1 Chronicles 2:10

And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

I.—(10-17) The descent of David from Amminadab, of the house of Ram. The royal line naturally takes precedence of the other two. Ruth 4:18-22 gives this line from Pharez to David. (Compare the genealogies of Christ, Matthew 1 and Luke 3) Nahshon is called chief of Judah in Num. ii 3 (comp. 1Chronicles 1:7; 1Chronicles 7:12), at the time of the Exodus.

(11) Salma.—So in Ruth 4:20; but in 1Chronicles 2:21, Matthew 1:4, and Luke 3:32, Salmon.

(13-17) The family of Jesse (Heb., Yishai in 1Chronicles 2:12, but ‘Ishai in 1Chronicles 2:13).

Seven sons are here named. 1Samuel 17:12-13 states that Jesse had eight sons; and from 1Samuel 16:6-10 (Heb.) it appears that he had that number. In both passages, Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimma (Heb., Shim‘â, here and at 1Chronicles 20:7) occur, the last under the form Shammah. He is called Shimei (2Samuel 21:21); but Shimeah == Shim’ah (2Samuel 13:3; 2Samuel 13:32); and this appears to have been his real name.

(14, 15) Nethaneel . . . Raddai . . . Ozem.—Not named elsewhere in the Scriptures. The son of Jesse, omitted in our present Heb. text, is called Elihu in the Syriac version, which makes him seventh and David the eighth. The name Elihu occurs in 1Chronicles 27:18 for Eliab.

(16) Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail.—Literally, And their sisters, &c. If the reading in 2Samuel 17:25 be correct, these two women were daughters of Nahash, who must therefore have been a wife of Jesse. Abigail (there called Abigal) was mother of the warrior Amasa, who became Absalom’s general (2Samuel 19:13), and was afterwards assassinated by Joab (2Samuel 20:10).

Abishai.—Abshai, here and elsewhere in the chronicle.

Joab, the famous commander-in-chief of David’s forces (see 1Chronicles 11:6-8); and for Joab and Abishai, who, like Asahel, was one of David’s heroes (1Chronicles 11:20; 1Chronicles 11:26), comp. 1Chronicles 18:12; 1Chronicles 18:15; 1Chronicles 19:10 seq., 1Chronicles 21:2 et seq., 1Chronicles 27:24. David’s champions were thus his immediate kin, just as Abner was to Saul.

(17) Jether the Ishmeelite.—Incorrectly called “Ithra an Israelite” in 2Samuel 17:25. The later abhorrence of alien marriages seems to have been unknown in the age of David. The name of Zeruiah’s husband is unknown.

II.—The Calebite stock (1Chronicles 2:18-24).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:1-55 Genealogies. - We are now come to the register of the children of Israel, that distinguished people, who were to dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations. But now, in Christ, all are welcome to his salvation who come to him; all have equal privileges according to their faith in him, their love and devotedness to him. All that is truly valuable consists in the favour, peace, and image of God, and a life spent to his glory, in promoting the welfare of our fellow-creatures.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

"Achan" Joshua 7:1 seems to have become "Achar," in order to assimilate the word more closely to the Hebrew term for "troubler," which was from the time of Achan's sin regarded as the true meaning of his name Joshua 7:25-26.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. the sons of Carmi—He was the son of Zimri, or Zabdi, as he is called (Jos 7:1).

Achar—or Achan (Jos 7:1). This variety in the form of the name is with great propriety used here, since Achar means "troubler."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Ram begat Amminadab,.... Ram is the same with Aram, Matthew 1:3 the genealogy is carried down from him to Jesse in the same order as there, and in Ruth 4:19 only here Nahshon the son of Amminadab is called

the prince of the children of Judah; which Kimchi and Jarchi say is written for the honour of David, who descended from him; and Salmon his son is here called Salma.

Geneva Study Bible

And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, {d} prince of the children of Judah;

(d) That is, chief of the family.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. Ram] The descent of David from Judah is given also Ruth 4:18-22 and Matthew 1:3-6.

Nahshon, prince, etc.] See Numbers 1:4; Numbers 1:7; Numbers 2:3.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 10-15. - (B) Ram (the Aram of the Septuagint and of Matthew 1:3; Luke 3:33) is taken first in order, at once to push on the lineage of Judah to the great landmark DAVID, who is reached at the seventh generation from Ram (Ruth 4:19-22; Matthew 1:3-5; Luke 3:31-33), his name being ranked last of seven brothers only, sons of Jesse. 1 Chronicles 2:10

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The family of Ram (1 Chronicles 2:10-12), traced down through six members of Jesse. - This genealogy is also to be found in Ruth 1 Chronicles Ruth 4:19-21; but only here is Nahshon made more prominent than the others, by the addition, "prince of the sons of Judah." Nahshon was a prince of Judah at the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt (Numbers 1:7; Numbers 2:3; Numbers 7:12). Now between him, a contemporary of Moses, and Pharez, who at the immigration of Jacob into Egypt was about fifteen years old, lies a period of 430 years, during which the Israelites remained in Egypt. For that time only three names - Hezron, Ram, and Amminidab - are mentioned, from which it is clear that several links must have been passed over. So also, from Nahshon to David, for a period of over 400 years, four generations - Salma, Boaz, Obed, and Jesse - are too few; and consequently here also the less famous ancestors of David are omitted. שׂלמא is called in Ruth 4:20-21, שׁלמה and שׂלמון. In 1 Chronicles 2:13-15, seven sons and two daughters of Jesse, with those of their sons who became famous (1 Chronicles 2:16, 1 Chronicles 2:17), are enumerated. According to 1 Samuel 17:12, Jesse had eight sons. This account, which agrees with that in 1 Samuel 16:8-12, may be reconciled with the enumeration in our verse, on the supposition that one of the sons died without posterity. In 1 Samuel 16:6. and 1 Chronicles 17:13, the names of the eldest three - Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah - occur. Besides ישׁי, we meet with the form אשׁי (1 Chronicles 2:13); and the name שׁמּה is only another form of שׁמעה, which is found in 2 Samuel 13:3 and in 1 Chronicles 20:7, and is repeated in 2 Samuel 13:32 and 2 Samuel 21:21 in the Kethibh (שׁמעי). The names of the other three sons here mentioned (1 Chronicles 2:14 and 1 Chronicles 2:15) are met with nowhere else.