What happens in Ephraim’s house within this chapter’s family and fighting records?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Men of Geth kill members of Ephraim’s line after an invasion of their possessions; Ephraim mourns, his brothers comfort him, and he names a later son Beria because his house is in trouble.

Chapter breakdown

This chapter records the families of Issachar, Benjamin, Nephtali, Manasses, Ephraim and Aser. It includes counts of men fit for war and the loss in Ephraim’s house.

Issachar’s four sons were Thola, Phua, Jasub and Simeron. Thola’s sons were Ozi, Raphaia, Jeriel, Jemai, Jebsem and Samuel, chiefs of their family houses. In David’s days Thola’s descendants numbered 22,600 very valiant men. Ozi’s son was Izrahia; Michael, Obadia, Joel and Jesia were born of him, making five great men in the named group. With their families and peoples were 36,000 very valiant men ready for war, because they had many wives and children. Across the whole house of Issachar, their brothers numbered 87,000 very valiant men for war.

Benjamin’s three sons were Bela, Bechor and Jadihel. Bela’s sons were Esbon, Ozi, Ozial, Jerimoth and Urai: five family chiefs and very valiant warriors, numbered at 22,034. Bechor’s sons were Zamira, Joas, Eliezer, Elioenai, Amai, Jerimoth, Abia, Anathoth and Almath. Their family heads and very valiant fighting men numbered 20,200. Jadihel’s son was Balan, whose sons were Jehus, Benjamin, Aod, Chanana, Zethan, Tharsis and Ahisahar. Jadihel’s family heads and very valiant men going to war numbered 17,250. Sepham and Hapham were sons of Hir, and Hasim was of Aher.

Nephtali’s sons were Jasiel, Guni, Jezer and Sellum, named as sons of Bala.

Manasses’s son was Ezriel, and his Syrian concubine bore Machir, father of Galaad. Machir took wives for his sons Happhim and Saphan. He had a sister named Maacha; the entry then names Salphaad as the second and says he had daughters. Maacha, Machir’s wife, bore Phares; his brother was Sares, whose sons were Ulam and Recen. Ulam’s son was Baden. These are named as sons of Galaad, son of Machir, son of Manasses. His sister, named Queen, bore Goodlyman, Abiezer and Mohola. Semida’s sons were Ahiu, Sechem, Leci and Aniam.

Ephraim’s line names Suthala, Bared, Thahath, Elada, another Thahath, Zabad, another Suthala, Ezer and Elad as successive sons in the record. The men of Geth born in the land killed them because they came down to invade their possessions. Ephraim, their father, mourned for many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. He went in to his wife; she conceived and bore a son. He named him Beria because he was born when it went badly with his house.

Challoner’s note explains that Beria means “in evil, or in affliction”. The verse gives the family’s trouble as the reason for the name; this separate note explains the name’s meaning.

His daughter Sara built lower and upper Bethoron and Ozensara. The next family entries name Rapha, his son, Reseph and Thale, from whom Thaan was born. Thaan begot Laadan; his son Ammiud begot Elisama, from whom Nun was born. Nun’s son was Josue.

Their possessions and dwelling places were Bethel with its dependent towns, Noran to the east, Gazer with its dependent towns to the west, and Sichem with its dependent towns as far as Asa with its dependent towns. Along Manasses’s borders were Bethsan, Thanach, Mageddo and Dor, each with its dependent towns. The children of Joseph, son of Israel, lived in these places.

Aser’s children were Jemna, Jesua, Jessui and Baria, and their sister Sara. Baria’s sons were Haber and Melchiel, the father of Barsaith. Heber begot Jephlat, Somer and Hotham, and their sister Suaa. Jephlat’s sons were Phosech, Chamaal and Asoth. Somer’s sons were Ahi, Roaga, Haba and Aram. The sons of his brother Helem were Supha, Jemna, Selles and Amal.

Supha’s sons were Sue, Hernapher, Sual, Beri, Jamra, Bosor, Hod, Samma, Salusa, Jethran and Bera. Jether’s sons were Jephone, Phaspha and Ara; Olla’s were Aree, Haniel and Resia. All these were Aser’s descendants, heads of their families, choice and very valiant captains of captains. Those of an age fit for war numbered 26,000.

The story inside

The chapter records family strength through names and separate counts of fighting men. Issachar’s record expressly connects one large group with many wives and children, while Benjamin’s three branches receive their own totals. Within these lists, Ephraim’s family suffers a loss: the men of Geth kill the named descendants because they came down to invade their possessions. Ephraim mourns for many days and receives comfort from his brothers. Beria’s birth and name follow, with the family’s trouble given as the reason for that name. The account then records Sara’s building work, a line reaching Nun and Josue, the children of Joseph’s dwelling places, and Aser’s families and 26,000 men fit for war. It gives these events without saying that the later names prove a recovery from the loss.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The fighting totals belong to distinct named groups. Thola’s descendants number 22,600 in David’s days; the group with Izrahia’s family numbers 36,000; Issachar’s whole house has 87,000. Benjamin’s branches have 22,034, 20,200 and 17,250. Keeping the separate totals prevents the last figure from losing fifty men or all the counts from being assigned to David’s time.
2
The loss at Geth has a stated cause, and Ephraim’s response has a stated duration. The men of Geth kill them because they came down to invade their possessions; Ephraim mourns many days and his brothers come to comfort him. The source does not identify cattle, pastures or a particular border raid.
3
Beria’s name preserves the family’s trouble, and Sara’s work is named directly. Scripture gives the reason for Beria’s name and says Sara built lower and upper Bethoron and Ozensara. Challoner separately explains the name as meaning in evil or affliction. Neither passage says Sara fortified the towns or that Beria’s birth ended the mourning.

