Introduction
In this chapter we have an almost complete overview of the other tribes. Only Dan and Zebulun are missing. These tribes probably did not make any work of the genealogies. This also applies to Naphtali, although he can mention a few names in any case.
1 - 5 Descendants of Issaschar
1 Now the sons of Issachar [were] four: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. 2 The sons of Tola [were] Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel, heads of their fathers’ households. [The sons] of Tola [were] mighty men of valor in their generations; their number in the days of David was 22,600. 3 The son of Uzzi [was] Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah [were] Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah; all five of them [were] chief men. 4 With them by their generations according to their fathers’ households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and sons. 5 Their relatives among all the families of Issachar [were] mighty men of valor, enrolled by genealogy, in all 87,000.
With three tribes it is mentioned that there are “mighty men of valor”. That is here with Issachar (verse 2), and then with Benjamin, three times (verses 7,9,11) and with Asher (verse 40). Among these mighty men, the name “Tola” stands out because in the book of Judges we read of a certain “Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar” (Jdg 10:1), who has “judged Israel twenty-three years” (Jdg 10:2).
There is also talk of “troops of the army for war” (verse 4). That there are so many of them is because there are many women and sons. The women contribute by giving birth to children.
6 - 12 Descendants of Benjamin
6 [The sons of] Benjamin [were] three: Bela and Becher and Jediael. 7 The sons of Bela were five: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They [were] heads of fathers’ households, mighty men of valor, and were 22,034 enrolled by genealogy. 8 The sons of Becher [were] Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these [were] the sons of Becher. 9 They were enrolled by genealogy, according to their generations, heads of their fathers’ households, 20,200 mighty men of valor. 10 The son of Jediael [was] Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan [were] Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. 11 All these [were] sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers’ households, 17,200 mighty men of valor, who were ready to go out with the army to war. 12 Shuppim and Huppim [were] the sons of Ir; Hushim [was] the son of Aher.
In the next chapter, a more detailed register of Benjamin’s descendants is given (1Chr 8:1-28). It is the introduction to the genealogy of the first king of Israel, Saul.
Benjamin’s armed forces are formed by the heads of their fathers’ households from different families (verses 7,9,11). They are “mighty men of valor” (verses 7,9,11).
13 Descendants of Naphtali
13 The sons of Naphtali [were] Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
Of the tribe of Naphtali only the first fathers are mentioned. They are also mentioned among those who went with Jacob to Joseph in Egypt (cf. Gen 46:24).
14 - 19 Descendants of Manasseh
14 The sons of Manasseh [were] Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead. 15 Machir took a wife for Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters. 16 Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she named him Peresh; and the name of his brother [was] Sheresh, and his sons [were] Ulam and Rakem. 17 The son of Ulam [was] Bedan. These [were] the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod and Abiezer and Mahlah. 19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian and Shechem and Likhi and Aniam.
Zelophehad is particularly highlighted by mentioning that he has daughters (verse 15). His daughters are mentioned five times in the Scriptures (Num 26:33; 27:1-11; 36:3-12; Jos 17:3-6; 1Chr 7:15). In these mentions it is said that Zelophehad has no sons (Num 26:33a). This is precisely why the daughters ask for a property in the land. They do not want their father’s name to disappear from the generations. The LORD says of them: “The daughters of Zelophehad are right” (Num 27:7). Zelophehad and his daughters teach us that God’s power is perfected in weakness.
20 - 29 Descendants of Ephraim
20 The sons of Ephraim [were] Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take their livestock. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because misfortune had come upon his house. 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built lower and upper Beth-horon, also Uzzen-sheerah. 25 Rephah was his son [along] with Resheph, Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Non his son and Joshua his son. 28 Their possessions and settlements [were] Bethel with its towns, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer with its towns, and Shechem with its towns as far as Ayyah with its towns, 29 and along the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth-shean with its towns, Taanach with its towns, Megiddo with its towns, Dor with its towns. In these lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel.
Men of the Philistine Gath kill sons of Ephraim (verse 21). These men feel themselves the owners of the land, because they are the native people. They see the Israelites as intruders and do not care about what God has determined. They take over the cattle in ‘their’ land and kill its owners. In the next chapter, the inhabitants of the Philistine Gath are driven out by the Benjamites (1Chr 8:13).
In the men of Gath and their actions we see a picture of our sinful flesh. This is how we were born and is therefore also called ‘original sin’. At the birth of their children, parents give this power of the lusts of the flesh to their children.
If the lusts of the flesh are not kept in death, they will kill us and bring great grief upon us (verse 22). Then Beriah is born (verse 23). Beriah means ‘unfortunate’ and is associated with misfortune that had come upon his house, that is the house of Ephraim. We can ignore the ‘unfortunate’ lusts of the flesh if we walk through the Spirit: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).
In verse 24 a woman, Sheerah, is mentioned as builder of cities. Women have a large share in the building of the kingdom of God, which consists of families. They govern families, raise children and determine the atmosphere in the family. That the inspired chronicler mentions her may certainly be an encouragement to any woman who wants to help build the kingdom of God. Her efforts are noted by God.
Joshua, the son of Nun, here called Non (verse 27), is the man who was given by the LORD to His people as successor of Moses to bring them into the promised land.
30 - 40 Descendants of Asher
30 The sons of Asher [were] Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah, and Serah their sister. 31 The sons of Beriah [were] Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32 Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham, and Shua their sister. 33 The sons of Japhlet [were] Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet. 34 The sons of Shemer [were] Ahi and Rohgah, Jehubbah and Aram. 35 The sons of his brother Helem [were] Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah [were] Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri and Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera. 38 The sons of Jether [were] Jephunneh, Pispa and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla [were] Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. 40 All these [were] the sons of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, heads of the princes. And the number of them enrolled by genealogy for service in war was 26,000 men.
The descendants of Asher are “all” referred to as “heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, heads of the princes” (verse 40). So they are not just “mighty men of valor”, as it is written of the descendants of Issachar (verse 2) and of the descendants of Benjamin (verses 7,9,11). They rise above them. They are “choice and mighty men”, they are very brave and skillful men to whom others also look up.