especially an only daughter. If Egyptians become con1. Here we find Bezaleel, who was head-workman in build-verts and servants do worthily, neither their parentage, nor ing the tabernacle, Ex. 31. 2. 2. Hezron, who was the son of Pharez, (v. 5.) is the father of all this progeny; his sons, Caleb and Jerahmeel, being very fruitful, and he himself likewise, even in his old age, for he left his wife pregnant, when he died, v. 24. This Hezron was one of the seventy that went down with Jacob into Egypt, (Gen. 46, 12;) there his family thus increased, as the other oppressed families there did. We cannot but suppose that he died during the Israelites' bondage in Egypt; and yet it is here said, he died in Caleb-ephratah, that is, Bethlehem in the land of Canaan, v. 24. Perhaps, though the body of the people continued in Egypt, yet some that were more active than the rest, at least, before their bondage came to be extreme, visited Canaan sometimes, and got footing there, though, afterward, they lost it. The achievements of Jair, here mentioned, (v. 22, 23,) we had an account of, Num. 32. 41, and, it is supposed, they were long after the conquest of Canaan. The Jews say, Hezron married his third wife when he was sixty years old, (v. 21,) and another after, (v. 24,) because he had a great desire of posterity in the family of Pharez, from whom the Messiah was to descend. Here is mention of one that died without children, (v. 30,) and another, (v. 32,) and of one that had no sons, but daughters, v. 34. Let those that are either of these ways afflicted, not think their case new or singular. Providence orders these affairs of families by an uncontestable sovereignty, as pleaseth him; giving children, or withholding them, or giving all of one sex. He is not bound to please us, but we are bound to acquiesce in his good pleasure. To those that love him, he will himself be better than ten sons, and give them in his house a place and a name better than of sons and daughters. Let not them therefore that are written childless, envy the families that are built up and replenished. Shall our eye be evil, because God's is good? Here is mention their servitude, should be a bar to their preferment. Such a one this Egyptian servant might be, that she who married him, might live as happily with him, as if she had married one of the rulers of her tribe. The pedigree of several of these terminate, not in a person, but in a place or country; as one is said to be the father of Kirjath-jearim, (v. 50,) another of Bethlehem, (v. 51,) which was, afterward, David's city; because these places fell to their lot in the division of the land." Lastly, Here are some that are said to be families of scribes, (v. 55,) such as kept up learning in their family, especially scripture learning, and taught the people the good knowledge of God. Among all these great families, we are glad to find some that were families of scribes. Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets! All the families of Israel families of scribes, well instructed to the kingdom of heaven, and able to bring out of their treasury things new and old! NOTES TO CHAPTER III. V.1-9. We had an account of David's sons, 2 Sam. 3. 2, &c. and 5. 14, &c. 1. He had many sons; and, no doubt, wrote as he thought, (Ps. 127. 5,) Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of these arrows. 2. Some of them were a grief to him, as Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah. And we do not read of any of them, that imitated his piety and devotion, except Solomon, and he came far short of it. 3. One of them, which Bathsheba bare to him, he called Nathan, probably, in honour of Nathan the prophet, who reproved him for his sin in that matter, and was instrumental to bring him to repentance. It seems, he loved him the better for it as long as he lived. It is wisdom to esteem those our best friends, that deal faithfully with us. From this son of David our Lord Jesus descended, as appears, Luke 3. 31. Here are two Elishamas, and two non, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess: the second, *Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess: 2 The third, Absalom, the son of Maachah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; 3 The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah his wife. 4 These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and cin Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years. 5 And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel: 6 Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, 7 And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, 8 And Elishama, and "Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister: 20 And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed, five. 21 And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah. 22 And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six. 23 And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three. 24 And the sons of Elioenai were Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Delaiah, and Anani, seven. CHAPTER IV. 9 These were all the sons of David, beside the In this chapter, we have, I. A further account of the genealogies of the tribe of sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister. 10 And Solomon's son was Rehoboam; Abia **his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, #Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, Josiah his son. Judah, the most numerous, and most famous, of all the tribes. The posterity of Shobal the son of Hur, v. 1-4. Of Ashur the posthumous son of Hezron, who was mentioned, ch. 2. 24, with something particular concerning Jabez, v. 5-10. Of Chelub, and others, v. 11-20. Of Shelah, v. 21-23. II. An account of the posterity and cities of Simeon, their conquest of Gedor, and of the Amalekites in mount Scir, v. 24-43. THE HE "sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and *Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. 2 And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites. 3 And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, 15 And the sons of Josiah were, the first-born and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sisJohanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third "Ze-ter was Hazelelponi: dekiah, the fourth Shallum. 16 And the sons of Jehoiakim; ***Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son, 17 And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel'tt his son. 18 Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. 19 And the sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel, b 1 Sam. 25. 