The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 158

1,Hblurr, in Chronicles, resist identification the article, which would not subsist with with those that should (from position) cor- the proper name Guni. Were it not that respond with them in the list of Samuel and the word ~l:ii is found in both passages all with any others. And the same thing may difficulty would disappear with its dise.p- he said of the same number in the list of peo.rance. The remainder of this verse, in Samuel (Elika, Eliam, Bani) when compared relation to vers. 32 and 33 of the pa.ra.llel, with the list now before us. The points of illustrates opportunely the uncertainties of contact and clearest identification are, there- the text. }for, as seen above, Jonathan fore, in so great a majority and are so uni- is the grandson of Shage (.Agee, 2 Sam. formly distributed that, although it is left xxiii. 11), and son of Shammah, while (2 hard to decide the causes of them, these Chron. xxiii. 32, 33) the parallel reads differences cannot throw any discredit upon "Jone.than," with no connective word the list as a whole. Perhaps the most "sou II at all, yet supplies the right name, probable suggestion to be offered is that "Shammah the Hare.rite II for the fe.ther, the knowledge of the writer of the Book of and omits all mention of Shage. Samuel enabled him to supersede the names Ver. 35.-Saoa.r . . . Eliphal . . , Ur. of such as were soon lost to their brave For these three names the parallel shows career by death by other names; or, resting Sharar, Eliphelet, and .Ahasbai respectively. on the same fundamental reason, there may Ver. 36. - Hepher the Meohera.thite. have been two different editions of the list, Although this name is not found in the to one of which the writer of Samuel was parallel passage, it is tolerably plain that indebted, and to the other the compiler of the niche for it is left before the words Chronicles. (ver. 34), "the son of the Maachathite,11 Ver. 27.-Harorite. The parallel passage which last word answers to our Mechera- has Haroiiite, the local identification of thite. Ahija.h the Pelonite. This name Shammoth, as from Harod, known for its cannot be identified with the "Eliam the spring (Judg. vii. 1), by which Gideon en- son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,11 which camped, where also the army was tested by answers to it in the parallel. its mode of drinking. Some think it the Ver. 37.-Hezro appears as Hezrai in same with the fountain of Jezreel (1 Sam. Samuel. (For Carmel, which lay south of xxix. 1). Izrahite seems to have been the Hebron, see Josh. xv. 55.) Naarai the son jamt1y distinction of Shammoth (eh. x.xvii of Ezbai. The differences between these 8), from Zere.h son of Judah. He is the words and those of the parallel (ver. 35), fifth captain. In the parallel hie name is "Paara.i the Arbite, 11 or Al'B.b (Josh. xv. followed by Elika, who is also called "the 52), are not formidable to reconcile. Harodite." Relez the Pelonite. Though the Ver. 38.-J"oel, This name is also easily parallel ple.ce has Paltite, the present form to be reconciled with the Igal of the parallel probably should hold its own. Helez is the passage (ver. 36), though there is nothing seventh captain of division, and said to to evidence which should stand. l'ltibhar belong to the "sons of Ephraim 11 (see eh. the son of Raggeri. For this we have in x:xvii. 10, and Septuagint in all three the parallel place (ver. 36) the names passages). '' Bani the Gadite;" but before these comes Ver. 29.-Sibbecai; I1ai. Both of these the la.et word of the previous clause, "of names are conceivably reconcilable with Zobah. 11 When these three words are com- the Mebunnai and Zalmon of the parallel pared with the three of our present passage, place, through the very possible mistake it is very possible to bring them into har- and substitution of one Hebrew character mony (' Speaker's Commentary,' in loo.). for another. Sibbecai was the eighth cap- Zobah was a district of Syria in the time tain ; he was of the family of Zere.h, and of Israel's first three kings, stretching of the town of Husha.h (eh. iv. 4). north-ea.et and east towards the Euphratea Ver. 34.-The sou of Hashem the Gizonite. (1 Sam, xiv. 47; 2 Sam. viii. 7). This sentence is unmanageable as it stands, Ver. 39.-Zelek the Ammonite, . , , the and is insufficiently assisted from its Berothite. Among David's great men were parallel. But if from this latter we take evidently numbered some forei~ners, whose the suggestion of the preposition " from 11 admiration and fidelity he must have won. (Authorized Version) before "the sons 11 Hence the mention (ver. 38) of Zobah, and (which, however, is not in the Hebrew), here of the .Ammonite (2 Sam. viii. 12; and from the Alexandrian Septuagint, the xii. 26-31 ), the Beerothito (Deeroth, origin• suggestion of the name Gouni ('lll), Guni, a.Uy a Hivite city, Josh. ix. 17, fell to tho ( eh. v. 15) in the place of Gizonite (')i~). lot of Benjamin, Josh. xviii. 25; to it we should obtain a coherent reading. But belonging Rimmon and his two sons, Rechab this would be mere coujecture suggested and llo.anah, possibly 11ativo Canaanites, the Ly the Septuagint, and "the Gizonite" murderers of IsLbosheth, as above), and (ver. ulfora the difficulty of tlie presence of 41) tho Jlittite. The armour-boarer. Tr Clt. U. 1-47.] TllE FmST IlOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 149