Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 8:13
Beriah also, and Shema, who [were] heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:
13. of the fathers ] R.V. of fathers ’ houses, as in 1Ch 8:10.
drove away ] R.V. put to flight. Probably an allusion to some fight the memory of which was kept alive in local song. Cp. 1Ch 7:21-22.
Aijalon ] Jos 10:12 ; 1Sa 14:31.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Aijalon; a place formerly belonging to the tribe of Dan, Jos 19:42; but after the return from Babylon possessed by the Benjamites, because both Dan and the rest of the ten tribes were yet for the generality of them in captivity, and but few of them returned.
Who drove away the inhabitants of Gath; either,
1. At that time when they made such a slaughter among Ephraims children, 1Ch 7:21, and were possibly pursuing their victory till they were driven back by these Benjamites, who came to the succour of their brethren. Or,
2. Now when they were returned from the captivity, and found the men of Gath possessed of Aijalon. Or,
3. At some other time not mentioned in Scripture.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Beriah also, and Shema,…. These were sons of Elpaal:
who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon; which, though in the tribe of Dan, Jos 19:42 might afterwards come into the possession of Benjamin; or this may be another place of the same name in Benjamin; or, however, might be inhabited by Benjaminites, upon the return from captivity, who descended from those men:
who drove away the inhabitants of Gath; dispossessed them of their city, in revenge for what they had done to the Ephraimites, 1Ch 7:21.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Heads of fathers’-houses of the tribe of Benjamin, who dwelt partly in Aijalon (1Ch 8:13) and partly in Jerusalem. – Their connection with the heads of fathers’-houses already mentioned is not clear. The names might be taken fore a fuller enumeration of the sons of Elpaal (1Ch 8:12), were it not that the names enumerated from 1Ch 8:14 or 15 onwards, are at the end of 1Ch 8:16 said to be those of sons of Beriah; whence we must conclude that with , 1Ch 8:13, a new list of heads of Benjamite fathers’-houses begins. This view is supported by the fact that the names from 1Ch 8:14 or 1Ch 8:15 to 1Ch 8:27 are divided into five groups of families: the sons of Beriah (1Ch 8:16), of Elpaal (1Ch 8:18), of Shimhi (1Ch 8:21), of Shashak (1Ch 8:25), and of Jeroham (1Ch 8:27). But as two of these, Beriah and Shashak, occur in 1Ch 8:13, 1Ch 8:14, and is probably another form of , Bertheau conjectures that the last two names, Shashak and Jeroham, are represented by and dna (1Ch 8:14). and may be explained by the supposition of a transcriber’s error, or by one person having two names; but the word is rendered by the lxx by (= ); and the view that is a nom. prop. is opposed, as in 1Ch 8:31, by the fact that the cop. is not found before the following , for here, throughout, the names are all connected with each other by the w cop. Bertheau therefore conjectures that the text originally ran thus, , and that the name Elpaal was dropped out; and that in consequence of that, had been punctuated as a nom. prop. These conjectures seem satisfactory, especially as it may be adduced in their favour that has been added to the name Elpaal to connect the names in 1Ch 8:15 with the enumeration (1Ch 8:13) interrupted by the parenthetical remarks. No certainty, however, can be attained in a matter so obscure. If a new series of groups of families begins with 1Ch 8:13, we should expect an introductory formula, as in 1Ch 8:6. Beriah and Shema are called heads of the fathers’-houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, i.e., heads of the groups of related households inhabiting Aijalon, the present Jalo to the west of Gibeon (see on Jos 19:42). It is quite consistent with this that their sons or descendants dwelt in Jerusalem. Next a heroic deed of theirs is related, viz., that they (in some war or other) turned to flight the inhabitants of Gath (without doubt Philistines). This remark reminds us of the statement in 1Ch 7:21, that sons of Ephraim were slain by those born in Gath, because they had gone down to drive away the herds of the inhabitants. But Bertheau draws an erroneous conclusion from this fact, when he says that because in both passages the name Beriah occurs, both refer to the same event, and thereafter attempts by various hypotheses to make the Benjamites mentioned in our verse into Ephraimites. For the name Beriah is not at all so rare as to allow of our inferring from that alone that the various persons so called are identical, for Jacob’s son Asher also named one of his sons Beriah; cf. 1Ch 7:30 with Gen 46:17. The notion that the Benjamites Beriah and Shema defeated those inhabitants of Gath who had slain the sons of Ephraim (1Ch 7:21) is quite unsupported, as the Philistines lived at war and in feud with the Israelites for hundreds of years.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(13) Beriah also, and Shema.After these two names the Masoretic punctuators have put a stop. Thus 1Ch. 8:12-13 give five sons of Elpaal. Or 1Ch. 8:13 may be disconnected from 1Ch. 8:12, and Beriah and Shema regarded as beginning a new series of Benjamite clans.
Who were heads of the fathers. . . .Rather, THEY were heads of the clans of the inhabitants of Aijalon; THEY put to flight the inhabitants of Gath. The pronoun is emphatic in both cases. The clans of Beriah and Shema, who were settled at Ajalon (Yalo), near Gibeon, appear to have expelled a Gittite population from Ajalon, and dwelt in their stead. At all events, there is evident allusion to some famous exploit, in which the two Benjamite houses were more fortunate than the Ephraimites Ezer and Elead (1Ch. 7:21). We must not identify this Benjamite Beriah with the Ephraimite Beriah of 1Ch. 7:23. There was also an Asherite clan of Beriah (1Ch. 7:30).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 8:13 Beriah also, and Shema, who [were] heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:
Ver. 13. Who drove away the inhabitants of Gath. ] See 1Ch 7:21 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Beriah. See notes on 1Ch 7:23, 1Ch 7:30.
Aijalon. In Jos 19:42, it was in Dan. In Jos 21:24 it was a Levitical city. In 2Ch 28:18 it was occupied by Philistines, under Ahaz. But here occupied by Benjamites, because (1) of Dan’s idolatry (see note on Gen 49:17), and (2) of different distribution after the exile.
drove away. A reprisal later than 1Ch 7:21. See notes on 1Ch 7:23, 1Ch 7:30.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Shema: 1Ch 8:21, Shimhi
the fathers: 1Ch 2:49, 1Ch 2:50, 1Ch 2:52, 1Ch 4:4
Aijalon: Jos 19:42, Ajalon
Reciprocal: Jdg 12:12 – Aijalon 2Ki 12:17 – against Gath 1Ch 8:16 – Beriah