1 Chronicles 2:13

And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 2:13-15. Eliab — Called also Elihu, 1 Chronicles 27:18, unless that was another son of Jesse, as some think, not mentioned elsewhere; which would make the number to be eight, according to 1 Samuel 16:10; 1 Samuel 17:12. Or that Elihu, although there called the brother of David, might perhaps only be his kinsman, according to the usual language of Scripture. David the seventh — David was certainly the youngest son of Jesse, 1 Samuel 16:11. And if, as seems probable, one of them died soon after the time when they were said to he eight, he would of course be reckoned as the seventh.

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

1Ch 2:13-17. Children of Jesse.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Eliab, called also Elihu. 1 Chronicles 27:18 unless that was another person, and the word brother to be taken largely for a kinsman, as is frequently used.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nathanael the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh. But Jesse had eight sons, 1 Samuel 16:10, one of them therefore is not reckoned, either because he was by another woman, and the writer only mentions those that were of the same mother with David; this is the opinion of Aben Ezra and Kimchi; some say he was dead before David came to the kingdom; Kimchi mentions a Midrash, or exposition of theirs, according to which his name was Elihu, and was younger than David, who is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 27:18, and Jarchi observes, that the writer, having found the pearl (David), reckons not the eighth son Elihu, though the Syriac and Arabic versions have inserted him in this order, "Elihu the seventh, David the eighth"; some take the eighth to be a grandson of Jesse, Jonathan the son of Shimea, 2 Samuel 21:21 the third son of Jesse, here called Shimma, as he is Shammah, 1 Samuel 16:9.

Geneva Study Bible

And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

13. Shimma] R.V. Shimea, as in 1 Chronicles 20:7. His name is written “Shammah” in 1 Samuel 16:9. In 2 Samuel 21:21 “Shimei” (R.V.).

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 13-15 give us what we have not elsewhere, the names of the fourth, fifth, and sixth sons of Jesse, viz. Nathaneel, Raddai (but see 1 Kings 1:8), and Ozem. But, on the other hand, they make it appear that David was the seventh of seven, instead of (1 Samuel 14:10, 11; 1 Samuel 17:12) the eighth of eight sons. The missing son, any way, belongs to the seventh place. The Syriac and Arabic versions have taken the Elihu of 1 Chronicles 27:18, and put him in this place. Others, following the Septuagint, suppose this Elihu, if strictly a brother of David, to be Eliab, the oldest. The explanation of the absence of the name here may be that he died early and without issue, and would accordingly be the less wanted in a genealogical register. 1 Chronicles 2:13

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.