Gill, in his commentary, gives us a useful summary of this chapter.
‘In this chapter are given the genealogies of the tribes of Issachar, 1 Chronicles 7:1, of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 7:6, Naphtali, 1 Chronicles 7:13, of Manasseh, 1 Chronicles 7:14, of Ephraim, 1 Chronicles 7:20, and of Asher, 1 Chronicles 7:30, even of the chief men of them; and their numbers are reckoned as in the times of David. The tribes of Dan and Zebulun are omitted.’
As we read through this chapter, we soon discover that the genealogies of Zebulun and Dan aren’t mentioned.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Here is no account either of Zebulun or Dan. Why they only should be omitted, we can assign no reason; only it is the disgrace of the tribe of Dan that idolatry began in that colony of the Danites, which fixed in Laish, and called Dan, and there one of the golden calves was set up by Jeroboam. Dan is omitted, Revelation 7:4-8.’
Puah, 1 Chronicles 7:1, is mentioned as Puvah in Genesis 46:13. Jashub, 1 Chronicles 7:1, is mentioned as Job in Genesis 46:13. As with the spelling of the names, the variations can be noted by comparing the names in 1 Chronicles 7:1-5 with those that are listed in Genesis 46:13 and Numbers 26:23-25. We are told that the descendants of Tola listed as fighting men numbered twenty-two thousand, six-hundred, 1 Chronicles 7:2.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning David’s generation, 1 Chronicles 7:2.
‘The writer would seem by this passage to have had access to the statistics of the tribes collected by David when he sinfully ‘numbered the people’. The numbers are given in 1 Chronicles 7:4-5, probably came from the same source.’
The Pulpit Commentary says the following, concerning 1 Chronicles 7:3.
‘The name of Izrahiah’s sons count up only four; but if, with four of Kennicott’s manuscripts, the words, and the sons of Izrahiah, should be omitted, the five will count right for sons of Uzzi, and the little clause beginning this verse will correspond exactly with that beginning, 1 Chronicles 7:2. The Syriac, however, does not omit ‘and the sons of Izrahiah,’ but alters the numeral ‘five’ to ‘four.’’
They had thirty-six men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children, 1 Chronicles 7:4. The army was divided into fighting units, 2 Chronicles 25:9-10 / 2 Chronicles 26:11.
Both the tribes of Issachar, 1 Chronicles 7:2-5, and Asher, 1 Chronicles 7:40, are noted because of the valiant soldiers who came from these two tribes. This is something which is mentioned throughout this chapter, 1 Chronicles 7:5 / 1 Chronicles 7:7 / 1 Chronicles 7:9 / 1 Chronicles 7:11 / 1 Chronicles 7:40.
Issachar had eighty-seven thousand fighting men in total, 1 Chronicles 7:5. In reference to the numbers, 1 Chronicles 7:5, when we compare the result of the numbering of Moses’ day, Numbers 1:29, and a later numbering that took place in Numbers 26:25, it appears that the time of conflict during these years wasn’t beneficial to population growth.
Here in the genealogies of Benjamin, we find some discrepancies with the account which is given in the next chapter, 1 Chronicles 8, and with the accounts given in Genesis 46:21 and Numbers 26:38.
Some believe that this genealogy is actually that of Zebulun, assuming that a scribal error occurred because the first son of each son started with the name Bela. The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael, 1 Chronicles 7:6; that’s three in total.
Benjamin actually had ten sons, but only three are mentioned first; the latter of these seems to be the same as Ashbel, Genesis 46:21. Bela had five sons, 1 Chronicles 7:7, and they are thought by some to be the grandsons of Bela, because of the different names in 1 Chronicles 8:3.
The sons of Beker were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth, 1 Chronicles 7:8. Anathoth and Alemeth were Levitical towns in Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 6:60. They had twenty-two thousand, two-hundred fighting men, 1 Chronicles 7:8-9.
We don’t know anything about Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar, 1 Chronicles 7:10, but we do know that Ehud, 1 Chronicles 7:10, was the second judge in Israel, Judges 3:12-30. Ehud, the judge, was a son of Gera, and Gera was a division of Bela, 1 Chronicles 8:3 / 1 Chronicles 8:5.
Gill, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 7:10-12.