42, 43. or, Chileah, 2 Sam. 3. 3. c 2 Sam. 5. 4. 14, &c. for, Shamnua, 2 Sam. 5. 14. 1 or, Bath-sheba, 2 Sam. 11. 3. or, Elian, 2 Sam. 11. 3. or, Elishun, 2 Sam. 5. 15. Tor, Beelinda, c. 14. 7. d 2 Sam. 13. 1. or, Abijam, 1 Kings 15. 1. ft or, Azariah, 2 Chr. 22. 6; or, Jehoahas, 2 Chr. Eliphelets, v. 6, 7. Probably, the two former were dead, and therefore David called two more by their names; which he would not have done, if there had been any ill omen in it, as some fancy. 5. David had many concubines; but their children are not named, as not worthy of the honour, (v. 9;) the rather, because the concubines had dealt treacherously with David in the affair of Absalom. 6. Of all David's sons, Solomon was chosen to succeed him; perhaps not for any personal merits, (his wisdom was God's gift,) but so, Father, because it seemed good unto thee. V. 10-24. David having nineteen sons, we may suppose them to have raised many noble families in Israel, whom we never hear of in the history. But the scripture gives us an account only of the descendants of Solomon here, and of Nathan, Luke 3. The rest had the honour to be the sons of David; but these only had the honour to be related to the Messiah. The sons of Nathan were his fathers, as man; the sons of Solomon his predecessors, as king. We have here, 1. The great and celebrated names by which the line of David is drawn down to the captivity; the kings of Judah in a lineal succession; the history of whom we have had at large in the two books of Kings, and shall meet with again in the second book of Chronicles. Seldom has a crown gone in a direct line from father to son for seventeen descents together, as here. This was the recompense of David's piety. About the captivity, the lineal descent was interrupted, and the crown went from one brother to another, and from a nephew to an uncle; which was a presage of the eclipsing of the glory of that house. 2. The less famous, and most of them very obscure, names, in which the house of David subsisted after the captivity. The only famous man of that house, that we meet with at their return from captivity, was Zerubbabel, elsewhere called the son of Salathiel, but appearing here to be his grandson, (v. 17-19,) which is usual in scripture. Belshazzar is called Nebuchadnezzar's son, but was his grandson. Salathiel is said to be the son of Jeconiah, because adopted by him, and because, as some think, he succeeded him in the dignity to which he was restored by Evil-merodach; otherwise Jeconiah was written childless : he was the signet God plucked from his right hand, (Jer. 22. 24,) and in his room Zerubbabel was placed; and therefore God saith to him, (Hag. 2. 23,) I will make thee as a signet. The posterity of Zerubbabel here bear not the same names that they do in the genealogies, Matt. 1. or Luke 3. but those, no doubt, were taken from the then herald's office, the public registers which the priests kept of all the families of Judah, especially that of David. The last person named in this chapter is Anani; of whom Bishop Patrick says that the Targum adds these words, He is the king Messiah, who is to be revealed; and some of the Jewish 4 And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephratah, the father of Beth-lehem. 5 And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6 And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 21. 17. or, Uzziah, 2 Kings 15.30. $$ or, Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 23. 30. or, Eliakim, 2 Kings, 23. 34, or, Mattaniah, 2 Kings 24. 17. or, Jehoiachin, 2 Kings 24. 6; or, Coniah. Jer. 22. 24. ††† Shealtiel, 111 Hiskijahu, a Gen. 46. 12. ⚫or, Chelubat, c. 2. 9, or, Caleb, c. 2. 18. tor, Haroch, c. 2. 52. writers give this reason, because it is said, (Dan. 7. 13,) The Son of man came gnim gnanani-with the clouds of heaven. The reason indeed is very foreign and far-fetched; but that learned man thinks it may be made use of as an evidence that their minds were always full of the thoughts of the Messiah, and that they expected it would not be very long after the days of Zerubbabel, before the set time of his approach would come. NOTES TO CHAPTER IV. V. 1-10. One reason, no doubt, why Ezra is here the most particular in the register of the tribe of Judah, is, because that tribe was it which, with its appendages, Simeon, Benjamin, and Levi, made up the kingdom of Judah; which not only long survived the other tribes in Canaan, but, in process of time, now, when this was written, returned out of captivity, when the generality of the other tribes were lost in the kingdom of Assyria. The most remarkable person in this paragraph is Jabez. It is not said whose son he was; nor does it appear in what age he lived; but, it should seem, he was the founder of one of the families of Aharhel, mentioned, v. 8. Here is, I. The reason of his name: his mother gave him the name with this reason, Because I bare him with sorrow, v. 9. All children are born with sorrow; for the sentence upon the woman is, In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children: but some with much more sorrow than others. Usually, the sorrow in bearing, is afterward forgotten, for joy that the child is born; but here, it seems, it was so extraordinary, that it was remembered when the child came to be circumcised, and care taken to perpetuate the remembrance of it while he lived. Perhaps, the mother called him Jabez, as Rachel called her son Benoni, when she was dying of the sorrow. Or, if she recovered it, yet thus she recorded it, 1. That it might be a continual memorandum to herself, to be thankful to God as long as she lived, for supporting her under, and bringing her through, that sorrow. It may be of use to be often reminded of our sorrows, that we may always have such thoughts of things as we had in the day of our affliction, and may learn to rejoice with trembling. 2. That it might likewise be a memorandum to him, what this world is, into which she bare him, a vale of tears, in which he must expect few days and full of trouble. The sorrow he carried in his name, might help to put a seriousness upon his spirit. It might also remind him to love and honour his mother, and labour, in every thing, to be a comfort to her who brought him into the world with so much sorrow. It is piety in children thus to requite their parents, 1 Tim. 5. 4. II. The eminency of his character: he was more honourable than his brethren, qualified above them by the divine grace, and dignified above them by the divine providence: they did virtuously, but he excelled them all. Now the sorrow with which his mother bare him, was abundantly recompensed. That son |