Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 7:14
The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bore: ([but] his concubine the Aramitess bore Machir the father of Gilead:
14. Ashriel, whom she bare ] R.V. Asriel, whom his wife bare. Num 26:31.
his concubine the Aramitess ] The inhabitants of Gilead were thus in part Aramaeans (Syrians) by descent.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
14 17. The Genealogy of Eastern Manasseh
A difficult section. The text is much disturbed in 1Ch 7:14-15; and there is hardly any material available for the illustration of 1Ch 7:16-17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The sons of Manasseh, i.e. grandchildren, as 1Ch 7:13. For both Ashriel and Zelophehad were the grandchildren of Machir son of Manasseh, Num 26:29 &c.; Num 27:1.
Whom she bare, to wit, his wife, as may be thought, because his concubine is here opposed to her. Or, whom he got; for the Hebrew word yalad is sometimes used of mens begetting, as Gen 5:18, &c. Compare Psa 2:7. But these and the following words may be otherwise rendered according to the Hebrew text,
whom his concubine the Aramitess bare, who bare him (which ellipses are very frequent in the Hebrew) for meeth, of, or by Machir: so this was a differing Ashriel from him named Num 26:31; for that was Gileads son, and this his brother.
The father of Gilead; a person so called, as is manifest from 1Ch 7:17; Num 26:29.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14, 15. The sons of Manassehordescendants; for Ashriel was a grandson, and Zelophehad was ageneration farther removed in descent (Nu26:33). The text, as it stands, is so confused and complicatedthat it is exceedingly difficult to trace the genealogical thread,and a great variety of conjectures have been made with a view toclear away the obscurity. The passage [1Ch 7:14;1Ch 7:15] should probably berendered thus: “The sons of Manasseh were Ashriel, whom hisSyrian concubine bare to him, and Machir, the father of Gilead (whomhis wife bare to him). Machir took for a wife Maachah, sister toHuppim and Shuppim.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare,…. The wife of Manasseh, as distinguished from his concubine in the next clause; though the Targum reads, in connection with that,
“whom his Aramitess (or Syrian) concubine bare;”
and then adds,
who also bare Machir the father of Gilead; so that Ashriel and Machir were brethren; from which Ashriel sprung the family of the Ashrielites, Nu 26:29 as from Machir the Machirites, Nu 26:29.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Families of the half-tribe of Manasseh. – The families of Manasseh which dwelt in Gilead and Bashan have already been mentioned in 1Ch 5:23, 1Ch 5:14. Our verses deal with the families of this tribe which received their inheritance in Canaan, on this side Jordan. These were, according to Num 26:30, Num 26:34, and Jos 17:2, six families, of which, however, only two are here spoken of – Ashriel, 1Ch 7:14, and Shemidah, 1Ch 7:19; or perhaps three, if Abiezer, 1Ch 7:18, be the same person as Jeezer (Num 26:30), who is called Abiezer in Jos 17:2. The statements of 1Ch 7:14, 1Ch 7:15 are very obscure. At the head of the register of the Manassites stands Ashriel, who, according to Num 26:31, belonged to the sons of Gilead the son of Manasseh and the grandson of Joseph (cf. Gen 50:23), and founded one of the six families of the cis-Jordanic Manassites. But the words which follow are obscure; the words are , “whom his Aramaic concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead.” But since Ashriel, according to this, was the great-grandson of Manasseh, while Machir was his son, the relative clause can refer only to Manasseh, to whom his concubine bore Machir. Movers and Berth. would therefore erase , as a gloss arising out of a doubling of the following . By this expedient the difficultly as to the connection of the relative clause is certainly got rid of, but the obscurities of the following verse (1Ch 7:15) are not thereby removed. The analogy of the other registers in our chapter requires, rather, that immediately after there should stand the name of a descendant, – a fact which speaks strongly in favour of the authenticity of . It is therefore a much more probable suggestion, that after the name , some additional clause, such as , has been dropped, or regarded as superfluous by a copyist, and so omitted. To such an omitted , the relative sentence, which gives more details as to the descent of Ashriel, would be attacked in a simple and natural manner, since it was known from Num 26:30. that Ashriel was descended from Manasseh through Gilead.