‘All these were the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle. Which, with the above sums put together, make of the tribe of Benjamin, besides what follow, 59,430, who, if numbered by Joab, the account was not given in by him, 1 Chronicles 21:6. Shuppim, Huppim, and the children of Ir were not sons of Benjamin, as they seem to be, if they are the same with Muppim and Huppim in Genesis 46:21, but his great-grandchildren, and are the same with Shupham and Hupham, from whom families of the tribe of Benjamin sprung, Numbers 26:39.’
‘The Targum calls them the inhabitants of a city, but of what is not said, unless Geba should be meant, 1 Chronicles 8:6, and Hushim, the sons of Aher, either the same with Aharah, the third son of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:1, or Ahiram, Numbers 26:38, though some read the words, ‘the sons of another’, whom they supposed to be Dan, who otherwise is omitted, and Hushim as the only son of Dan, Genesis 46:23, where the same plural word is used as here, who, they think, is called another, by way of detestation, that tribe being guilty of gross idolatry, but he rather seems to belong to Benjamin.’
Jahziel is mentioned in Genesis 46:24, but referred to as Jahzeel. Shillem, sometimes known as Shallum, is mentioned in Genesis 46:24 / Numbers 26:49. Bilhah, 1 Chronicles 7:13, through Jacob, gave birth to Dan and Naphtali, Genesis 46:23-25.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The first fathers only of that tribe are named, 1 Chronicles 7:13, the very same that we shall find, Genesis 46:24 / Numbers 26:48-50, only that Shillem there is Shallum here. None of their descendants is named, perhaps because their genealogies were lost.’
This listing of names here, 1 Chronicles 7:14-19, appears to be incomplete in reference to the listing of names found in Numbers 26:29-34, which includes four additional families.
The focus here is given so that the writer could establish the succession of descendants for the existence of Israel after the Babylonian captivity, specifically to identify those of the tribe of Levi.
Ellicott, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 7:14-15.
‘The sons of Manasseh. Asriel, whose Aramean concubine bore, she bore Machir, father of Gilead, Numbers 27:1 / Joshua 17:3.’
Zelophehad, 1 Chronicles 7:15, is mentioned in Numbers 26:33 / Numbers 27:1-11 / Numbers 36:1-12, when the question came to Moses about female inheritance rights. We know nothing about Peresh, Sheresh, Ulam and Rakem, 1 Chronicles 7:16.
The Pulpit Commentary says the following, concerning Bedan, 1 Chronicles 7:17.
‘While all the names of the preceding verse are strange to us, this name excites much interest, as possibly to be identified with the Bedan, 1 Samuel 12:11, who is placed after Jerubbaal, i.e. Gideon) and before Jephthah and Samuel. Who in the Book of Judges is to answer to this Bedan of the Book of Samuel, it is impossible to say.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Abiezer, 1 Chronicles 7:18-19.
‘His descendants formed one of the most important branches of the Manassites. They furnished to Israel the greatest of the Judges, Gideon, Judges 6:11 / Judges 6:24 / Judges 6:34, and were regarded as the leading family among the so-called ‘sons of Gilead’.’
Shemida, 1 Chronicles 7:19, is mentioned in Joshua 17:2 / Numbers 26:32. Likhi, 1 Chronicles 7:19, is also called Helek in Numbers 26:30.
Pratt, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Ephraimites were famous for their wealth, power, and prowess, but withal they are noted for insolent, proud, and quarrelsome, Judges 8:1 / Judges 12:1.’
The spelling of some names is different here, 1 Chronicles 7:20-29, from what we have recorded in Numbers 26:35-36. Notice that the oppression involved the removal of the livestock, 1 Chronicles 7:21. There is no other record of this event within the Scriptures. Because Israel was a farming community, others came to raid their lands for food and livestock.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ephraim.
‘Great things we read of that tribe when it came to maturity. Here we have an account of the disasters of its infancy, while it was in Egypt, as it should seem, for Ephraim himself was alive when those things were done, which yet is hard to imagine if it were, as is here computed, seven generations off. Therefore, I am apt to think that either it was another Ephraim or that those who were slain were the immediate sons of that Ephraim that was the son of Joseph. In this passage, which is related here only, we have the great breach that was made upon the family of Ephraim. The men of Gath, Philistines, giants, slew many of the sons of that family, because they came down to take away their cattle,’ 1 Chronicles 7:21 / 1 Chronicles 7:21.’
