Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 7:30
The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.
30 40. The Genealogy of Asher
30. the sons of Asher ] The names in 1Ch 7:30-31 are derived from Gen 46:17 (cp. Num 26:44-46). There is no variation in the Heb. spelling of the names, but Isuah (R.V. Ishuah) is missing in Num.
Isuah, and Ishuai ] R.V. Ishvah, and Ishvi.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ver. 30,31. The son of Asher,…. Which, and his two grandsons born before Jacob went down to Egypt, are here reckoned as in Ge 46:17 only it is here added Malchiel his second grandson,
who is the father of Birzavith; which Jarchi interprets, prince of a city of this name, which signifies pure oil; which it might have from the abundance of olives about it, Asher being a tribe which abounded with them, see De 33:24 though some of the Rabbins take it to be the name of a man, whose daughters, they say, as Jarchi observes, were very beautiful, having much oil to anoint with, and were married to kings and priests anointed with oil.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The sons and several families of Asher. – 1Ch 7:30. The names of the four sons of Asher and that of their sister coincide with the statement of Gen 46:17; but in Num 26:44-47, on the contrary, the name Ishuai does not occur among the families of Asher.
1Ch 7:31-34 The sons of Beriah, Heber and Malchiel, are also to be found in Gen 46:17 and Num 26:45 as the heads of two families; but the further statement, “he (i.e., Malchiel) the father of Birzavith,” is found only here. How , the Kethibh, is to be pronounced, cannot be with certainty determined. Gesen. in Thes. p. 239 makes it , and considers the word to be the name of a woman; Bertheau, on the contrary conjectures that it is a compound of = and , “well of the olive-tree,” and so the name of a place. In 1Ch 7:32-34 the descendants of Heber are enumerated in three generations, which are mentioned nowhere else. In 1Ch 7:32 we have four sons and one daughter. The name is not to be connected with , Jos 16:3, “because a family of Asher is not to be sought for in the neighbourhood there referred to” (Berth.). In 1Ch 7:33 we have four sons of Japhlet, and in 1Ch 7:34 the sons of his brother Shemer. It is somewhat remarkable that , 1Ch 7:32, is called here . is not an appellative, but a proper name, as the before the following name shows; cf. another Ahi in 1Ch 5:15. For we should read .
1Ch 7:35-39 Descendants of Helem-in 1Ch 7:35 sons, in 1Ch 7:36-38 grandsons.
As Helem is called , “his brother” (i.e., the brother of the Shemer mentioned in 1Ch 7:34), would seem to be the third son of Heber, who is called in 1Ch 7:32 . If so, one of the two names must have resulted from an error in transcription; but it is now impossible to determine which is the original and correct form of the name. Eleven names are introduced as those of the sons of Zophah (1Ch 7:36, 1Ch 7:37); and in 1Ch 7:38 we have, besides, three sons of Jether ( ), who is called in 1Ch 7:38 . In 1Ch 7:39 there follow three names, those of the sons of Ulla; on which Bertheau rightly remarks, the whole character of our enumeration would lead us to conjecture that had already occurred among the preceding names, although we find neither this name nor any similar one, with which it might be identified, in the preceding list.
1Ch 7:40 1Ch 7:40 contains a comprehensive concluding statement as to the descendants of Asher: “All these (those just mentioned by name) were heads of fathers’-houses, chosen valiant heroes ( , as in 1Ch 7:5), chief of the princes,” Vulg. duces ducum , i.e., probably leaders of the larger divisions of the army, under whom were other . “And their genealogical register is for service of the host in war,” i.e., was prepared with reference to the men capable of bearing arms, and had not, like other registers, reference to the number of inhabitants of the various localities; cf. 1Ch 9:22. It amounted to 26,000 men. According to Num 1:41, Asher numbered 41,500, and according to Num 26:47, 53,000 men. But we must observe that the number given in our verse is only that of the men capable of bearing arms belonging to one of the greater families of Asher, the family of Heber, of which alone a register had been preserved till the time of the chronicler.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Tribe of Asher, Verses 30-40
Asher had four sons, who became heads of family in the nation of Israel. From the very first listing of Asher’s family (Gen 46:17) his daughter Serah has been named. This woman must have been a very prominent one in Israel, but the student’s curiosity about her is not appeased anywhere. One can only wonder why she was always mentioned.
The passage closes with a commendation of the tribe’s brave men, “choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes.” Their men of war numbered some twenty-six thousand men.
A few lessons may be gleaned: 1) Brave men and their deeds are not soon forgotten; 2) all the tribes of Israel contained some honorable men; 3) sorrow for the death of wicked sons must be infinitely worse than for righteous ones; 4) women of prominence were not omitted in God’s word.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
14. THE DESCENDANTS OF ASHER (1Ch. 7:30-40)
TEXT
1Ch. 7:30. The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. 31. And the sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32. And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham and Shua their sister. 33. And the sons of Japhlet: Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet. 34. And the sons of Shemer: Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. 35. And the sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal. 36. The sons of Zophah: Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah, 37. Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera. 38. And the sons of Jether: Jephunneh, and Pispa, and Ara. 39. And the sons of Ulla: Aran, and Hanniel, and Rizia. 40. All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number of them reckoned by genealogy for service in war was twenty and six thousand men.
