John Wesley

Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

“All these and all theirs had their day; many of them made a mighty noise in the world; until their day came to fall, and their place knew them no more. The paths of death are trodden paths. How soon are we to tread them?”

The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite.

“Judah - Whom he puts first, because the best part of the right of the firstborn, namely, the dominion, was conferred upon him, Gen. xlix, 8, and because the Messiah was to come out of his loins.”

Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,

“Eliab - Called also Elihu, chap. xxvii, 18, unless that was another person, and the word brother be taken more largely for a kinsman, as it is frequently.”

But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth-jair, along with Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages. All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gilead.

“Sons of Machir - Partly to his own sons, and partly to his son- in-law Jair, who by reason of that dear affection which was betwixt them, and his forsaking his own tribe and kindred to fight for them and to dwell with them, is…”

After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

“Tekoa - A known place whose father he is called, because he was either the progenitor of the people inhabiting there: or, their prince and ruler: or, the builder of the city.”

Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, and the clans of the scribes who lived at Jabez—the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites.

“Scribes - Either civil, who were public notaries, that wrote and signed legal instruments: or ecclesiastical.”

and these sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel.

“Four - All David's children by her, as the text positively affirms: and therefore Solomon is called her, only son, Prov. iv, 3, because she loved him as if he had been so.”

David’s other sons were Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,

“Eliphelet - And he had two other sons called by the same names, ver. 8, probably they were by different wives: and probably they were then distinguished by some additional clause or title, which is here omitted, because the two first were dead before the…”

Shealtiel his son, Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

“Pedaiah - The sentence seems to be short and imperfect, as is frequent in the Hebrew language, and something is here understood, as, the sons also of Salathiel were Malchiram and Pedaiah, &c.”

The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The children of Zerubbabel:

“Their sister - Sister to the two last named sons of Zerubbabel, namely, by both parents; and therefore named before the other five, ver. 20, who were her brethren by the father, but not by the mother.”

The six descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat.

“Six - Including the father. But the Hebrew word, Shisha, which is rendered six, may be the proper name of one of the sons of Shemaiah.”

And Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only You would bless me and enlarge my territory!

“Called - When he was undertaking some great and dangerous service. Enlarge - Drive out these Canaanites, whom thou hast commanded us to root out. Grieve - That it may not oppress and overcome me: more is understood than is expressed.”

Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah.

“Of Judah - The tribe of Simeon did not increase proportionably to the tribe of Judah in which they dwelt; as appears by those two catalogues, Num.”

Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.

“For it is evident concerning Ziklag, one of them, that it was in the Philistines hands in David's time, and by them given to him, and by him annexed to the tribe of Judah, 1 Sam. xxvii, 6.”

These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled…

“Not reckoned - This is the second reason, which sheweth both why Reuben's genealogy was not first mentioned; and if another tribe was to be ranked before it, why that was Judah, and not Joseph, because the order of their genealogy was not to be…”

They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead.

“Euphrates - From Jordan and the wilderness beyond it unto Euphrates. Or, of the wilderness, which lies towards or reacheth to the river Euphrates, namely, the great wilderness of Kedemoth, Deut.”

and many others fell slain, because the battle belonged to God. And they occupied the land until the exile.

“Was of God - Undertaken in his fear, and carried on in a dependence on him. Then we may expect to prosper in any enterprize, and then only, when we take God along with us.”

Johanan was the father of Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem,

“Commentary on Chapter VI 10. The priest's office - So did all the rest, but it is implied that he did it worthily, he filled his place, and valiantly discharged his office in Uzziah's time.”

Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son.

“Slew - This history is not recorded else where in scripture, but it is in the ancient Hebrew writers.”

All these were heads of families, the chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.

“Many great and mighty nations were then upon earth, and many illustrious men in them, whose names are buried in perpetual oblivion, while the names of multitudes of the Israel of God, are here carefully preserved in everlasting remembrance: a figure of God's writing the…”

Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third. The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and they had many sons and grandsons—150 in all.

“Archers - Hebrew. that tread the bow; for the bows of steel, which these used, required great strength to bend them; which therefore they did by treading the bow with their feet, and pulling the string with both their hands.”

Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.

“Israelites - The common people of Judah and Israel, called here by the general name of Israelites, which was given them before that unhappy division of the kingdoms, and now is restored to them when the Israelites are united with the Jews in one and…”

and 956 of their relatives according to their genealogy. All these men were heads of their families.

“And fifty-six - They are reckoned but nine hundred and twenty- eight in Neh. xi, 8, either because there he mentions only those that were by lot determined to dwell at Jerusalem, to whom he here adds those who freely offered themselves to it; or…”

and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

“Able men - Hebrew. mighty men of valour: which is here noted as an excellent qualification for their place; because the priests might meet with great opposition in the discharge of their office, in the execution of the censures upon all impure persons without exception…”

The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages.

“Villages - Where their usual residence was, and whence they came to Jerusalem in their courses. Ordain - In the times of the Judges there was much disorder both in the Jewish state and church, and the Levites came to the tabernacle promiscuously, and as…”