Test your recall

Many wives and children → the stated group has 36,000 men ready for war. An invasion of possessions → the men of Geth kill members of Ephraim’s line. Ephraim mourns many days → his brothers come to comfort him. His house is in trouble when a son is born → he calls the son Beria; Challoner separately explains the name. Sara builds the three named places, and the later family list reaches Nun and Josue.

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 42020–42024
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 7 Genealogies of Issachar, Benjamin, Nephtali, Manasses, Ephraim, and Aser.
Lines 42025–42041
7:1. Now the sons of Issachar were Thola, and Phua, Jasub and Simeron, four. 7:2. The sons of Thola: Ozi and Raphaia, and Jeriel, and Jemai, and Jebsem, and Samuel, chiefs of the houses of their kindreds. Of the posterity of Thola were numbered in the days of David, two and twenty thousand six hundred most valiant men. 7:3. The sons of Ozi: Izrahia, of whom were born Michael, and Obadia, and Joel, and Jesia, five all great men. 7:4. And there were with them by their families and peoples, six and thirty thousand most valiant men ready for war: for they had many wives and children. 7:5. Their brethren also throughout all the house of Issachar, were numbered fourscore and seven thousand most valiant men for war.
Lines 42043–42063
7:6. The sons of Benjamin were Bela, and Bechor, and Jadihel, three. 7:7. The sons of Bela: Esbon, and Ozi, and Ozial, and Jerimoth and Urai, five chiefs of their families, and most valiant warriors, and their number was twenty-two thousand and thirty-four. 7:8. And the sons of Bechor were Zamira, and Joas, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Amai, and Jerimoth, and Abia, and Anathoth, and Almath: all these were the sons of Bechor. 7:9. And they were numbered by the families, heads of their kindreds, most valiant men for war, twenty thousand and two hundred. 7:10. And the son of Jadihel: Balan. And the sons of Balan: Jehus and Benjamin, and Aod, and Chanana, and Zethan and Tharsis, and Ahisahar. 7:11. All these were sons of Jadihel, heads of their kindreds, most valiant men, seventeen thousand and two hundred fifty to go out to war. 7:12. Sepham also and Hapham the sons of Hir: and Hasim the sons of Aher.
Lines 42065–42066
7:13. And the sons of Nephtali were Jasiel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Sellum, sons of Bala.
Lines 42068–42085
7:14. And the son of Manasses, Ezriel: and his concubine the Syrian bore Machir the father of Galaad. 7:15. And Machir took wives for his sons Happhim, and Saphan: and he had a sister named Maacha: the name of the second was Salphaad, and Salphaad had daughters. 7:16. And Maacha the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Phares: and the name of his brother was Sares: and his sons were Ulam and Recen. 7:17. And the son of Ulam, Baden. These are the sons of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses. 7:18. And his sister named Queen bore Goodlyman, and Abiezer, and Mohola. 7:19. And the sons of Semida were Ahiu, and Sechem, and Leci and Aniam.
Lines 42087–42099
7:20. And the sons of Ephraim were Suthala, Bared his son, Thahath his son, Elada his son, Thahath his son, and his son Zabad, 7:21. And his son Suthala, and his son Ezer, and Elad: and the men of Geth born in the land slew them, because they came down to invade their possessions. 7:22. And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. 7:23. And he went in to his wife: and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Beria, because he was born when it went evil with his house:
Lines 42101–42102
Beria.... This name signifies in evil, or in affliction.
Lines 42103–42111
7:24. And his daughter was Sara, who built Bethoron, the nether and the upper, and Ozensara. 7:25. And Rapha was his son, and Reseph, and Thale, of whom was born Thaan, 7:26. Who begot Laadan: and his son was Ammiud, who begot Elisama, 7:27. Of whom was born Nun, who had Josue for his son.
Lines 42113–42120
7:28. And their possessions and habitations were Bethel with her daughters, and eastward Noran, and westward Gazer and her daughters, Sichem also with her daughters, as far as Asa with her daughters. 7:29. And by the borders of the sons of Manasses Bethsan and her daughters, Thanach and her daughters, Mageddo and her daughters: Dor and her daughters: in these dwelt the children of Joseph, the son of Israel.
Lines 42122–42138
7:30. The children of Aser were Jemna, and Jesua, and Jessui, and Baria, and Sara their sister. 7:31. And the sons of Baria: Haber, and Melchiel: he is the father of Barsaith. 7:32. And Heber begot Jephlat, and Somer, and Hotham, and Suaa their sister. 7:33. The sons of Jephlat: Phosech, and Chamaal, and Asoth: these are the sons of Jephlat. 7:34. And the sons of Somer: Ahi, and Roaga and Haba, and Aram. 7:35. And the sons of Helem his brother: Supha, and Jemna, and Selles, and Amal.
Lines 42139–42151
7:36. The sons of Supha: Sue, Hernapher, and Sual, and Beri, and Jamra. 7:37. Bosor and Hod, and Samma, and Salusa, and Jethran, and Bera. 7:38. The sons of Jether: Jephone, and Phaspha, and Ara. 7:39. And the sons of Olla: Aree, and Haniel, and Resia. 7:40. All these were sons of Aser, heads of their families, choice and most valiant captains of captains: and the number of them that were of the age that was fit for war, was six and twenty thousand.