Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/127

Rh and Eshbaal. And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal begat Micah. And the sons of Micah;Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. And Ahaz begat Jehoaddah; and Jehoaddah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza: and Moza begat Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son: 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. And the sons of Eshek his brother; Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty. All these were of the sons of Benjamin.

Eshbaal] In 2 Sam. ii. 8 called Ish-bosheth. In the (more generally read) Sam. text the offensive name Eshbaal, "Man (i.e. worshipper) of Baal," has been changed to Ishbosheth, "Man of the Shameful-thing" (i.e. of the idol), but it has been left standing in the less-used text of Chron. The title Baal ("Lord") was applied in early days (e.g. in the days of Saul) to the national God of Israel, but in later days the prophets objected to it because of its general use in designation of the heathen gods also. Hosea (ii. 17), for example, declares that the true worshippers of Jehovah must no longer call him "My Baal" (Baali). Thus to Saul and Samuel the name Eshbaal was acceptable as meaning "Man of the Lord," i.e. of Jehovah, but to the late reviser of the book of Samuel it was offensive as signifying "Man of Baal," i.e. of one of the gods worshipped by the old Canaanite peoples or by the neighbouring nations. Since the text of Chronicles has retained such forms as Eshbaal (here), Ashbel (ver. 1), it seems that the conscientious alterations of such forms in the books of Samuel, Kings, etc., are later than the time of the Chronicler.

34. Merib-baal] A name meaning "Baal pleadeth"; in ch. ix. 40 b (Heb.) it is written Meri-baal, i.e. "Man of Baal." The person meant seems to be Mephibosheth (2 Sam. ix. 6, 12).

35. Tarea] In ix. 41, Tahrea.

36. Jehoaddah] In ix. 42, Jarah.

37. Raphah] In ix. 43, Rephaiah.