1 Chronicles 8:3

And the sons of Bela were, Addar, and Gera, and Abihud,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:1-40 Genealogies. - Here is a larger list of Benjamin's tribe. We may suppose that many things in these genealogies, which to us seem difficult, abrupt, and perplexed, were plain and easy at that time, and fully answered the intention for which they were published. Many great and mighty nations then were in being upon earth, and many illustrious men, whose names are now wholly forgotten; while the names of multitudes of the Israel of God are here kept in everlasting remembrance. The memory of the just is blessed.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The reason of this return to the genealogy of the Benjamites seems to be the desire to connect the genealogical introduction with the historical body of the work. As the history is to begin with Saul, the genealogical portion is made to end with an account of the family of this Benjamite monarch.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 8

1Ch 8:1-32. Sons and Chief Men of Benjamin.

1. Now Benjamin begat, &c.—This chapter contains some supplementary particulars in addition to what has been already said regarding the tribe of Benjamin (see on [360]1Ch 7:6). The names of many of the persons mentioned are different from those given by Moses—a diversity which may be accounted for in part on grounds formerly stated, namely, either that the persons had more than one name, or that the word "sons" is used in a loose sense for grandsons or descendants. But there are other circumstances to be taken into account in considering the details of this chapter; namely, first, that the genealogies of the Benjamites were disordered or destroyed by the almost total extermination of this tribe (Jud 20:11-48); secondly, that a great number of Benjamites, born in Assyria, are mentioned here, who returned from the long captivity in Babylon, and established themselves—some in Jerusalem, others in different parts of Judea. There were more returned from Babylon of the families belonging to this tribe than to any other except Judah; and hence many strange names are here introduced; some of which will be found in the list of the restored exiles (compare Ezr 2:1-70).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The sons of Bela were Addar, and Gera, and Abihud. The first of these is thought to be the same with Ard, mentioned among the sons of Benjamin, Genesis 46:21 but was one of his grandsons, see Numbers 26:40 as Gera also was.

Geneva Study Bible

And the sons of Bela were, Addar, and Gera, and Abihud,

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. Addar] perhaps to be read Ard, as Genesis 46:21; Numbers 26:40.

Pulpit Commentary

Vers. 3-5 - Nine sons are here assigned to Bela. Genesis (Genesis 44:41) only finds us clearly three of them, and these in very different order, viz. Gera, Naaman, and Arel; and Numbers (Numbers 26:39, 40) finds us only three, viz. Ard, Naaman, and Shupham. Yet our Huram may correspond with Hupham, and then the four pairs of names - Shephuphan and Huram, Shupham and Hupham, Shuppim and Huppim, and Muppim and Huppim - may be interpreted as designating one and the same couple of persons. The recurrence of the name Gera in ver. 5, so close upon the same name in ver. 3, would of course be more remarkable, and point inevitably to the disordered state of the text, if it were necessary to suppose that these nine persons were really brothers, as well as called sons of Bela. 1 Chronicles 8:3

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The sons of Bela. Of the six names borne by these sons, גּרא is twice met with; נעמן is found in Genesis 46:21 as the son, and in Numbers 26:40 as grandson of Benjamin; שׁפוּפן is another form of שׁפוּפם, Numbers 26:39; and חוּרם may be a transcriber's error for chuwpaam, Numbers 26:39, just as אדּר probably stands for ארדּ, Genesis 46:21. The occurrence of the name Gera would be incomprehensible only if בּנים denoted sons in the narrower sense of the word; but if בּנים fi tub are sons in the wider sense, i.e., descendants who founded fathers'-houses (groups of related households), two cousins might have the same name. In that case, Addar, Shephuphan, and Huram also may be different persons from Ard, Shephupham, and Hupham. Abihud and Abishua are met with as descendants of Benjamin only here, and 'achowach may be connected with אחיּה, 1 Chronicles 8:7.