The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 80

Yers. H, 15.-Thcse are the ohildren of still repeated in the descendants of the tribe. Abihail; i.e. the seven "brethren " of the The people of Nephieh have not me.de their preceding verse. A rapid line of descent, mark deep on the page of ethnogrnphio or rath~r of ascent, consisting of ten genera- history; but the peoplo of Jetur have dono tions, from Abihail to Guni, here follows. so. Their stinted territory appears in the 'l'he division between these verses has un- name Iturrea (Luke iii. 1). Their people fortnne.tely cut in he.If one no.me, i.e. reappear also (Josephus,' Ant.,' xiii. c. 11, § Buza.Id. '£he translators of the Septuagint 3; Stre.bo, xvi. 518, 520). Nor is it an un- saw that the two verses composed one line noticeable contribution to the truth of our of ascent, but instead of piecing "Aki" to history here to put, side by side with the "Buz," translated it as" brother." Though description of the qualities and of the arms this line takes us some way back, we find and weapons of warfare of the Me.naesites nowhere else any clue or identification of and theil- helpers of Reuben and Gad (ver. any of these ten persons. Of the twenty- 18), those of the Iturmane, their antagonists one persons in all, therefore, named as (Virgil, 'Georg.,' ii. 448; Cicero,• Phil.,' ii. belonging to the tribe of Gad, nothing else 44 ; Lucan, 'Pharsalia,' vii. 230 ; see Smith's is known; and we have nothing to guide us ' Bible Dictionary,' i. 905). to connect them with any one rather than Ver. 21.-0f men; literally, of the soul, i.e. another of the original " sons of Gad" (Gen. life of men (comp. 2 Kinga vii. 7 with Jer. xhi. 16; Numb. xvi.15-18). xliv. 7, in illustration of the twofold appli- Yer. 17.-The very form of the language cation of W~]; see also Numb. xxxi. 19, of this verse would indicate that two genea- 28,32-35). logies are intended. This quite tallies Ve1·s. 23, 24.-" The half-tribe of Ma- with the fact that there were two chronicles, nasseh" is here very briefly treated of. one for each division of the nation, i.e. "the Manasseh and his brother Ephmim stand chronicles of the kings of J ude.h" (2 Kings in the place of Joseph, both the children of x,. 6) and "the chronicles of the kings of Joseph's Egyptian wife, Asenath, and born Israel" (2 Kings xv. 11), in which so.me before the fe.miue. Though Manasseh was chapter both Jeroboam (II.) of Israel and the elder, Ja.cob gave the chief blessing Jothe.m of Judah are spoken of, the latter (Gen. xlviii. 10-22) to Ephraim. The beginning to reign in Judah some twenty Manassites were descended from Manasseh years (the exact chronology is very confused through his son Me.chir, born of a Syrian here) after the death of the former. .Al- concubine (Septuagint, Gen. xlvi. 20; 1. 23; though presumably it would be an object of Numb. xxvi. 28-34; Josh. xvii. 1-3; eh. closer interest with Israel than with Judah vii. 14, 15). Machir evidently was spes to effect the registration of the Gadite gregis (though apparently not the only son, genealogy, yet it we.a most just that Judah for see Asriel, or Aahriel, in above refer- should do so as well. This would both ences), and is repeatedly mentioned with vindicate Judah's own right place and be a. his son Gilead. It is probable that tho happy omen of the continued predominance division of the tribe was determined partly of her position compared with that of Israel. according to the energy of those who com- Independently of the question of effecting posed it at the time of division-the mora the actual registration, however, it is quite warlike being more adapted to the east of possible that, so long as history ran by tbe Jordan. Nevertheless Machir is distinctly side of history, Israel would gather and mentioned westward, as well as with Gilead keep all it could of Judah, and Judah all it eastward (comp. Judg. v. 14-17; Josh. xiii. could of Israel. 29-31 ). (For the further prosecution of Vera. 18-22.-These verses appear to be this part of the subject, see Exposition, oh. the fuller development of the war in Saul's vii. 14-19.) time, mentioned in ver. 10-the account Ver. 23.-Baal-hermon, etc. These thre.e apparently there delayed till the genealogy names neecl scarcely be read us different of the tribe of Gad had been given, and names for exactly the same region, but as which still seems premature till the con- designating different sides or heights of tents of vers. 23 and 24 should have been what was essentially one and the so.me well- known mountain district, with which would given. agree Ps. xliii. 6, "Therefore will I re- Ver. 19.-The name of Nodab we have member thee from the land of Jordan ond not elsewhere; but those of J'etur and Ne- of the Hermonites, from the hill Mize.r." phish are names from the very origin of the 80 Dent. iii. 8-10 tells us that Hermon tribe of Ishmael (Gen. xxv. 13-16; eh. i. 29-31 ). It would be possible to consider was called Sirion by tho Sidonie.ns; Shouir, them here as in apposition with the descrip- i.q. Benir (i•~I?, exactly the so.me word in the tion, the Hagarites (respecting whom see Hebrew text' in all the four placce of its note on ver. 10) ; but they may moro occurrence-Cont. iv. 8; Ezek. xxvii. 5), by probably be regarded as favourite names, the Amorites, And tho suggestion of Grove Oil, V, 1-26.) 'l'HE FIRST BOOK 01!' THE CIIIlONICLES. 71