Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 46:25

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Genesis 46:25

1819–1905
Anglican
Charles Ellicott
Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Genesis 46:25

1819–1905
Anglican
SCRIPTURE

"These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob: all the souls were seven." — Genesis 46:25 (ASV)

All the persons were seven. — Made up of Dan and one son, and Naphtali and four sons.

Except for Benjamin, the other genealogies do not present any major difficulties, for variations in the spelling of names are too common to cause surprise, and names would be omitted whenever a family, in later times, had ceased to have a representative. Thus, it is probable that no member of the tribe of Dan returned from the Captivity with an authenticated genealogy, and consequently, they are not mentioned in the book of Chronicles.

The complete confusion in Benjamin's genealogy is the natural result of the devastating war described in Judges 20:21. However, when that tribe later produced a king, the utmost care would have been taken to remedy, as far as possible, the destruction of documents caused by that conflict; and the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 8 is the royal pedigree of King Saul.