The sons of Judah--His descendants are enumerated first, because the right and privileges of the primogeniture had been transferred to him (Gen 49:8), and because from his tribe the Messiah was to spring.
Source Coverage: 1 Chronicles 2:1-2
These are the sons of Israel,.... Or Jacob, the other son of Isaac, who had the name of Israel given him, because of his power with God, Genesis 32:28, whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name; the first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun; and between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.
Source Coverage: 1 Chronicles 2:1-2
These are the sons of Israel,.... Or Jacob, the other son of Isaac, who had the name of Israel given him, because of his power with God, Gen 32:28, whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name; the first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun; and between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.
, whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name; the first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun; and between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.
ch1 2:3The sons of Judah,.... The genealogy begins with him, though the fourth son of Jacob; because, as Kimchi says, this book treats chiefly of the kings of Judah; but rather not only because Jesse and David sprang from him, but also the King Messiah:
Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess; see Gen 38:2,
and Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord; because he did that which was evil:
and he slew him; he died by the immediate hand of God, and so his brother Onan, being wicked also, Gen 38:7.
Source Coverage: 1 Chronicles 2:1-17
Here is, I. The family of Jacob. His twelve sons are here named, that illustrious number so often celebrated almost throughout the whole Bible, from the first to the last book of it. At every turn we meet with the twelve tribes that descended from these twelve patriarchs. The personal character of several of them was none of the best (the first four were much blemished), and yet the covenant was entailed on their seed; for it was of grace, free grace, that it was said, Jacob have I loved - not of works, lest any man should boast.
II. The family of Judah. That tribe was most praised, most increased, and most dignified, of any of the tribes, and therefore the genealogy of it is the first and largest of them all. In the account here given of the first branches of that illustrious tree, of which Christ was to be the top branch, we meet, 1. With some that were very bad. Here is Er, Judah's eldest son, that was evil in the sight of the Lord, and was cut off, in the beginning of his days, by a stroke of divine vengeance: The Lord slew him, Ch1 2:3. His next brother, Onan, was no better, and fared no better. Here is Tamar, with whom Judah, her father-in-law, committed incest, Ch1 2:4. And here is Achan, called Achar - a troubler, that troubled Israel by taking of the accursed thing, Ch1 2:7. Note, The best and most honourable families may have those belonging to them that are blemishes. 2. With some that were very wise and good, as Heman and Ethan, Calcol and Dara, who were not perhaps the immediate sons of Zerah, but descendants from him, and are named because they were the glory of their father's house; for, when the Holy Ghost would magnify the wisdom of Solomon, he declares him wiser than these four men, who, though the sons of Mahol, are called Ezrahites, from Zerah, Kg1 4:31. That four brothers should be eminent for wisdom and grace was a rare thing. 3. With some that were very great, as Nahshon, who was prince of the tribe of Judah when the camp of Israel was formed in the wilderness, and so led the van in that glorious march, and Salman, or Salmon, who was in that post of honour when they entered into Canaan, Ch1 2:10, Ch1 2:11.
III. The family of Jesse, of which a particularly account is kept for the sake of David, and the Son of David, who is a rod out of the stem of Jesse, Isa 11:1. Hence it appears that David was a seventh son, and that his three great commanders, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were the sons of one of his sisters, and Amasa of another. Three of the four went down slain to the pit, though they were the terror of the mighty.
Source Coverage: 1 Chronicles 2:1-3
2:3-4:23 While the genealogies present the entire people of Israel (2:1-2), David’s ancestors in the tribe of Judah receive priority.
2:3-8 The genealogy of Judah is as comprehensive as possible, recording peripheral material as the background to the main line of David’s ancestors. Cp. Gen 46:12.
2:3 Er and Onan, the first two sons of Judah, were destroyed because of their sin (Gen 38:6-10). The descendants of Shelah are listed as an appendix at the end of the genealogies of Judah (1 Chr 4:21-23).
|
Study
These are the sons of Israel - For this genealogy see the parallel places at Gen 29:32; Gen 30:5; Gen 35:18, Gen 35:22; Gen 46:8, etc.
