1 Chronicles 3:1

Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

I.—The sons of David.—This section is parallel to 2Samuel 3:2-5 (comp. 1Chronicles 3:1-4) and 2Samuel 5:14-16 (1Chronicles 3:5-9), with which comp. 1Chronicles 14:3-7.

(1-4) The six sons born in Hebron. The sons and mothers agree with those of the parallel passage in Sam., with the one exception of the second son, who is here called Daniel, but in Samuel, Chileab. The LXX. (2Samuel 3:3) has Δαλουια, which may represent Heb. Delaiah (Iah hath freed), though in our 1Chronicles 3:24 that name is spelt Δαλααια, or Δαλαια. In the present passage the Vatican LXX. has Δαμνιήλ, the Alex. Δαλουνια. Perhaps Daniel is a corruption of Delaiah, as this name recurs in the line of David. Chileab may have had a second name (comp. Uzziah-Azariah, Mattaniah-Zedekiah), especially as Chileab appears to be a nickname, meaning “dog.” (Comp. the Latin Canidius, Caninius, as a family name.)

(1) Amnon.—For his story see 2 Samuel 13

Of Ahinoam.—Literally, to Ahin. (1Samuel 25:43).

The second Daniel of Abigail the Carmelitess.—Better, A second, Daniel, to Abigail, &c. Sam. adds, “wife of Nabal the Carmelite.” (See 1 Samuel 25 for her story.)

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 3:1. Daniel — This son is called Chileab, (2 Samuel 3:3,) but whether he had two names, or there be an error in one of these passages, is not possible to determine. The other alterations in names, which are found in the following verses, may be corrected by the parallel passages in Samuel. As the genealogy of Judah was given first, because the dominion was vested in that tribe, and the Messiah was to descend from it; so, for similar reasons, the genealogy of David is particularly recorded.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:1-24 Genealogies. - Of all the families of Israel, none were so illustrious as the family of David: here we have a full account of it. From this family, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. The attentive observer will perceive that the children of the righteous enjoy many advantages.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sons of David - The writer returns to the point at which he had left the posterity of Ram 1 Chronicles 2:9, 1 Chronicles 2:15, and traces out the family of David - the royal house of the tribe of Judah.

Daniel - See the marginal note and reference.

There are three lists of the sons of David, born in Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 5:14-16 1 Chronicles 3:5-8 1 Chronicles 14:4-7 1. Shammuah Shimeah* Shammuah 2. Shobab Shobab Shobab 3. Nathan Nathan Nathan 4. Solomon Solomon Solomon 5. Ibhar Ibhar Ibhar 6. Elishua Elishama* Elishua 7. a Eliphelet* Elpalet* 8. a Nogah Nogah 9. Nepheg Nepheg Nepheg 10. Japhia Japhia Japhia 11. Elishama Elishama Elishama 12. Eliada Eliada Beeliada* 13. Eliphelet Eliphelet Eliphelet (Differences are marked with an asterick).

A comparison of the three lists serves to show:

(1) that "Shimeah" and the first "Elishama" in the list of this chapter are corruptions;

(2) that David had really 13 sons born in Jerusalem, of whom two - the first Eliphelet and Nogah - probably died in their childhood; and

(3) that Eliada, the twelfth son, was also called Beeliada, the term Baal, "lord," not having (previous to the introduction of the Baal worship) a bad sense, but being regarded as an equivalent with El, "God."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 3

1Ch 3:1-9. Sons of David.

1-3. Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron—It is of consequence for the proper understanding of events in the domestic history of David, to bear in mind the place and time of his sons' birth. The oldest son, born after his father's accession to the sovereign authority, is according to Eastern notions, the proper heir to the throne. And hence the natural aspirations of ambition in Ammon, who was long unaware of the alienation of the crown, and could not be easily reconciled to the claims of a younger brother being placed above his own (see on [358]2Sa 3:1-5).The sons of David, 1 Chronicles 3:1-9. His line to Zedekiah, 1 Chronicles 3:10-16. The successors of Jeconiah. 1 Chronicles 1:17-24.

The Jezreelitess; of that Jezreel in Judah, Joshua 15:56, not of that in Manasseh, Joshua 17:16. The Carmelitess; so called, because she was the wife of Nabal, who dwelt in Carmel, 1 Samuel 25:2, which was in Judah, Joshua 15:55.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Now these were the sons of David,.... The six following born in Hebron, who are reckoned in the same order as in 2 Samuel 3:2, only here the second son is called Daniel, who there goes by the name of Chileab; he had two names, the reason of which see there; and here David's wife, Eglah, is said in the Targum to be Michal, Saul's daughter; see Gill on 2 Samuel 3:5, to which is added an account of his reign both in Hebron and Jerusalem, agreeably to 2 Samuel 5:5.

