Chapter 7

1 The sons of Issachar, 6 of Benjamin, 13 of Naphtali, 14 of Manasseh, 20, 24 and of Ephraim. 21 The calamity of Ephraim by the men of Gath. 23 Beriah is born. 28 Ephraim’s habitations. 30 The sons of Asher.

1. Sons of Issachar. Verses 1 to 5 list the clans of Issachar, together with the census of the men of military age.

5. Fourscore and seven thousand. At the first census of Moses the warriors of Issachar numbered 54,400 (Num. 1:29), and at the second, 64,300 (Num. 26:25).

6. Sons of Benjamin. Verses 6 to 12 list the clans of Benjamin together with the census. Only three names are here given, whereas 1 Chron. 8:1, 2, and Num. 26:38, 39 list five sons of Benjamin, and Gen. 46:21 lists ten. All lists name Bela first but differ in regard to other names.

7. Sons of Bela. Compare ch. 8:3–5, where a different list of names is given. The two lists probably give the clans of Bela at different periods.

11. All these. If the 17,200 Jediaelites are added, the 22,034 Belaites and the 20,200 Becherites (vs. 7, 9), a total of 59,434 Benjamites is arrived at. The first Mosaic census gives 35,400 (Num. 2:23), and the second census gives 45,600 (Num. 26:41).

13. Sons of Naphtali. The sons are listed, but no census figure is given. The list agrees with the lists of Gen. 46:24 and Num. 26:48, 49 except for minor differences in spelling.

14. Sons of Manasseh. Verses 14 to 19 give the genealogy of Manasseh.

Whom she bare. The reading here is obscure. The verse may also be translated so as to support the reading of the LXX, “The sons of Manasse; Esriel, whom his Syrian concubine bore; and she bore to him also Machir the father of Galaad.”

Machir. The first-born of Manasseh (Joshua 17:1).

15. Huppim and Shuppim. The meaning of this verse is obscure. Some think that Machir took wives of the clans of Huppim and Shuppim. Others think that the meaning is that he took wives for Huppim and Shuppim.

Zelophehad. According to Num. 26:33 and Joshua 17:3 Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, who was a grandson of Machir.

Daughters. See on Joshua 17:3, 5.

16. Peresh. The names here listed do not occur elsewhere in the Bible.

17. Bedan. The name occurs elsewhere only in 1 Sam. 12:11.

18. Abiezer. In Joshua 17:2 this name appears as that of a son, or at least a descendant of Manasseh, and in Judges 6:11, 24, 34, as that of Gideon’s clan.

20. Sons of Ephraim. Verses 20 to 27 give the genealogy of Ephraim. The genealogy is somewhat difficult to follow. According to Num. 26:35, 36, Ephraim had three sons and Shuthelah had a son by the name of Eran. Here a genealogical line is apparently given from Shuthelah through Bered to the eighth generation, at which time, however, Ephraim seems to be still alive (v. 22). Perhaps the sons of Ephraim are Shuthelah, Bered, and Tahath (see Shuthelah, Becher, and Tahan in Num. 26:35), and Shuthelah the son of Zabad (1 Chron. 7:21) is to be regarded as the end of the line of Shuthelah (v. 20).

21. Ezer, and Elead. Verses 21 to 24 break the table of genealogical names by the narrative of the death of Ephraim’s sons and the birth of Beriah, whose daughter Sherah founded the two Beth-horons.

26. Elishama. A prince of Ephraim at the time of Moses (Num. 7:48).

27. Non. A variant spelling of Nun, the father of Joshua (Joshua 1:1).

28. Beth-el. This city was originally assigned to Benjamin (Joshua 18:22), but later it was incorporated into the northern kingdom as part of Ephraim. See on Gen. 28:19; Joshua 18:22.

29. Beth-shean. The four cities mentioned were originally assigned to Manasseh but were within the territory of Issachar and Asher (Joshua 17:11). See on 1 Sam. 31:10.

30. Sons of Asher. Verses 30 to 40 give the genealogy of Asher.

Imnah. Compare Gen. 46:17.

38. Jephunneh. This is also the name of the father of Caleb (Num. 13:6).

40. Twenty and six thousand. This seems to be the number of fighting men of Asher. In the first census of Moses the number was 41,500 (Num. 1:41), and in the second census it was 53,400 (Num. 26:47).