1Ch 7:15-17 1Ch 7:15 is literally, “And Machir took a wife to Huppim and Shuppim, and the name of his sister was Maachah, and the name of the second Zelophehad.” According to 1Ch 7:16, on the contrary, Maachah is the wife of Machir, and we should consequently expect to find in 1Ch 7:15 only the simple statement, “And Machir took a wife whose name was Maachah.” From the words sdrow eh no meaning which harmonizes with the context can be obtained. Since signifies “to take a wife for one” (cf. Jdg 14:2), we can only suppose that by the names Huppim and Shuppim Machir’s sons are meant, to whom he, as their father, gave wives. But we cannot suppose that the sons of Machir are referred to, for the birth of the sons is first mentioned in 1Ch 7:16. But we have found the names and spoken of as descendants of Benjamin; and Bertheau consequently conjectures that these names have been brought thence into our verse by some gloss, and that the beginning of our verse originally stood thus: , “And Machir took a wife whose name is Maachah, and the name of his sister if Hammoleketh” (the last according to 1Ch 7:18). By this means we certainly bring some meaning into the words; but we cannot venture to maintain that this conjecture corresponds to the original text, but rather incline to doubt it. For, in the first place, the following words, “And the name of the second (is) Zelophehad,” do not suit the proposed reading. Berth. must here alter into (the name of his brother). But even after this alteration, the mention of the brother of Machir is not suitable to the context; and moreover Zelophehad was not a true brother, but only a nephew of Machir, the son of his brother Hepher; cf. Num 26:33; Num 27:1. And besides this, according to the concluding formula, “These are the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh” (1Ch 7:17), we should expect to find in 1Ch 7:15, 1Ch 7:16, not merely sons or descendants of Machir, but rather descendants of Gilead. We therefore hold the statement of 1Ch 7:15, “And the name of the second if Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had (only) daughters,” to be correct and beyond criticism, and the first part of 1Ch 7:15 to be corrupt and defective; and conjecture that a son of Gilead’s was mentioned in it, to whose name the words, “And the name of the second,” etc., belonged. This son who was mentioned in the text, which has been handed down to us only in a defective state, was probably the Ashriel mentioned in 1Ch 7:14, a son of Gilead, whose descent from Machir was given more in detail in the corrupt and consequently meaningless first half of 1Ch 7:15. In 1Ch 7:15, 1Ch 7:17, other descendants of Machir by his wife Maachah are enumerated, which favours the probable conjecture that the wife whom Machir took, according to 1Ch 7:15, was different from Maachah, that Machir had two wives, and that in 1Ch 7:15 originally the sons of the first were enumerated, and in 1Ch 7:16, 1Ch 7:17, the sons of the second. Peresh and Shelesh are mentioned only here. , “his sons” (that is, the sons of the last-named, Shelesh), were Ulam and Rakem, names which are also met with only here. The name is found in our Masoretic text, 1Sa 12:11, as the name of a judge, but probably should be read instead.
1Ch 7:18 A third branch of the descendants of Gilead were descended from Machir’s sister Hammoleketh, a name which the Vulgate has taken in an appellative sense. Of her sons, Ishod, i.e., “man of splendour,” is not elsewhere mentioned. The name Abiezer occurs, Jos 17:2, as that of the head of one of the families of Manasseh. In Num 26:30, however, he is called Jeezer, which is probably the original reading, and consequently our Abiezer is different from that in Jos 17:2. Another circumstance which speaks strongly against the identification of the two men is, that the family descended from Jeezer holds the first place among the families of Manasseh, which is not at all consonant with the position of the son of Machir’s sister here mentioned. Of the family of Abiezer came the judge Gideon, Jdg 11:15. A daughter of Zelophehad is called Mahlah in Num 26:33; Num 27:1, but she is not the person here mentioned.
1Ch 7:19 The sons of Shemida, the founder of the fourth family of the Manassites, Num 26:32. His four sons are nowhere else referred to, for , the founder of a family of the Manassites (Num 26:31 and Jos 17:2), is to be distinguished from the Shechem of our verse; nor is there any greater reason to identify Likhi with Helek, Num 26:30 (Berth.), than there is for connecting with , the daughter of Zelophehad, Num 26:33; Jos 17:3.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Western Half-Manasseh, Verses 14-19
The Manassite families enumerated in these verses were those who peopled the half tribe which continued into Canaan with the other tribes, except Reuben and Gad. Verse 14 is confusing, but by examination with Num 26:26-34 the meaning seems to be that Manasseh’s concubine bore Ashriel and also Machir, the father of Gilead. In verse 15 the meaning is that Zelophehad was the grandson of Gilead (cf. Numbers account).
Zelophehad is to be remembered as the man who had daughters only, and whose five daughters requested of Moses the inheritance of their father in the division of the land. It was granted them in understanding they must marry their cousins of the tribe of Manasseh. The case became the grounds for the law of inheritance in Israel (Num 27:1-11; Num 36:1-13).
The family of Abiezer (verse 18) is that from whom Gideon, the judge of Israel, sprang. They were given their allotment around the town of Ophrah, in western Manasseh (Jdg 6:11).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
12. THE DESCENDANTS OF MANASSEH (1Ch. 7:14-19)
TEXT
1Ch. 7:14. The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bare; she bare Machir the father of Gilead: 15. and Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sisters name was Maacah; and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters. 16. And Maacah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. 17. And the sons of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. 18. And his sister Hammolecheth bare Ishhod, and Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19. And the sons of Shemida were Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.