Geneva Study Bible

Now these were the sons of {a} David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second {b} Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:

(a) He returns to the genealogy of David, to show that Christ came from his stock.

(b) Who in 2Sa 3:3 is called Chileab, born of her that was Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. 1 Chronicles 3:1-24. The Genealogy of the House of David

1–4 (= 2 Samuel 3:2-5). The Sons born to David in Hebron

1. Daniel] LXX. (B) Δαμνιήλ, (A) Δαλουιά. In 2 Samuel 3:3 Chileab, but LXX. Δαλουιά. The real name of David’s second son remains therefore uncertain.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 1-9. - The whole of this chapter is occupied with the descendants of David: the first nine verses of it with his own sons, classified according to the place of their birth, Hebron or Jerusalem; the remaining verses with the line of kings of his house to Jeconiah and Zedekiah (ver. 16), the grandsons of Zerubbabel (ver. 21), and descendants of Shechaniah (ver. 24). To the seven years and six months (2 Samuel 2:11) of David's reign at Hebron six sons belong, each of a different mother. To the thirty and throe years (2 Samuel 5:5; 1 Kings 2:11) of his reign at Jerusalem belong other thirteen sons, viz. four of one mother, Bethshua, and nine of other mothers, whose names are not given. The list of the six Hebron sons, with their mothers, is nearly identical with that of 2 Samuel 3:2-5, although the differences, slight as they are, would of the two indicate our list here rather as not copied than copied thence. The only noticeable difference, however, is in the name of the second son, announced here as Daniel, instead of Chileab, while the Septuagint has Δαλουία. This, together with the circumstance that one word would, as regards the Hebrew characters, comparatively easily convert into the other. renders it probable that it is merely a corrupt text or text obscure at this point which has occasioned the difference. The meaning of the name Daniel, put side by side with what we read in 1 Samuel 24:15, 25:39, suggests strongly that it is the right name of the two. It was a name likely to be given by David to his first child by Abigail. Additional suspicion is thrown on the name Chileab through the three last letters of it, "leab," constituting also the three first of the very next word," of Abigail" (לַאְביִנַיִל) which looks very much like the over-haste of the pen uncorrected. It is remarkable that the Syriac and Arabic versions translate "Caleb," both here and in the parallel passage. For the sons born in Jerusalem we have all three parallel lists at command, and the variations are rather greater. The other two lists are in 2 Samuel 5:14-16; 1 Chronicles 14:4-7. The first of these omits Eliphelet and Nogah (possibly they died young or without issue), and the latter calls Eliphelet Elpalet (אֶלְפֶלֶט). Again, Shimeah and Elishama in our passage must yield, overruled by the consent of the other two, to Shammuah and Elishua. Again, it is to be noticed that the name Eliada (God (אֶל) knoweth), on occasion of its latest occurence (1 Chronicles 14:7), appears as Beeliada (the Lord (בַעַל) knoweth), preserving therein probably its earlier form, viz. that used before a settled bad sense had come to be attached to the word Baal (see 'Speaker's Commentary,' in loc.). 1 Chronicles 3:1

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The sons of David: (a) Those born in Hebron; (b) those born in Jerusalem. - 1 Chronicles 3:1-4. The six sons born in Hebron are enumerated also in 2 Samuel 3:2-5, with mention of their mother as here: but there the second is called כּלאב; here, on the contrary, דּניּאל, - a difference which cannot well have arisen through an error of a copyist, but is probably to be explained on the supposition that this son had two different names. In reference to the others, see on 2 Samuel 3. The sing. לו נולד אשׁר after a preceding plural subject is to be explained as in 1 Chronicles 2:9. שׁני, without the article, for משׁנהוּ, 2 Samuel 3:3, or המּשׁנה, 1 Chronicles 5:12, is surprising, as all the other numbers have the article; but the enumeration, the first-born, a second, the third, etc., may be justified without any alteration of the text being necessary. But the difference between our text and that of 2 Sam. regard to the second son, shows that the chronicler did not take the register from 2 Samuel 3. The preposition ל before אבשׁלום seems to have come into the text only through a mistake occasioned by the preceding לאביגיל, for no reason is apparent for any strong emphasis which might be implied in the ל being placed on the name of Absalom. The addition of אשׁתּו to עגלה (1 Chronicles 3:3) seems introduced only to conclude the enumeration in a fitting way, as the descent of Eglah had not been communicated; just as, for a similar reason, the additional clause "the wife of David" is inserted in 2 Samuel 3:5, without Eglah being thereby distinguished above the other wives as the most honoured. The concluding formula, "six were born to him in Hebron" (1 Chronicles 3:4), is followed by a notice of how long David reigned in Hebron and in Jerusalem (cf. 2 Samuel 2:11 and 2 Samuel 5:5), which is intended to form a fitting transition to the following list of the sons who were born to him in Jerusalem.