How does Benjamin’s family record reach Saul and Ulam’s household?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

It names Benjamin’s sons and family heads, then traces Ner to Cis and Saul, Jonathan to Micha, and later descendants to Asel and his brother Esec, whose firstborn was Ulam.

Chapter breakdown

The chapter continues Benjamin’s family record down to Saul and his descendants.

Benjamin’s sons were Bale, the firstborn, Asbel second, Ahara third, Nohaa fourth and Rapha fifth. Bale’s sons were Addar, Gera, Abiud, Abisue, Naaman, Ahoe, another Gera, Sephuphan and Huram.

Ahod’s sons were family heads who lived in Gabaa and were removed to Manahath. The next entry names Naaman, Achia and Gera, saying he removed them and begot Oza and Ahiud.

Saharim had children in Moab after sending away his wives Husim and Bara. With his wife Hodes he had Jobab, Sebia, Mosa, Molchom, Jehus, Sechia and Marma. These sons were heads of their families.

Mehusim begot Abitob and Elphaal. Elphaal’s sons were Heber, Misaam and Samad; the entry says they built Ono, Lod and its dependent towns. Baria and Sama were family heads living in Aialon who drove away the inhabitants of Geth.

Baria’s sons were Ahio, Sesac, Jerimoth, Zabadia, Arod, Heder, Michael, Jespha and Joha. Elphaal’s sons were Zabadia, Mosollam, Hezeci, Heber, Jesamari, Jezlia and Jobab.

Semei’s sons were Jacim, Zechri, Zabdi, Elioenai, Selethai, Elial, Adaia, Baraia and Samareth. Sesac’s sons were Jespham, Heber, Eliel, Abdon, Zechri, Hanan, Hanania, Elam, Anathothia, Jephdaia and Phanuel. Jeroham’s sons were Samsari, Sohoria, Otholia, Jersia, Elia and Zechri. These were chief fathers and family heads who lived in Jerusalem.

Abigabaon lived at Gabaon, and his wife was Maacha. His sons were Abdon, the firstborn, Sur, Cis, Baal, Nadab, Gedor, Ahio, Zacher and Macelloth. Macelloth begot Samaa. They lived opposite their brothers in Jerusalem, with their brothers.

Ner begot Cis, and Cis begot Saul. Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Melchisua, Abinadab and Esbaal.

Challoner’s note gives Isboseth as another name for Esbaal.

Jonathan’s son was Meribbaal, and Meribbaal begot Micha.

Challoner’s note gives Miphiboseth as another name for Meribbaal and cites 2 Kings 4:4.

Micha’s sons were Phithon, Melech, Tharaa and Ahaz. Ahaz begot Joada, whose sons were Alamath, Azmoth and Zamri. Zamri begot Mosa, who begot Banaa. Banaa’s son was Rapha, from whom Elasa was born; Elasa begot Asel.

Asel had six sons: Ezricam, Bochru, Ismahel, Saria, Obdia and Hanan. His brother Esec’s sons were Ulam, the firstborn, Jehus second and Eliphalet third. Ulam’s sons were very valiant men and archers of great strength. They had many sons and grandsons, reaching 150. All these were descendants of Benjamin.

The story inside

The account records both descent and changes of dwelling place. Ahod’s family heads move from Gabaa to Manahath; Saharim has children in Moab after sending away two wives. Town building and the driving away of Geth’s inhabitants appear within the family lists, followed by heads living in Jerusalem. The Gabaon household also has relatives living opposite their brothers in Jerusalem. The record then traces Saul’s family through Jonathan, Meribbaal and Micha to later descendants. It ends with Asel’s six sons and his brother Esec’s three sons, specifying Ulam’s strong archers and their 150 sons and grandsons. These are the recorded family connections and notices; the chapter supplies no account of Saul’s reign or explanation of divine preservation.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The settlement notices give actions without their wider reasons. Ahod’s family heads are removed to Manahath, Saharim sends away Husim and Bara, and Baria and Sama drive away Geth’s inhabitants. The account does not explain a border invasion, military tactics or the legal terms of the marriages.
2
The names Esbaal and Meribbaal belong to the verses, while their other names come from Challoner’s notes. Keeping Isboseth and Miphiboseth in separately attributed notes preserves the distinction, including the note’s reference to 2 Kings 4:4.
3
The last number describes the archers’ descendants. Ulam’s sons are called valiant archers, and they have sons and grandsons reaching 150. It does not say Ulam himself fathered 150 archers. Asel’s six sons and Esec’s three sons retain their own family positions.