POSTERITY OF JUDAH. (Ch1 2:3-12)
The sons of Judah--His descendants are enumerated first, because the right and privileges of the primogeniture had been transferred to him (Gen 49:8), and because from his tribe the Messiah was to spring.
These are the sons of Israel,.... Or Jacob, the other son of Isaac, who had the name of Israel given him, because of his power with God, Genesis 32:28, whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name; the first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun; and between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.
These are the sons of Israel,.... Or Jacob, the other son of Isaac, who had the name of Israel given him, because of his power with God, Gen 32:28, whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name; the first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun; and between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.
, whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name; the first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun; and between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.
1 Chronicles 2:3
ch1 2:3
ch1 2:3
ch1 2:3The sons of Judah,.... The genealogy begins with him, though the fourth son of Jacob; because, as Kimchi says, this book treats chiefly of the kings of Judah; but rather not only because Jesse and David sprang from him, but also the King Messiah:
Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess; see Gen 38:2,
and Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord; because he did that which was evil:
and he slew him; he died by the immediate hand of God, and so his brother Onan, being wicked also, Gen 38:7.
Here is, I. The family of Jacob. His twelve sons are here named, that illustrious number so often celebrated almost throughout the whole Bible, from the first to the last book of it. At every turn we meet with the twelve tribes that descended from these twelve patriarchs. The personal character of several of them was none of the best (the first four were much blemished), and yet the covenant was entailed on their seed; for it was of grace, free grace, that it was said, Jacob have I loved - not of works, lest any man should boast.
II. The family of Judah. That tribe was most praised, most increased, and most dignified, of any of the tribes, and therefore the genealogy of it is the first and largest of them all. In the account here given of the first branches of that illustrious tree, of which Christ was to be the top branch, we meet, 1. With some that were very bad. Here is Er, Judah's eldest son, that was evil in the sight of the Lord, and was cut off, in the beginning of his days, by a stroke of divine vengeance: The Lord slew him, Ch1 2:3. His next brother, Onan, was no better, and fared no better. Here is Tamar, with whom Judah, her father-in-law, committed incest, Ch1 2:4. And here is Achan, called Achar - a troubler, that troubled Israel by taking of the accursed thing, Ch1 2:7. Note, The best and most honourable families may have those belonging to them that are blemishes. 2. With some that were very wise and good, as Heman and Ethan, Calcol and Dara, who were not perhaps the immediate sons of Zerah, but descendants from him, and are named because they were the glory of their father's house; for, when the Holy Ghost would magnify the wisdom of Solomon, he declares him wiser than these four men, who, though the sons of Mahol, are called Ezrahites, from Zerah, Kg1 4:31. That four brothers should be eminent for wisdom and grace was a rare thing. 3. With some that were very great, as Nahshon, who was prince of the tribe of Judah when the camp of Israel was formed in the wilderness, and so led the van in that glorious march, and Salman, or Salmon, who was in that post of honour when they entered into Canaan, Ch1 2:10, Ch1 2:11.
III. The family of Jesse, of which a particularly account is kept for the sake of David, and the Son of David, who is a rod out of the stem of Jesse, Isa 11:1. Hence it appears that David was a seventh son, and that his three great commanders, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were the sons of one of his sisters, and Amasa of another. Three of the four went down slain to the pit, though they were the terror of the mighty.
2:3-4:23 While the genealogies present the entire people of Israel (2:1-2), David’s ancestors in the tribe of Judah receive priority.
2:3-8 The genealogy of Judah is as comprehensive as possible, recording peripheral material as the background to the main line of David’s ancestors. Cp. Gen 46:12.
2:3 Er and Onan, the first two sons of Judah, were destroyed because of their sin (Gen 38:6-10). The descendants of Shelah are listed as an appendix at the end of the genealogies of Judah (1 Chr 4:21-23).
Tyndale Open Study Notes · CC BY-SA 4.0