1 Chronicles 3:5

And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5-8) The thirteen sons born in Jerusalem. See 2Samuel 5:14-16, and 1Chronicles 14:4-7, where this list is repeated with some variations (1Chronicles 3:5). The four sons of Bath-sheba, called here Bath-shua, a weakened form, if not a copyist’s error. By a similar change the Elishama of 1Chronicles 3:6 appears in Samuel as Elishua.

Shimea (“report”) was a son of Jesse (1Chronicles 2:13). Perhaps, therefore, Shammua (“famous”) is correct here, as in Samuel.

Ammiel and Eliam are transposed forms of the same name, meaning “El is a tribesman” (‘am=gens, el = deus). (Comp. Ahaziah and Jehoahaz, Nethaniah and Jehonathan, and many similar transpositions.) So in Gr. Theodoros and Dorotheos, Philotheos and Theophilos exist side by side.

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 3:5. Of Bath-shua, the daugher of Ammiel — In 2 Samuel 11:3, she is called Bath-sheba, as she is through the whole Scripture, and her father Eliam. Solomon was the eldest of these four sons; but is mentioned last, because the discourse was to return to his genealogy, 1 Chronicles 3:10.

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

Bathshua, the daughter of Ammiel - Both names are here given in an unusual form, but it may be doubted whether in either case there has been any corruption. In "Bathshua," for "Bathsheba," a ו (v) replaces the ב (b) of the earlier writer, "w" and "b" having nearly the same sound. In "Ammiel," for "Eliam," the two elements which form the name are inverted, as in Jehoiachin equals Jechoniah, and the like.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. four, of Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel—or, "Bath-sheba" (2Sa 11:3), and there her father is called "Eliam." Of course Solomon was not her "only son," but he is called so (Pr 4:3) from the distinguished affection of which he was the object; and though the oldest, he is named the last of Bath-sheba's children.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Four; all David’s children by her, as the text positively affirms; and therefore Solomon is called her

only son, Proverbs 4:3, because she loved him as if he had been so.

Ammiel, called also

Eliam, 2 Samuel 11:3. See Poole "2 Samuel 11:3".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And these were born unto him in Jerusalem,.... Whose names follow, in all nine; there are but seven mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:14 the reason of which see in the notes there; See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:14. See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:15. See Gill on 2 Samuel 5:16. it may be observed that Bathsheba is here called Bathshua, and her father Ammiel, whose name is Eliam in 2 Samuel 11:3, names of much the same signification.

Geneva Study Bible

And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of {c} Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel:

(c) Called also Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam: for they gave them various names.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5–9 (= ch. 1 Chronicles 14:4-7 and 2 Samuel 5:14-16). The Sons born to David in Jerusalem

5. Shimea] in 1 Chronicles 14:4 and 2 Samuel 5:14 (R.V.) Shammua.

Nathan] Through him our Lord’s descent is traced in Luke 3:31.

Solomon] Only here are other sons besides Solomon attributed to Bath-sheba.

Bathshua] is a slight variation in pronunciation (with a consequent variation in meaning) of Bath-sheba.

the daughter of Ammiel] of Eliam (perhaps a by-form of Ammiel) in 2 Samuel 11:3. An Eliam son of Ahithophel, David’s counsellor, is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:34; Bath-sheba may therefore have been grand-daughter to Ahithophel. Notice that the Chronicler does not call Bath-sheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite; he nowhere refers to David’s great sin.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - In this verse we have the form Bathshua for the familiar name Bathsheba, i.e. בַת־שׁוַּע for בַת־שֶׁבַע, in which latter word שֶׁבַע is a shorter form of שְׁבוּעָה. In the same verse we have עַמִּיאֵל here for ךאלִעִָם in 2 Samuel 11:3. The former name occurs often, e.g. Numbers 13:12; 2 Samuel 9:4, 5; 2 Samuel 17:27; 1 Chronicles 26:5. The component parts of both words are the same, but their order is different - the meaning of the one perhaps "the people of God;" of the other, "the God of the people." 1 Chronicles 3:5

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In Jerusalem thirteen other sons were born to him, of whom four were the children of Bathsheba. The thirteen names are again enumerated in the history of David, in 1 Chronicles 14:7-11, which in the parallel passage, 2 Samuel 5:14-16, only eleven are mentioned, the two last being omitted (see on the passage). Some of the names are somewhat differently given in these passages, owing the differences of pronunciation and form: שׁמעה is in both places שׁמוּע; אלישׁמע, between Ibhar and Eliphalet, is in 1 Chronicles 14 more correctly written אלישׁוּע. Elishama is clearly a transcriber's error, occasioned by one of the following sons bearing this name. אליפלט, shortened in 1 Chronicles 14:6 into אלפּלט, and נוגה, are wanting in 2 Samuel 5:15, probably because they died early. אלידע, 1 Chronicles 3:8, 2 Samuel 5:16, appears in 1 Chronicles 14:7 as בּעלידע; the mother also of the four first named, בּתשׁוּע, the daughter of Ammiel, is elsewhere always בּת־שׁבע, e.g., 2 Samuel 11:3, and 1 Kings 1:11, 1 Kings 1:15, etc.; and her father, Eliam (2 Samuel 11:3). בּתשׁוּע has been derived from בּתשׁוע, and בּתשׁוע is softened from בּתשׁבע; but אליעם has arisen by transposition of the two parts of the name עמּיאל, or Ammiel has been altered to Eliam. Besides these, David had also sons by concubines, whose names, however, are nowhere met with. Of David's daughters only Tamar is mentioned as "their sister," i.e., sister of the before-mentioned sons, because she had become known in history through Amnon's crime (2 Samuel 13).