1 Chronicles 8:40

8:1-40 Genealogies. - Here is a larger list of Benjamin's tribe. We may suppose that many things in these genealogies, which to us seem difficult, abrupt, and perplexed, were plain and easy at that time, and fully answered the intention for which they were published. Many great and mighty nations then were in being upon earth, and many illustrious men, whose names are now wholly forgotten; while the names of multitudes of the Israel of God are here kept in everlasting remembrance. The memory of the just is blessed.

And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour,.... Men of great fortitude and courage, though their names are not expressed: archers; skilful in the use of the bow and arrows, as the Benjaminites formerly were famous for slinging stones: and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty; so that the posterity of Jonathan, whose genealogy is drawn down from 1 Chronicles 8:34 hither, were very great; and greater still, according to the Vulgate Latin version, in which the number is 150,000 in the edition of Sixtus the fifth, and so in most MSS of that version (s). all these are of the sons of Benjamin; his posterity, whose names are given in this chapter. (s) See James of the Contrariety of the Popish Bibles, p. 294.

(40) And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers. —The ancient prowess of the Benjamites is recorded in Judges 20. Their left-handed slingers were famous. (See also Judges 3:15 seq. ) Archers.—Literally, treaders of the bow (1Chronicles 5:18). The meaning is that they drew their bows by resting the foot against them, the bows being large. Had many sons, and sons’ sons, an hundred and fifty.—What was their date? If we may assume that no names have been omitted, we are concerned with the fourteenth generation from Jonathan, the friend of David. The era of David has been fixed at about 1055-1045 B.C. ; so that the great-grandsons of Ulam may have flourished about 635-625 B.C. (1055 minus 420), in the reign of Josiah. The omission of names, however, is as possible and as likely in the present series as elsewhere; and it is obvious that one or two additional members would carry the list past the exile (B.C. 588). There are reasons for believing that the posterity of Ulam really represent a family of the period of the Return. Their number is favourable to the supposition. Comp. Ezra 2:18; Ezra 2:21; Ezra 2:23; Ezra 2:27; Ezra 2:30 for families of about the same dimensions, which returned with Zerubbabel. Further, the reference in 1Chronicles 8:8-10 to a sojourn of certain Benjamite houses in Moab may be connected with the mention in Ezra 2:6; Ezra 8:4; Nehemiah 3:11, and elsewhere, of the “sons of the Pasha of Moab” (Pahath Mo’ab.

This word pahath used to be reckoned among the indications of the late origin of the Chronicle. Now, however, it is known to be an ancient Semitic term. Comp. the Assyrian pihatu). Ono and Lod (1Chronicles 8:12) may be compared with Ezra 2:33, and the singular names Elam (1Chronicles 8:24) and Azmaveth (1Chronicles 8:36), with the “sons of Elam” (Ezra 2:7), and “the sons of Azmaveth,” or “Beth-azmaveth” (Ezra 2:24; Nehemiah 7:28). The name Bocheru (in 1Chronicles 8:38) has been classed with Gashmu (Nehemiah 6:6), but the latter is an Arab, and there is seemingly no MS. authority for Bocheru. Ishmael (1Chronicles 8:38) reminds us of “Ishmael son of Nethaniah, of the seed royal” (2Kings 25:25), who survived the fall of Jerusalem.

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 1 Chronicles 4:41 ). Ulam's "sons' sons" are in the 13th generation from Jonathan, as Hezekiah is in the 13th generation from David.

The sons of Ulam are called valiant heroes and archers, and must have shown the same capability for war by which the tribe of Benjamin had been distinguished at an earlier time; cf. Judges 20:16 , and for קשׁת דּרכי, cf. 1 Chronicles 5:16 . The subscription כּל־אלּה מ refers back to the superscription in 1 Chronicles 8:1 , and binds all the names in our chapter together.

Verse 8. - The "ten years' quiet" (ver. 1) begins to see its end. Targets ( 2 Chronicles 9:15 ); spears ( 2 Chronicles 11:12 ); for both, see 1 Chronicles 12:24 . Out of Benjamin... shields and... bows . The minuter coincidences of the history are very observable and very interesting; for see 1 Chronicles 8:40 ; 1 Chronicles 12:2 ; and much earlier, Genesis 49:27 ; Judges 20:16, 17 . 2 Chronicles 14:8