Gill, in his commentary, gives us a useful summary of this chapter.
‘In this chapter, the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin is reconsidered, and several of the principal men and families in it are taken notice of, which were not before or a further account is given of them, as of the sons and grandsons of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:1, of Ehud, 1 Chronicles 8:5, of Shaharaim, 1 Chronicles 8:8, of Elpaal and Beriah, 1 Chronicles 8:12 of Shimhi, 1 Chronicles 8:19, of Shashak, 1 Chronicles 8:22, of Jeroham, 1 Chronicles 8:26, of Jehiel the father of Gibeon, 1 Chronicles 8:28, of Ner, and particularly Saul, 1 Chronicles 8:33 and of Jonathan, and his posterity, 1 Chronicles 8:34.’
In this chapter, we read about the genealogy of Benjamin, right through to Saul, but the names recorded in 1 Chronicles 7:6-12, are slightly different from what we read here. However, the names recorded in 1 Chronicles 9:35-41, are the same as we read in 1 Chronicles 8:29-40, and 1 Samuel 14:49-51.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The reason for this return to the genealogy of the Benjamites seems to be the desire to connect the genealogical introduction with the historical body of the work. As the history is, to begin with, Saul, the genealogical portion is made to end with an account of the family of this Benjamite monarch.’
Most commentators suggest that there has been some corruption here, concerning Manahath, from which, however, we may gather that the ‘sons of Ehud’ or, perhaps, of Ahoah, 1 Chronicles 8:4, were originally settled at Geba, Joshua 18:24, but afterwards removed to a place called Manahath, probably a town in the vicinity. Gera, 1 Chronicles 8:7 directed the movement.
Jerusalem was partly within the limits of the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:28, but we don’t hear of Benjamites inhabiting it until after the return from the captivity, 1 Chronicles 9:3 / Nehemiah 11:4. The descendants of Benjamin that are given here are difficult to understand in reference to Genesis 46:21 and Numbers 26:38-40.
It’s possible that most of the names are given here, such as Ono and Lod, which were cities in which people who lived after the captivity, Ezra 2:33 / 1 Chronicles 8:28 / 1 Chronicles 9:3 / Nehemiah 11:4. The cities of Ono and Lod aren’t mentioned in Joshua as part of Palestine originally assigned to Benjamin but, these places were built later. There is no doubt that Lod is the Lydda, Acts 9:22.
After the captivity, there were settlements of Benjamites in Gibeon, and so, Jeiel, the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon, 1 Chronicles 9:35-44. The Eshbaal mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:33, is Ishbosheth and Meribbaal mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:34, is Mephibosheth.
Gill, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Beriah also, and Shema, were sons of Elpaal, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, which, though in the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:42, might afterwards come into the possession of Benjamin, or this may be another place of the same name in Benjamin, or, however, might be inhabited by Benjaminite’s, upon the return from captivity, who descended from those men, who drove away from the inhabitants of Gath, dispossessed them of their city, in revenge for what they had done to the Ephraimites, 1 Chronicles 7:21.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There are many things in this chapter and in the entire Old Testament that must forever remain in the realm of the mysterious and the unknown as far as modern men are concerned. For example, nothing is known about the exile mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:6. We do not know who exiled whom. It is appropriate to remember in this connection that ‘the hidden things belong to God.’
Matthew Henry, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This genealogy ends in Ulam, whose family became famous in the tribe of Benjamin for the number of its valiant men. Of that one man’s posterity, there were, as it should seem, at one time, 150 archers brought into the field of battle, that were mighty men of valour, 1 Chronicles 8:40. That is taken notice of concerning them which is more a man’s praise than his pomp or wealth is, that they were qualified to serve their country.’
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