Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/79

Rh Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all. And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who committed a trespass in the devoted thing. And the sons of Ethan; Azariah. The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai. And Ram begat Amminadab;

encampments, and Atarah (ver. 26) who is said to be the mother of certain Jerahmeelite families has much the same meaning. Both names therefore may not be eponymous either of individuals or places, but may originate in the desire to preserve the fact that the families named as their sons were nomads who had abandoned wandering for settled life. If so, it might help to explain the fact that Hezron (cp. Carmi, ii. 7, iv. 1, v. 3) is also mentioned as a son of Reuben (v. 3; Gen. xlvi. 9, etc.).

6. the sons of Zerah] This genealogy appears only in Chron.

Zimri] LXX. (B)  ( being merely euphonic) here and also Josh. vii. 1 where Heb. has "Zabdi." LXX. is probably right in identifying the two. Either form might arise from the other by easy textual corruption.

Ethan Dara] Read, Darda with Vulg., Targ., Pesh. The same four names in the same order occur 1 Kings iv. 31 as the names of wise men whom Solomon surpassed in wisdom. They are there called sons of "Mahol" who may have been either a nearer or remoter ancestor than Zerah. Ethan however is there called the Ezrahite (= probably "son of Zerah"). [Pss. lxxxviii., lxxxix. bear respectively the names "Heman the Ezrahite," "Ethan the Ezrahite," but these (it seems) were Levites (cp. xv. 17, 19, where see note).]

7. the sons of Carmi] Carmi is probably to be taken as the son of Zimri (= Zabdi, Josh. vii. 1). Targ. however has "Carmi who is Zimri." See note on Zimri, ver. 6.

Achar] This form of the name (instead of "Achan," Josh. vii. 1) is used by the Chronicler to bring out better the play on the Heb. word for "troubler." The Heb. runs, "Achar ocher Israel."

9. Jerahmeel] For his descendants see vv. 25—41. The descendants of his younger brother Ram are given first. They purport to be the ancestry of David and his family.

Chelubai] Another form of "Caleb"; see note on ver. 42.

10. Ram] The descent of David from Judah is given also in Ruth iv. 18—22 and Matt. i. 3—6. Ram as a clan parallel with the great clans of Caleb and Jerahmeel is strange; for it is not known otherwise in the O.T. Further, as the descendants of Ram given in vv. 10—12 are the family tree of David (contrast the clans and cities in the lines of Caleb and Jerahmeel) it may be supposed that Ram owes his position here simply to the Chronicler's desire to incorporate Ruth iv. 19, where also this pedigree of David is given. Note also that in