1 Now Benjamin (this tribe is now dealt with, and brought down to Saul and Jonathan. The date of the writing is Post-Exilic. See v.28; 9:3,27, and compare with Ezra 2 and Neh. 10, which show that Benjamin was brought back to the Land after being nearly extinguished in Judg. 20. Loyalty to Judah and the house of God had been rewarded. Note the passages which connect Benjamin with Judah and with the blessings of the return from Babylon: Ezra 1:5; 2; 4:1. Neh. 7; 11:4,7,31; 12:34. The genealogy of Saul leads up to the subject of the book) begat (the former genealogy [7:6-12] is not full, but specifies only the families to be dealt with later) Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,
2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. (Nowhere else mentioned in the O.T. Cp. Gen. 46:21. Perhaps grandsons. But these names show independence of Chronicles)
3 And the sons of Bela were, Addar, (called Ard in Gen. 46:21. Num. 26:40) and Gera, (name derived from a son of Benjamin [Gen. 46:21. Repeated in v.5) and Abihud,
4 And Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,
5 And Gera, (another Gera. Cp. v.7) and Shephuphan, and Huram.
6 And these are the sons of Ehud: and these these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, (near Gibeah of Saul [Josh 18:24. 1 Sam. 10:26; 13:3]. Cp. Judg. 19:12) but they (the Gebaites) are carried away to Manahath: (The occasion is not known, but probably after they returned from captivity, as Geba is mentioned in Ezra 2:26, and "the sons of Gibeon" in Neh. 7:35. Cp. Ezra 2:20. Other names found here are mentionedin Neh. 10:14, 20,22,24,26,27: e.g. Meshullam [v.17], Hanan [v.23], Elam and Hananiah [v.24])
7 And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, (a 3rd Gera. Cp. v.3,6) he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud [and Shaharaim].
8 And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, (as Boaz did) after he had sent them (i.e. his wives) away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.
9 And he begat of Hodesh his (Moabitish) wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,
10 And Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers.
11 And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.
12 The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, (mentioned only after the exile [Ezra 2:33. Neh. 7:37. See v.6) with the towns thereof:
13 Beriah also, (see 7:23,30) and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, (in Josh. 19:42, it was in Dan. In Josh 21:24 it was a Levitical city. In 2 Chron. 28:18 it was occupied by the Philistines, under Ahaz. But here occupied by Benjamites, because [1] of Dan's idolatry [see Gen. 49:17], and [2] of different distribution after the exile) who drove away the inhabitants of Gath: (A reprisal later than 7:21. See 7:23,30)
14 And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,
15 And Zebadiah, and Arad, and Ader,
16 And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;
17 And Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hezeki, and Heber,
18 Ishmar-yah also, and Jezliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal;
19 And Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,
20 And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel,
21 And Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi;
22 And Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel,
23 And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
24 And Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,
25 And Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;
26 And Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,
27 And Jaresiah, and Eliah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.
28 These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem. (Cp. v.32; 9:24. Neh 11:1-4. Another token of God's faithfulness to Benjamin [Cp. 33:12], for adhering to Judah and the worship of the true God.)
29 And at Gibeon (repeated in 9:35-44) dwelt the lord (or chief, or ruler. Cp. 9:35. Called Jehiel there) of Gibeon; whose wife's name was Maachah:
30 And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,
31 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher and [Mikloth].
32 And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.
1030 B.C.
33 And Ner begat Kish, (There are 3 genealogies of the house of Saul. We place the facts, [1] that persons often had 2 names [v.34. Judg. 6:32, &c.], and [2] that the same name occurs in the same family, against the assumption that the opposite is the case. It is this assumption which creates the difficulties in "reconciling" 1 Sam. 9:1; 14:51. and 1 Chron. 9:38. See the list below which makes all the lists agree.) and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal. (Another name for Ish-bosheth [2 Sam. 2:8])
Jehiel (or Zeror, 1 Sam. 9:1).
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Abdon Zur Kish Baal Ner (or Abiel, 1 Sam. 9:1; 14:51).
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(1 Sam. 14:51) Abner Kish (1 Sam. 14:51).
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Saul (born 1030 B.C.)