1 Chronicles 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

2Sa 3:1-5).

3. Eglah his wife--supposed to be another name of Michal, who, though

she had no son after her mockery of David for dancing before the ark

[2Sa 6:16, 20],

might have had one previous to that time. She has the title of wife

appended to her name because she was his proper wife; and the mention

of her name last probably arose from the circumstance that, having been

withdrawn from David and married to another husband but afterwards

restored, she had in reality become the last of his wives.

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.

6. Elishama and Eliphelet--Two sons of the same name are twice

mentioned

(1Ch 3:8).

They were the children of different mothers, and had probably some

title or epithet appended by which the one was distinguished from the

other. Or, it might be, that the former two were dead, and their names

had been given to sons afterwards born to preserve their memories.

8. nine--The number of David's sons born after his removal to

Jerusalem, was eleven

(2Sa 5:14),

but only nine are mentioned here: two of them being omitted, either in

consequence of their early deaths or because they left no issue.

1Ch 3:10-16.

HIS

LINE TO

ZEDEKIAH.

10. Solomon's son was Rehoboam, &c.--David's line is here drawn

down to the captivity, through a succession of good and bad, but still

influential and celebrated, monarchs. It has rarely happened that a

crown has been transmitted from father to son, in lineal descent, for

seventeen reigns. But this was the promised reward of David's piety.

There is, indeed, observable some vacillation towards the close of this

period--the crown passing from one brother to another, an even from

uncle to nephew--a sure sign of disorderly times and a disjointed

government.

15. Zedekiah--called the son of Josiah (compare

Jer 1:3; 37:1),

but in

2Ch 36:19

he is described as the brother of Jehoiachin, who was the son of

Jehoiakim, and consequently the grandson of Josiah. Words

expressive of affinity or relationship are used with great latitude in

the Hebrew.

Shallum--No king of this name is mentioned in the history of Josiah's

sons

(2Ki 14:1-29; 23:1-37),

but there is a notice of Shallum the son of Josiah

(Jer 22:11),

who reigned in the stead of his father, and who is generally supposed

to be Jehoahaz, a younger son, here called the fourth, of Josiah.

1Ch 3:17-24.

SUCCESSORS OF

JECONIAH.

17. the sons of Jeconiah; Assir--rather, "Jeconiah the prisoner," or

"captive." This record of his condition was added to show that Salathiel

was born during the captivity in Babylon (compare

Mt 1:12).

Jeconiah was written childless

(Jer 22:30),

a prediction which (as the words that follow explain) meant that this

unfortunate monarch should have no son succeeding him on the

throne.

18. Malchiram also--As far as Jeconiah, everything is plain; but there

is reason to suspect that the text in the subsequent verses has been

dislocated and disarranged. The object of the sacred historian is to

trace the royal line through Zerubbabel; yet, according to the present

reading, the genealogical stem cannot be drawn from Jeconiah downwards.

The following arrangement of the text is given as removing all

difficulties [DAVIDSON, Hermeneutics]:--

1Ch 3:17.

And the sons of Jeconiah the the captive, Salathiel (Shealtiel,

Ezr 3:2;

Ne 12:1;

Hag 1:12, 14; 2:2)

his son.

1Ch 3:18.

And the sons of Salathiel; Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of

Zerubbabel; Meshullam, Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister.

1Ch 3:19.

And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah,

Jushab-hezed.

1Ch 3:20.

And Malchiram, and Rephaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and

Nedabiah.

1Ch 3:21.

The sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah and Jesaiah; the sons of Rephaiah; his

son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah.