1 Chronicles 8

Chapters 1–9 of 1 Chronicles present the genealogy of Israel, beginning with Adam. The tribe of Benjamin, treated briefly in chapter 7, is covered again at greater length in chapter 8. The genealogy of the house of Saul at the end of this chapter serves as a bridge to chapter 10, which recounts Saul's death.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: The five sons of Benjamin and the sons of Bela, his firstborn
• Verses 6–7: Some of the sons of Ehud, who lived in Geba, are carried away captive to Manahath
• Verses 8–12: The children whom Shaharaim fathered in the land of Moab; the descendants of Elpaal build Ono and Lod
• Verses 13–28: Beriah and Shema become heads of the inhabitants of Aijalon and drive out the inhabitants of Gath; the sons of Beriah, Elpaal, Shimhi, Shashak, and Jeroham live in Jerusalem
• Verses 29–32: Jeiel, the father of Gibeon, his wife Maacah, and their sons
• Verses 33–40: The descendants traced from Ner through Kish and Saul to Jonathan and Merib-baal; the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor and skilled archers, numbering 150 sons and grandsons in all

Key Verses

• 1 Chronicles 8:33 "and Kish begat Saul" — This establishes that the family of Saul, Israel's first king, came from the tribe of Benjamin.
• 1 Chronicles 8:34 "And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal" — This shows that Jonathan's line continued into the postexilic period.

People and Places

• Benjamin: The youngest son of Jacob and the ancestor of the tribe of Benjamin.
• Merib-baal: The son of Jonathan. In 2 Samuel 9 he appears as Mephibosheth.
• Esh-baal: A son of Saul. In 2 Samuel he appears as Ish-bosheth.
• Gibeon: A town northwest of Jerusalem.
• Gath: A Philistine city.

Points to Consider

• Names containing "Baal" in Chronicles (Esh-baal, Merib-baal) are commonly explained as having been recorded in Samuel with "bosheth" ("shame") in place of "Baal."
• Some interpreters connect the Ehud of verse 6 with the judge Ehud (Judges 3:15). The text, however, does not state that the two are the same person.
• Verses 29–38 reappear in nearly identical form in 1 Chronicles 9:35–44.