PARAPHRASE
1Ch. 7:30. The children of Asher; Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, Serah (their sister). 31. The sons of Beriah were: Heber, Machi-el (the father of Birzaith). 32. Hebers children were: Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, Shua (their sister). 33. Japhlets sons were: Pasach, Bimhal, Ashvath. 34. His brother Shomers sons were: Rohgah, Jehubbah, Aram. 35. The sons of his brother Hotham were: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, Amal. 36, 37. The sons of Zophah were: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Lmrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, Be-era. 38. The sons of Ithran were: Jephunneh, Pispa, Ara. 39. The sons of Ulla were: Arah, Hanniel, Rizia. 40. These descendants of Asher were heads of subclans and were all skilled warriors and chiefs. Their descendants in the official genealogy numbered 36,000 men of war. Another list of Ashers people is recorded in Gen. 46:17. Some forty descendants are listed here. The number of men of war at the time of this enumeration was 26,000. They numbered 41,500 in the first census (Num. 1:40-41). The 26,000 in this present counting most likely is a reference to only a part of the tribe. Asher was assigned the territory north of Mt. Carmel and the Kishon river, the Phoenician country. It was said of Asher that his dwelling would be by the sea. In spite of their remarkable valor, they never displaced the Phoenician people.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
THE TRIBE OF ASHER (1Ch. 7:30-40).
(30, 31) The sons of Asher; Imnah. . . . Malchiel.This is a literal transcript of Gen. 46:17. Comp. also Num. 26:44-46, where the clan (mishpahath) of each eponym is assigned; but the name of Isaah (Heb., Yishwh) does not appear.
Beriah.Also the name of an Ephraimitic stock (1Ch. 7:23). Malchiel is called the father (chief or founder) of Birzavith only here. The Heb. margin has Birzayith, perhaps well of olive (be-er zayith); the text, Berazth or Barzth. It is probably the name of a place.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The tribe of Asher; Jacob said, should be fat, and yield royal dainties. And from the mighty men of valour which belonged to this tribe, we see the prediction fulfilled; for from the blood of the slain, and the fat of the mighty, like the bow of Jonathan, Asher derived his royal dainties, no doubt. Gen 49:20 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 7:30 The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.
Ver. 30. And Serah their sister. ] The Vulgate calleth her Sarah; as likewise that other eminent woman. 1Ch 7:23
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 7:30-40
1Ch 7:30-40
“The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishva, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister. And the sons of Japhlet: Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet. And the sons of Shemer (Shomer): Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. And the sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, and Imra, and Shelesh, and Amal. The sons of Zophah: Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah, Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera. And the sons of Jether: Jephunneh, and Pispa, and Ara. And the sons of Ulla: Arah, and Hanniel, and Rizia. All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number of them reckoned by genealogy for service in war was twenty and six thousand men.”
There are many discrepancies when these lists are compared with the lists cited in the marginal references to other scriptures; but it is no part of our purpose to attempt any explanation of them. The word son is used no less than nine different ways in the Bible. Also, there was a mixing of the tribes, for examples, as when, “Becher’s heiress married an Ephraimite which transferred his reckoning from the tribe of Benjamin to that of Ephraim.” We also have place-names such as Anathoth also used as the names of persons (1Ch 7:8). Cundall noted that we even have two different genealogies; “Nor is it possible to explain why two should have been given.” As Keil noted, “Verse 12 is unintelligible to us.”
Such problems as these do not concern us. The great purpose of the sacred author here was to forge a strong link between the pre-exilic and post-exilic Israels; and these remarkable genealogies certainly accomplished that very thing. No doubt they were understood far more perfectly by the descendants of the twelve tribes than any one may understand them thousands of years later.
Also, as we have repeatedly stressed, these genealogies are incontrovertible proof that the O.T. deals, not with myth or legend, but with history. The power of this argument is indeed tremendous. Once, when this writer was minister of Manhattan Church of Christ, a group of several New York University students called upon him; and one of them asked if it was not a fact that Jesus Christ was merely a myth. This writer then quoted in its entirety the genealogy of Jesus Christ through his mother Mary as found in Luk 3:23 ff, and concluded by asking, “Now, will some of you recite for me the genealogy of Paul Bunyan, Beowolf, Santa Claus, or any other myth”? One of these later obeyed the gospel.
These names stimulate our curiosity and our imagination. Many of these are described as mighty men of valor, heads of their fathers’ houses, chief among the princes of Israel, etc. What wonderful deeds of faith and trust in God must have been done! What marvelous stories of heroism, tragedy, glory, defeat and victory were woven around the names written here. We shall never know the slightest thing about most of them; but as we gaze upon their names we are haunted by thoughts of those whose exploits lie buried under the silence of millenniums.
E.M. Zerr:
1Ch 7:30-40. This paragraph recounts the prominent descendants of Asher, another of the tribes of Israel. Most of the comments made in the preceding paragraph will apply here. The familiar name, Jephunneh, is another coincidence only.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Imnah: This variation only exists in the translation; the original being uniformly Jimnah, or Yimnah. Gen 46:17, Num 26:44-46, Jimnah
Ishuai: This variation is also attributable to the translator; the Hebrew being in both places Isui, or rather, Yishwi. Gen 46:17, Isui