The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 94

Ver. 9.-Ahima.az. The first important differ from tbo enumeration of ver. I, in notice of him is found in 2 Sam. xv. 36, and being followed by tho sons of eaoh of the Inst in 2 Sam. xix. 29. He is not to bo tilesu three, and afterwe.rds by the line of identified with Solomon's" officer" in Naph- descendants from each, instee.d of by the tali (1 Kings iv. 15). Azariah. As above sons of only one, Kohath, o.ud his descend- said, it is almost without a doubt after this ant in only ono stem, the high priest stem, Aza.riah (1 Kings iv. 2) that the parenthe- e.nd with only one object. All these names tical comment of next verse should be read. o.g-ree with Exod. vi. 17-19 and Numb. Again, this Azari.ah must not be identified iii. 17-20 (comp. also Numb. iii. 21- with him of the time of King Uzziah (2 36 witil xxvi. 57-60), with the trifling Chron. xxvi. 17, 20), who must have been exceptions already alluded to, in the Hebrew nenrly a century later, and was contemporary spelling of Gershom e.nd the Authorized with Isaiah, Joel, and Amos. Version spelling of Shimei and the Autho- Ver. 10.-Of Joha.ne.n and Azaria.h, his son, rized Version Ma.he.Ii of Exod. vi. 19. The nothing can be found with any certainty. fotter half of ver. 19, according to the It is presumable that they were priests in Hebrew, should rather refer to what has the reigns of Abijah and Asa. preceded, and be e. "subscription," though Ver. 11.-A.ma.riah. Higil priest in the it might best suit the connection to regard reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xix. 11; see it as introducing what was to follow, e.nd Smith's • Bible Dictionary,' Bub voce, 2). A o.s being e. "superscription." Bertheau step ascertainable as this helps to keep the holds with the formor of these views, Keil line e.nd chronology steady amid surrounding with the latter. obscuritv. Vere. 20, 21.-(A) These verses appa- Ver. i2.-(See above on ver. 8.) rently give seven lineal descendants of Ver. 13.-Shallum, called in eh. ix. 11 Gershom, through his eldest son Libni. The o.nd Neh. xi. 11 Me.shullam. Tilere are o.t question is whether this list of seven is fewest fifteen persons of this no.me. The pa.rt of the longer list of thirteen from present is named o.s ancestor of Ezra (Ezra vii. Gershom (vers. 39--43), terminating with 2). Hilkiah.. There are seven persons of Asaph; and it seems impossible to decide this name. The present was the celebrated the question satisfactorily. From the oc- one of them all ; and from three chief circum- currence of the name Shimei in this latter, stances: (1) for the finding of the "book of though in the wrong place, viz. after the Law in tbe house of the Lord" (2 Kings Ja.bath in the descending order, instead of xxii. 8) ; (2) the zealous spirit with which before him, some think, Keil and Ziickler be joined in tbe reformation nnder Josiah among them, that it is a line from Shimei, (2 Kings xxii. 14-20 ; xxiii. 4-27) ; (3) the the brother of Libni, and second sou of observance in his higil priesthood of the Gershom. If this be so, the occurrence of Passover, in the eighteenth year of Josiah's three names, the same and in the same reign (2 Chron. xxxv. 1-19). order, is a thing to be remarked, though Ver. 14.-Aze.riah. The third occnrrence possible enough in itself. But if not, then of this name in this list. This person is either the names Joah, Iddo, Jeatero.i, in the fonnd again in Ezra ii. l, but is wanting in former list, must be interchangeable with Neh. xi. 11. Bera.ia.h j found also in N eh. Ethan, Adaiah, Ethni, respectively in the xi. 11, in a list which omits the preceding latter (a thing which the similarity of tho Azariah, and in Ezra vii. 1. Tile end of Hebrew letters might render credible), his high priesthood and of himself is re- while the Shimei of ver. 42 is omitted from corded witil that of Zephaniah (2 Kings ver. 20, and the Libni of ver. 20 from ver. xxv. 18, 21 ), and (not the Seraiah, "the 43 ; or the one list must pick up some links quiet prince," of Jer. Ii. 59-64) he is also o.nd leave others, and the other do likewise, spoken of in Jer. lii. 24-27. He was high whilst those to.ken the same by both are in priest in the time of Zedekiah. the minority. This last supposition may Ver. 15.-lehozado.k. He did not share be the more prob1.1ble, though not free from tbe violent end of his father, nor did he difficulty. Zimmah, Beside the uncertainty attain his father's high priest office, but of the identity of this Zimmah with the lived to the end e. captive (see note on same name in ver. 42, it is very remarkable ver. 4). Where this naDJe occurs in Haggai that we find a Zimmah, alBofather of a Joah, and Zechariah, it is the same in the Hebrew in 2 Chron. xxix. 12 ; also in this same as here, though Englished in the Authorized passage we find three other reproductions Version as Josedech. Where it occurd in of a similar kind-father and aon---0f what Ezra and Nehemiah, the shorter form of have first been found in tbis sixth chapter, Jozadak is found in the Hebrew as in the viz. "l\lahath, son of Amasai" (ver. 35); Autborized Version. "J ocl, son of Azarioh" (vcr. 36); "Kish, son Vere. 16-19.-Theae verses have a re- of Abdi" (ver. 44). It seems as though the eouweration of the three soo11 of Levi, and inclivitlual descendant was quoted iu these C!.I. VI. 1-81.] THE PIP.ST BOOK OF THE CIIRONICLI:3.