Test your recall

Ahod’s family heads lived in Gabaa → they were removed to Manahath. Saharim sent away Husim and Bara → the account next records children with Hodes in Moab. Ner → Cis → Saul; Jonathan → Meribbaal → Micha. The later line reaches Asel, whose brother Esec has Ulam as firstborn. Ulam’s sons are strong archers with 150 sons and grandsons; the chapter gives no further reason for that number.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 42152–42155
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 8 The posterity of Benjamin is further declared down to Saul. His issue.
Lines 42156–42165
8:1. Now Benjamin begot Bale his firstborn, Asbel the second, Ahara the third, 8:2. Nohaa the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. 8:3. And the sons of Bale were Addar, and Gera, and Abiud, 8:4. And Abisue, and Naaman, and Ahoe, 8:5. And Gera, and Sephuphan, and Huram.
Lines 42167–42171
8:6. These are the sons of Ahod, heads of families that dwelt in Gabaa, who were removed into Manahath. 8:7. And Naaman, and Achia, and Gera he removed them, and begot Oza, and Ahiud.
Lines 42173–42181
8:8. And Saharim begot in the land of Moab, after he sent away Husim and Bara his wives. 8:9. And he begot of Hodes his wife Jobab, and Sebia, and Mosa, and Molchom, 8:10. And Jehus and Sechia, and Marma. These were his sons heads of their families.
Lines 42182–42188
8:11. And Mehusim begot Abitob, and Elphaal. 8:12. And the sons of Elphaal were Heber, and Misaam, and Samad: who built Ono, and Lod, and its daughters. 8:13. And Baria, and Sama were heads of their kindreds that dwelt in Aialon: these drove away the inhabitants of Geth.
Lines 42190–42198
8:14. And Ahio, and Sesac, and Jerimoth, 8:15. And Zabadia, and Arod, and Heder, 8:16. And Michael, and Jespha, and Joha, the sons of Baria. 8:17. And Zabadia, and Mosollam, and Hezeci, and Heber, 8:18. And Jesamari, and Jezlia, and Jobab, sons of Elphaal,
Lines 42200–42219
8:19. And Jacim, and Zechri, and Zabdi, 8:20. And Elioenai, and Selethai, and Elial, 8:21. And Adaia, and Baraia, and Samareth, the sons of Semei. 8:22. And Jespham, and Heber, and Eliel, 8:23. And Abdon, and Zechri, and Hanan, 8:24. And Hanania, and Elam, and Anathothia. 8:25. And Jephdaia, and Phanuel the sons of Sesac. 8:26. And Samsari, and Sohoria and Otholia, 8:27. And Jersia, and Elia, and Zechri, the sons of Jeroham. 8:28. These were the chief fathers, and heads of their families who dwelt in Jerusalem.
Lines 42221–42230
8:29. And at Gabaon dwelt Abigabaon, and the name of his wife was Maacha: 8:30. And his firstborn son Abdon, and Sur, and Cis, and Baal, and Nadab, 8:31. And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher, and Macelloth: 8:32. And Macelloth begot Samaa: and they dwelt over against their brethren in Jerusalem with their brethren.
Lines 42232–42233
8:33. And Ner begot Cis and Cis begot Saul. And Saul begot Jonathan and Melchisua, and Abinadab, and Esbaal.
Lines 42235–42236
Esbaal.... Alias Isboseth.
Lines 42237–42238
8:34. And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begot Micha.
Lines 42239–42240
Meribbaal.... Alias Miphiboseth. 2 Kings 4.4.
Lines 42241–42248
8:35. And the sons of Micha were Phithon, and Melech, and Tharaa, and Ahaz. 8:36. And Ahaz begot Joada: and Joada begot Alamath, and Azmoth, and Zamri: and Zamri begot Mosa, 8:37. And Mosa begot Banaa, whose son was Rapha, of whom was born Elasa, who begot Asel.
Lines 42250–42260
8:38. And Asel had six sons whose names were Ezricam, Bochru, Ismahel, Saria, Obdia, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Asel. 8:39. And the sons of Esec, his brother, were Ulam the firstborn, and Jehus the second, and Eliphalet the third. 8:40. And the sons of Ulam were most valiant men, and archers of great strength: and they had many sons and grandsons, even to a hundred and fifty. All these were children of Benjamin.