1 Chronicles 7:21
in 1 Chronicles 7Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the natives of Gath, because they went down to steal their livestock.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in the land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.
KJV
And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 7
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But a different view of the incident is brought out, if, instead of "because," we render the Hebrew particle "when" they came down to take their cattle, for the tenor of the context leads rather to the conclusion that "the men of Gath" were the aggressors, who, making a sudden foray on the Ephraimite flocks, killed the shepherds including several of the sons of Ephraim.
This site's exposition
The descendants of Ephraim
on 1 Chronicles 7:20-27
Ezer and Elead were killed by the natives of Gath, because they went to steal their livestock. Ephraim mourned for many days and named the next son Beriah. Wesley notes Hebrew writers outside Scripture preserved the event, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take the natives of Gath as the raiders.
This site's exposition
Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath
Barnes takes Ezer and Elead as Ephraim's own sons, and Ephraim mourns them in verse 22. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the raid the other way, with the natives of Gath coming down on Ephraim's flocks and killing the herdsmen. Wesley notes the story is recorded nowhere else in Scripture.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Slew - This history is not recorded else where in scripture, but it is in the ancient Hebrew writers. The Philistines (one of whose cities Gath was) and the Egyptians were next neighbours; and in those ancient times it was usual for such to make inroads one into another's country, and to carry thence what prey they could take.
Second - Of the second son or grandson of Machir; for so Zelophehad was. Had daughters - Only daughters, and no sons. These - Ashriel and Zelophehad, named ver. 14, 15, the relative being here referred to the remoter antecedent; as is frequent in the Hebrew.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-14-anchored-20-29
19 ), and yet that plant is thus nipped in the bud. God's providences often seem to contradict his promises; but, when they do so, they really magnify the promise, and make the performance of it, notwithstanding, so much more illustrious. The Ephraimites were the posterity of Joseph, and yet his power could not protect them, though some think he was yet living.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And Zabad his son,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Whom the men of Gath - slew - We know nothing of this circumstance but what is related here.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְזָבָ֥ד | vezavad | and Zabad | H2066 → | 8 times |
| בְּנ֛וֹ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וְשׁוּתֶ֥לַח | veshutelach | and Shuthelah | H7803 → | |
| בְּנ֖וֹ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וְעֵ֣זֶר | veezer | and Ezer | H5829 → | 5 times |
| וְאֶלְעָ֑ד | veelad | and Elead | H496 → | |
| וַהֲרָג֗וּם | vaharagum | and they killed them | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אַנְשֵׁי־ | ʾanshei- | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| גַת֙ | gat | Gath | H1661 → | 32 times |
| הַנּוֹלָדִ֣ים | hanoladim | who were born | H3205 → | 496 times |
| בָּאָ֔רֶץ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָרְד֔וּ | yaredu | they went down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| לָקַ֖חַת | lakachat | to take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִקְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | mikneihem | livestock their | H4735 → | 76 times |
וְזָבָ֥דand Zabad
vezavadH2066 →8 times
בְּנ֛וֹson his
benoH1121 →4930 times
וְשׁוּתֶ֥לַחand Shuthelah
veshutelachH7803 →
בְּנ֖וֹson his
benoH1121 →4930 times
וְעֵ֣זֶרand Ezer
veezerH5829 →5 times
וְאֶלְעָ֑דand Elead
veeladH496 →
וַהֲרָג֗וּםand they killed them
vaharagumH2026 →167 times
אַנְשֵׁי־[the] men of
ʾanshei-H582 →566 times
גַת֙Gath
gatH1661 →32 times
הַנּוֹלָדִ֣יםwho were born
hanoladimH3205 →496 times
בָּאָ֔רֶץin the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יָרְד֔וּthey went down
yareduH3381 →381 times
לָקַ֖חַתto take
lakachatH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִקְנֵיהֶֽם׃livestock their
mikneihemH4735 →76 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About 1 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.