Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 2:35-41

"And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai. And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad, and Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed, and Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah, and Eleasah begat Sismai, and Sismai begat Shallum, and Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama." — 1 Chronicles 2:35-41 (ASV)

The line of Sheshan-Jarha is pursued for thirteen generations of direct descent, but nothing is known of any of its members from any other source. Elishama, the last name (1 Chronicles 2:41), is the twenty-fourth generation specified from Judah.

The list thus extends over a period of at least 720 years; and if we reckon from the Exodus (circa 1330 B.C.), we get B.C. 610 as an approximate date for Elishama. Now, an Elishama was living about that time who is mentioned (Jeremiah 36:12) as one of the princes of Jehoiakim, king of Judah; Jeremiah 41:1 perhaps mentions the same person again, calling him of the seed of the kingdom.

It is at least a coincidence that several of the names recur in the house of David: Nathan (1 Chronicles 2:36) in 1 Chronicles 3:5; Obed, as David’s grandfather, in 1 Chronicles 2:12; Azariah, as a byname of King Uzziah, in 1 Chronicles 3:12; Shallum, as a son of Josiah, in 1 Chronicles 3:15; Jekamiah, as a brother of Salathiel (Shealtiel), in 1 Chronicles 3:18; and Elishama, as a son of David, in 1 Chronicles 3:8—a coincidence of six out of thirteen names.

The passage Deuteronomy 23:7-8 rules that in the third generation persons of Egyptian blood are to be treated as full Israelites. This whole section proves that an Egyptian element was recognised in Judah (compare Exodus 12:38 and Numbers 11:4).

Even the name Jarha has an Egyptian cast (compare larô, the Memphitic name of the Nile, with the Vulgate spelling of the word Jeraa); perhaps it is Iar-aa, great river, (that is, the Nile).