PARAPHRASE
1Ch. 7:14. The sons of Manasseh, born to his Aramaean concubine, were, Asri-el and Machir (who became the father of Gilead). 15. It was Machir who found wives for Huppim and Shuppim. Machirs sister was Maacah. Another descendant was Zelophehad, who had only daughters. 16. Machirs wife, also named Maacah, bore him a son whom she named Peresh; his brothers name was Sheresh, and he had sons named Ulam and Rakem. 17. Ulams son was Bedan. So these were the sons of Gilead, the grandsons of Machir, and the great-grandsons of Manasseh. 18. Hammolecheth, Machirs sister, bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19. The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
COMMENTARY
We studied an earlier reference to the tribe of Manasseh in 1Ch. 5:23-26. Several names in the paragraph now under attention are of interest. Machir, Manassehs son, is known as a frontiersman. Gilead, the son of Machir, left his name on a considerable part of the territory bordering the Jordan River on the east. Zelophehad was the great-grandson of Manasseh (Jos. 17:3). He had five daughters; but he had no sons. He died in his sins during the wilderness wanderings. His daughters came to Moses (Num. 27:1) requesting their fathers inheritance. This was granted. A ruling was also passed in Numbers 36 that heiress must marry within their own tribe. It is of interest to note that the name Gilead became more prominent than that of Machir. Abiezer (1Ch. 7:18) was the grandson of Machir and the ancestor of Gideon, who was an Abiezrite of the tribe of Manasseh and a judge in Israel.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(14) The sons of Manasseh.Translate, the sons of Manasseh, Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bare. (She bare Machir, father of Gilead.) Num. 27:1, Jos. 17:3, give the line
Zelophehad has five daughters, but no sons. Num. 26:29-33 gives the same line with additions thus:
This last passage is important, because it expressly declares that the names all represent clans, with the exception of Zelophehad, who had no sons, but daughters. It also shows that Asriel was great-grandson of Manasseh. The parenthesis of 1Ch. 7:14, therefore, appears to be intended to warn the reader that Asriel was the son of the Aramean concubine of Manasseh, mediately through descent from Machir.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The Line of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher
v. 14. The sons of Manasseh: Ashriel, whom she bare; (but his concubine, the Aramitess, bare Machir, the father of Gilead; v. 15. and Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad, v. 16. And Maachah, the wife of Machir, bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
v. 17. And the sons of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons, v. 18. And his, Machir’s, sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.
v. 19. And the sons of Shemidah, v. 20. And the sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered, his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah, his son, and Tahath, his son, v. 21. and Zabad, his son, and Shuthelah, his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because, v. 22. And Ephraim, their father, mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him, v. 23. And when he went in to his wife, v. 24. (And his daughter was Sherah, who built Bethhoron, the nether and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah, v. 25. And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah, his son, and Tahan, his son,
v. 26. Laadan, his son, Ammihud, his son, Elishama, his son,
v. 27. Non v. 28. And their possessions and habitations were Bethel and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof.
v. 29. And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, v. 30. The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah, their sister. v. 31. And the sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzavith.
v. 32. And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua, their sister.
v. 33. And the sons of Japhlet: Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.
v. 34. And the sons of Shamer, the Shomer v. 35. And the sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.
v. 36. The sons of Zophah: Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,
v. 37. Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.
v. 38. And the sons of Jether: Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.
v. 39. And the sons of Ulla: Arab, and Haniel, and Rezia.
v. 40. All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
The Reader will remember that we had the register of the half-tribe of Manasseh, which dwelt in the land of Canaan, before, 1Ch 5:23 . What is here recorded of Manasseh, means the other half-tribe which remained on the other side of Jordan.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 7:14 The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: ([but] his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:
Ver. 14. Whom she bare, ] i.e., The wife of Gilead bare.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
she = his wife.
Aramitess = Aramaean, or woman of Syria.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
1Ch 7:14-19
1Ch 7:14-19
“The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bare; she bare Machir the father of Gilead. And Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah; and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters. And Maacah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. And the sons of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. And his sister Hammolecheth bare Ishhod, and Abiezer, and Mahlah. And the sons of Shemidda were Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.”
E.M. Zerr:
1Ch 7:14-19. This paragraph includes all of the names that the present record gives of the tribe of Manasseh who was a son of Joseph. An interesting item of this account is concerning the status of Zelophe had, a near descendant of Manasseh. This man had no sons, and that fact brought an embarrassing situation to the daughters about their property rights. They made an appeal to Moses which resulted in an interpretation of the law in their favor. This account is in Num 27:1-11.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
The sons: The text in these two verses seems to be strangely corrupted; and, as it stands, is scarcely intelligible. Probably it should be rendered, “The sons of Manasseh were Ashriel, whom his Syrian concubine bore to him; and Machir the father of Gilead, whom – his wifebore to him. Machir took for a wife Maachah, sister to Huppim and Shuppim.” This is nearly the version of Dr. Geddes.
Machir: 1Ch 2:21-23, Gen 50:23, Num 26:29-34, Num 27:1, Num 32:30-42, Deu 3:13-15, Jos 13:31, Jos 17:1-3, Jdg 5:14
Reciprocal: Gen 46:20 – Manasseh Num 1:34 – Manasseh Num 36:1 – Gilead