1 Chronicles 3:1-9 -

EXPOSITION

The whole of this chapter is occupied with the descendants of David : the first nine verses of it with his own sons, classified according to the place of their birth, Hebron or Jerusalem; the remaining verses with the line of kings of his house to Jeconiah and Zedekiah ( 1 Chronicles 3:16 ), the grandsons of Zerubbabel ( 1 Chronicles 3:21 ), and descendants of Shechaniah ( 1 Chronicles 3:24 ). To the seven years and six months ( 2 Samuel 2:11 ) of David's reign at Hebron six sons belong, each of a different mother. To the thirty and throe years ( 2 Samuel 5:5 ; 1 Kings 2:11 ) of his reign at Jerusalem belong other thirteen sons, viz. four of one mother, Bethshua , and nine of other mothers, whose names are not given. The list of the six Hebron sons, with their mothers, is nearly identical with that of 2 Samuel 3:2-5 , although the differences, slight as they are, would of the two indicate our list here rather as not copied than copied thence. The only noticeable difference, however, is in the name of the second son, announced here as Daniel , instead of Chileab, while the Septuagint has δαλουία . This, together with the circumstance that one word would, as regards the Hebrew characters, comparatively easily convert into the other. renders it probable that it is merely a corrupt text or text obscure at this point which has occasioned the difference. The meaning of the name Daniel, put side by side with what we read in 1 Samuel 24:15 , 1 Samuel 25:39 , suggests strongly that it is the right name of the two. It was a name likely to be given by David to his first child by Abigail . Additional suspicion is thrown on the name Chileab through the three last letters of it, " leab ," constituting also the three first of the very next word," of Abigail " ( לַאְביִנַיִל ) which looks very much like the over-haste of the pen uncorrected. It is remarkable that the Syriac and Arabic versions translate "Caleb," both here and in the parallel passage. For the sons born in Jerusalem we have all three parallel lists at command, and the variations are rather greater. The other two lists are in 2 Samuel 5:14-16 ; 1 Chronicles 14:4-7 . The first of these omits Eliphelet and Nogah (possibly they died young or without issue), and the latter calls Eliphelet Elpalet ( אֶלְפֶלֶט ). Again, Shimeah and Elishama in our passage must yield, overruled by the consent of the other two, to Shammuah and Elishua. Again, it is to be noticed that the name Eliada (God ( אֶל ) knoweth), on occasion of its latest occurence ( 1 Chronicles 14:7 ), appears as Beel iada (the Lord ( בַעַל ) knoweth), preserving therein probably its earlier form , viz. that used before a settled bad sense had come to be attached to the word Baal (see 'Speaker's Commentary,' in loc .).