Ellicott, in his commentary, says the following concerning 1 Chronicles 7:22-23.
‘This is either what we should call a metaphorical description of the enfeebling of the tribe of Ephraim by the disaster which had befallen two of its chief houses, and of its subsequent recovery owing to the natural increase of its numbers, and the formation of a new and populous clan, that of Beriah; or if this be deemed too bold an interpretation of the archaic record, we have nothing for it but to suppose that the whole account relates to an expedition from Goshen, under two sons of Ephraim, during the lifetime of that patriarch; who, after the death of Ezer and Elead, begat another son, Beriah.’
Beth Horon, 1 Chronicles 7:24, was a Levitical city in the tribal allocation of Ephraim.
Ellicott, in his commentary, says the following concerning Rephah, 1 Chronicles 7:25.
‘This seems to mean that Rephah was the son of Beriah. But perhaps a son of Ephraim is intended. Rephah does not occur among the sons of Ephraim, Numbers 26:35-36.’
Ladan, 1 Chronicles 7:26, was the tribal prince or Emir of Ephraim in the time of Moses, Numbers 7:47. Nun, 1 Chronicles 7:27, was the father of Joshua, Exodus 33:11, the servant and later successor of Moses.
Naaran, 1 Chronicles 7:28, is mentioned as Naarah in Joshua 16:7. Beth Shan, 1 Chronicles 7:29, was a city in the tribal allocation of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11 / Joshua 17:16 / Judges 1:27 / 1 Samuel 31:10 / 1 Samuel 31:12.
The names given here were children of Asher; they were heads of their father’s house, principal men in their tribe, and respective families, 1 Chronicles 7:30-39. They were the choice and mighty men of valour and were selected from others, being eminent for their courage and valour, 1 Chronicles 7:40.
Gill, in his commentary, says the following concerning the sons of Asher.
‘Which, and his two grandsons born before Jacob went down to Egypt, are here reckoned as in Genesis 46:17, only it is here added Malkiel his second grandson, who is the father of Birzaith, which Jarchi interprets, prince of a city of this name, which signifies pure oil, which it might have from the abundance of olives about it, Asher being a tribe which abounded with them, Deuteronomy 33:24, though some of the Rabbis take it to be the name of a man, whose daughters, they say, as Jarchi observes, were very beautiful, having much oil to anoint with, and were married to kings and priests anointed with oil.’
Heber and Malkiel, 1 Chronicles 7:31, are found in Genesis 46:17 / Numbers 26:44-47, but we know nothing about Birzaith, 1 Chronicles 7:31. Shomer, 1 Chronicles 7:32, is the same person named in 1 Chronicles 7:34, but spelt as Shemer. Hotham, 1 Chronicles 7:32, is the name spelt Helem in 1 Chronicles 7:35. Jether, 1 Chronicles 7:33, is called Ithran in 1 Chronicles 7:37-38.
The Pulpit Commentary says the following, concerning 1 Chronicles 7:34-36.
‘In 1 Chronicles 7:32, the names of three brothers are given: sons of Heber, Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham. Now, the name Helem, in 1 Chronicles 7:35, is supposed to point to this Hotham. If it be so, it would so far be an argument that Ahi, in 1 Chronicles 7:34, should be translated ‘his brother,’ in correspondence with the undoubted ‘his brother’ of 1 Chronicles 7:35. Of no one of the names in these verses is anything further known.’
Ithran, 1 Chronicles 7:37-38, is also called Jether in 1 Chronicles 7:33.
Ellicott, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ulla, 1 Chronicles 7:39.
‘Apparently, Ulla is not connected with the foregoing genealogy. But he seems to be the same as Ara, 1 Chronicles 7:38.’
The number throughout the genealogy that were apt to war, and battle, was twenty-six thousand men, 1 Chronicles 7:40, that is, in the days of David, 1 Chronicles 7:4. This was the number, not of their chief men, nor all the people in the tribe, but of their army.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Of the tribe of Asher. Some men of note of that tribe are here named. Their militia was not numerous in comparison with some other tribes, only 26,000 men in all, but their princes were choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes, 1 Chronicles 7:40 / 1 Chronicles 7:40, and perhaps it was their wisdom that they coveted not to make their trained bands numerous, but rather to have a few, and those apt to the war and serviceable men.’