1 Chronicles 8:40
in 1 Chronicles 8Ulam 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. All these were the descendants of Benjamin.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons, and sons’ sons, a hundred and fifty. All these were of the sons of Benjamin.
KJV
And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons’ sons, an hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor - The Targum speaks honourably of them: “The sons of Ulam were mighty and strong men, subduing by wisdom their evil concupiscence, as men bend a bow; therefore they had many sons and grandsons.” Of the six sons of Azel, mentioned 1Ch 8:38, R. S. Jarchi says that their allegorical expositions were sufficient to load thirteen thousand camels! No doubt these were reputed to be deeply learned men. There was a time when the allegorizers and metaphor-men ranked very high among theologians, even in our own enlightened and critical country.
This site's exposition
the sons of Micah were
on 1 Chronicles 8:35-40
Micah's line runs six generations past him, Jehoadah to Azel, and Azel's own six sons are named individually rather than folded into a summary, an unusual density this late in a Benjamite roll. The record does not stop at Saul's death on Gilboa or at David's dynasty replacing his house; it keeps counting fathers and sons long after the kingdom left this family, evidence the compiler still held records for a line whose claim to the throne was long over. The chapter closes on Ulam's sons, archers and mighty men of valour a hundred and fifty strong, and Henry reads the note as praise for service rather than for rank, a family remembered for usefulness once the crown was gone from it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
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.
And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour,....
That is taken notice of concerning them which is more a man's praise than his pomp or wealth is, that they were qualified to serve their country.
They are Jasher, Jeshurun--just ones, and the memory of the just is blessed. Many of these we have reason to fear, came short of everlasting honour (for even the wicked kings of Judah come into the genealogy), yet the perpetuating of their names here was a figure of the writing of the names of all God's spiritual Israel in the Lamb's book of life.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
mighty men of valour, archers--(see on Jud 20:16). Great strength as well as skill was requisite in ancient archery, as the bow, which was of steel, was bent by treading with the feet, and pulling the string with both hands.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Sons, and sons’ sons - This genealogy of the house of Saul appears by the number of the generations to belong probably to the time of Hezekiah (compare 1Ch 4:41). Ulam’s “sons’ sons” are in the 13th generation from Jonathan, as Hezekiah is in the 13th generation from David.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיִּהְי֣וּ | vaiyihyu | and they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְנֵי־ | venei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| א֠וּלָם | ʾulom | Ulam | H198 → | 4 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֨ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| גִּבֹּרֵי־ | giborei- | mighty of | H1368 → | 158 times |
| חַ֜יִל | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| דֹּ֣רְכֵי | dorekhei | [who] bent | H1869 → | |
| קֶ֗שֶׁת | keshet | a bow | H7198 → | 76 times |
| וּמַרְבִּ֤ים | umarbim | and [who] had many | H7235 → | 227 times |
| בָּנִים֙ | banim | children | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וּבְנֵ֣י | uvenei | and children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בָנִ֔ים | vanim | children | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מֵאָ֖ה | meah | one hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| וַחֲמִשִּׁ֑ים | vachamishim | and fifty | H2572 → | 163 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵ֖לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| מִבְּנֵ֥י | mibenei | [were] of [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בִנְיָמִֽן׃ פ | vinyamin | Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
וַֽיִּהְי֣וּand they were
vaiyihyuH1961 →3559 times
בְנֵי־[the] sons of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
א֠וּלָםUlam
ʾulomH198 →4 times
אֲנָשִׁ֨יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
גִּבֹּרֵי־mighty of
giborei-H1368 →158 times
חַ֜יִלstrength
chayilH2428 →246 times
דֹּ֣רְכֵי[who] bent
dorekheiH1869 →
קֶ֗שֶׁתa bow
keshetH7198 →76 times
וּמַרְבִּ֤יםand [who] had many
umarbimH7235 →227 times
בָּנִים֙children
banimH1121 →4930 times
וּבְנֵ֣יand children of
uveneiH1121 →4930 times
בָנִ֔יםchildren
vanimH1121 →4930 times
מֵאָ֖הone hundred
meahH3967 →581 times
וַחֲמִשִּׁ֑יםand fifty
vachamishimH2572 →163 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֵ֖לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
מִבְּנֵ֥י[were] of [the] descendants of
mibeneiH1121 →4930 times
בִנְיָמִֽן׃ פBenjamin
vinyaminH1144 →166 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 12:2they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):
it leads to
- Judges 3:15
And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
- Judges 20:16
Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.
- 1 Chronicles 12:29
From Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul: 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to the house of Saul up to that time.
- 1 Samuel 17:49
Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
- Judges 3:15
Through
2 Chronicles 14:8Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 13:3
Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.
- 2 Chronicles 25:5
Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and…
- 2 Chronicles 17:14–19
These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor;
- 2 Chronicles 11:1
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
- 2 Chronicles 13:3
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 & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.
