of Bethlehem then, according to this, were descended from Hur through his son Salma, who is called in 1Ch 2:51 father of Bethlehem. The circumstance, too, that in our 1Ch 4:3, 1Ch 4:4 other names of persons are enumerated as descendants of Hur than those given in 1Ch 2:50-55 gives rise to no discrepancy, for there is no ground for the supposition that in 1Ch 2:50-55 all the descendants of Hur have been mentioned.
Chap. 5
Verse 1
Verses 5-6
1Ch 4:5-6Sons of Ashur, the father of Tekoa, who, according to 1Ch 2:24, was a posthumous son of Hezron. Ashur had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Of the latter came four sons and as many families: Ahuzam, of whom nothing further is known; Hepher, also unknown, but to be distinguished from the Gileadite of the same name in 1Ch 11:36 and Num 26:32. The conjecture that the name is connected wit the land of Hepher (1Ki 4:10), the territory of a king conquered by Joshua (Jos 12:17) (Berth.), is not very well supported. Temani (man of the south) may be simply the name of a person, but it is probably, like the following, the name of a family. Haahashtari, descended from Ahashtar, is quite unknown.
Verse 7
The first wife, Helah, bore three sons, Zereth, Jezoar, and Ethnan, who are not elsewhere met with. For the Kethibh יצחר there is in the Keri וצחר, the name of a son of Simeon (Gen 46:10), and of a Hittite chief in the time of the patriarchs (Gen 23:8), with whom the son of Helah has nothing to do.
Verses 8-10
1Ch 4:8-10 1Ch 4:8-10 contain a fragment, the connection of which with the sons of Judah mentioned in 1 Chron 2 is not clear. Coz begat Anub, etc. The name קוץ occurs only here; elsewhere only הקּוץ is found, of a Levite, 1Ch 24:10, cf. Ezr 2:61 and Neh 3:4 - in the latter passage without any statement as to the tribe to which the sons of Hakkoz belonged. The names of the sons begotten by Coz, 1Ch 4:8, do not occur elsewhere. The same is to be said of Jabez, of whom we know nothing beyond what is communicated in 1Ch 4:9 and 1Ch 4:10. The word יעבּץ denotes in 1Ch 2:55 a town or village which is quite unknown to us; but whether our Jabez were father (lord) of this town cannot be determined. If there be any genealogical connection between the man Jabez and the locality of this name or its inhabitants (1Ch 2:55), then the persons named in 1Ch 4:8 would belong to the descendants of Shobal. For although the connection of Jabez with Coz and his sons is not clearly set forth, yet it may be conjectured from the statements as to Jabez being connected
