1 Chronicles 7:30

The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

THE TRIBE OF ASHER (1Chronicles 7:30-40).

(30, 31) The sons of Asher; Imnah. . . . Malchiel.—This is a literal transcript of Genesis 46:17. Comp. also Numbers 26:44-46, where the clan (mishpahath) of each eponym is assigned; but the name of Isaah (Heb., Yishwāh) does not appear.

Beriah.—Also the name of an Ephraimitic stock (1Chronicles 7:23). Malchiel is called the “father (chief or founder) of Birzavith” only here. The Heb. margin has Birzayith, perhaps “well of olive” (be-er zayith); the text, Berazôth or Barzûth. It is probably the name of a place.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:1-40 Genealogies. - Here is no account either of Zebulun or Dan. We can assign no reason why they only should be omitted; but it is the disgrace of the tribe of Dan, that idolatry began in that colony which fixed in Laish, and called it Dan, Jud 18 and there one of the golden calves was set up by Jeroboam. Dan is omitted, Re 7. Men become abominable when they forsake the worship of the true God, for any creature object.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sherah could scarcely herself have built the Palestinian cities here mentioned, which must belong to a time not earlier than Joshua. By "she built" we must understand "her descendants built."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

21. whom the men of Gath … slew, &c.—This interesting little episode gives us a glimpse of the state of Hebrew society in Egypt; for the occurrence narrated seems to have taken place before the Israelites left that country. The patriarch Ephraim was then alive, though he must have arrived at a very advanced age; and the Hebrew people, at all events those of them who were his descendants, still retained their pastoral character. It was in perfect consistency with the ideas and habits of Oriental shepherds that they should have made a raid on the neighboring tribe of the Philistines for the purpose of plundering their flocks. For nothing is more common among them than hostile incursions on the inhabitants of towns, or on other nomad tribes with whom they have no league of amity. But a different view of the incident is brought out, if, instead of "because," we render the Hebrew particle "when" they came down to take their cattle, for the tenor of the context leads rather to the conclusion that "the men of Gath" were the aggressors, who, making a sudden foray on the Ephraimite flocks, killed the shepherds including several of the sons of Ephraim. The calamity spread a deep gloom around the tent of their aged father, and was the occasion of his receiving visits of condolence from his distant relatives, according to the custom of the East, which is remarkably exemplified in the history of Job (Job 2:11; compare Joh 11:19).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The son of Asher,.... Which, and his two grandsons born before Jacob went down to Egypt, are here reckoned as in Genesis 46:17 only it is here added Malchiel his second grandson:

who is the father of Birzavith; which Jarchi interprets, prince of a city of this name, which signifies pure oil; which it might have from the abundance of olives about it, Asher being a tribe which abounded with them, see Deuteronomy 33:24 though some of the Rabbins take it to be the name of a man, whose daughters, they say, as Jarchi observes, were very beautiful, having much oil to anoint with, and were married to kings and priests anointed with oil.

Geneva Study Bible

The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30–40. The Genealogy of Asher

30. the sons of Asher] The names in 1 Chronicles 7:30-31 are derived from Genesis 46:17 (cp. Numbers 26:44-46). There is no variation in the Heb. spelling of the names, but Isuah (R.V. Ishuah) is missing in Num.

Isuah, and Ishuai] R.V. Ishvah, and Ishvi.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - The same four sons and one daughter of Asher are found in Genesis 46:17; but the name of the second son is wanting to the list of families descended from Asher of Numbers 26:44-47, and the name of the daughter is given by itself, and not as furnishing a family. 1 Chronicles 7:30

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The sons and several families of Asher. - 1 Chronicles 7:30. The names of the four sons of Asher and that of their sister coincide with the statement of Genesis 46:17; but in Numbers 26:44-47, on the contrary, the name Ishuai does not occur among the families of Asher.