Benjamin’s descendants to Saul and his sons
8
📚Now Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third, 8:1 1 Chron 7:6-12; Gen 46:21. More space is given to the genealogy of Benjamin, Judah and Levi than all the other tribes put together. The author’s purpose, guided by the Holy Spirit, was to focus attention on the southern kingdom of Judah. Levi was important because the priesthood and temple service in Jerusalem were in the hands of this tribe. Benjamin was important because Saul, the first king of Israel, was a Benjamite, and part of the territory of Benjamin was later taken into the southern kingdom of Judah.⚜
2 Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth. 3 📚And the sons of Bela were Addar and Gera and Abihud 4 and Abishua and Naaman and Ahoah 5 📚and Gera and Shephuphan and Huram.
6 📚And these are the sons of Ehud 📖: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they were exiled to Manahath: 7 and Naaman and Ahijah and Gera; he exiled them, and begot Uzza, and Ahihud.
8 📚And Shaharaim begot children in the country of Moab, after he had sent away Hushim and Baara, his wives. 9 And he begot of Hodesh his wife, Jobab and Zibia and Mesha and Malcham 10 and Jeuz and Shachia and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers’ households. 11 And by Hushim he begot Abitub and Elpaal.
12 📚The sons of Elpaal: Eber and Misham and Shamed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns; 13 📚Beriah also and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath; 14 and Ahio, Shashak and Jeremoth 15 and Zebadiah and Arad and Ader 16 and Michael and Ispah and Joha, the sons of Beriah; 17 and Zebadiah and Meshullam and Hezeki and Heber, 18 Ishmerai also, and Jezliah and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal, 19 and Jakim and Zichri and Zabdi, 20 and Elienai and Zilthai and Eliel, 21 and Adaiah and Beraiah and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi, 22 and Ishpan and Heber and Eliel 23 and Abdon and Zichri and Hanan 24 and Hananiah and Elam and Antothijah 25 and Iphedeiah and Penuel, the sons of Shashak 26 and Shamsherai and Shehariah and Athaliah 27 and Jaresiah and Eliah and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.
28 📚These were heads of the fathers’ households, by their generations, chief men. These lived in Jerusalem.
29 📚And the father 📖 of Gibeon lived at Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maachah; 30 📚and his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur and Kish and Baal and Nadab 31 📚and Gedor and Ahio and Zacher. 32 📚And Mikloth begot Shimeah. And these also lived with their brethren in Jerusalem, opposite them. 33 📚And Ner begot Kish, and Kish begot Saul, and Saul 📖 begot Jonathan and Malchishua and Abinadab and Eshbaal 📖. 34 📚And the son of Jonathan 📖 was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal 📖 begot Micah. 35 📚And the sons of Micah were Pithon and Melech and Tarea and Ahaz. 36 📚And Ahaz begot Jehoadah; and Jehoadah begot Alemeth and Azmaveth and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza, 37 📚and Moza begot Binea. Rapha was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. 38 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru and Ishmael and Sheariah and Obadiah and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. 39 And the sons of Eshek his brother were Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third. 40 📚And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons and grandsons, a hundred and fifty. All these are descendants of Benjamin.