8 And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, even Jacob and all his sons: Reuben, Jacob's oldest son;
Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt; every man and his family came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons: and Joseph had come to Egypt before them.
These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; Dan, Joseph and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah; these three were his sons by Bathshua, the Canaanite woman. And Er, Judah's oldest son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord; and he put him to death. And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had Perez and Zerah by him. All the sons of Judah were five. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. And the sons of Zerah: Zimri and Ethan and Heman and Calcol and Dara; five of them. And the sons of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who did wrong about the cursed thing. And the son of Ethan: Azariah. And the sons of Hezron, the offspring of his body: Jerahmeel and Ram and Chelubai. And Ram was the father of Amminadab; and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, chief of the children of Judah; And Nahshon was the father of Salma, and Salma was the father of Boaz, And Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse, And Jesse was the father of Eliab, his oldest son, and Abinadab, the second, and Shimea, the third, Nethanel, the fourth, Raddai, the fifth, Ozem, the sixth, David, the seventh; And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai and Joab and Asahel. And Abigail was the mother of Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. And Caleb, the son of Hezron, had children by Azubah his wife, the daughter of Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher and Shobab and Ardon. And after the death of Azubah, Caleb took as his wife Ephrath, who was the mother of Hur. And Hur was the father of Uri; and Uri was the father of Bezalel. And after that, Hezron had connection with the daughter of Machir, the father of Gilead, whom he took as his wife when he was sixty years old; and she had Segub by him. And Segub was the father of Jair, who had twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead. And Geshur and Aram took the tent-towns of Jair from them, with Kenath and the small places round it, even sixty towns. All these were the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead. And after the death of Hezron, Caleb had connection with Ephrath, his father Hezron's wife, and she gave birth to his son Asshur, the father of Tekoa. And the sons of Jerahmeel, the oldest son of Hezron, were Ram, the oldest, and Bunah and Oren and Ozem and Ahijah. And Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah: she was the mother of Onam. And the sons of Ram, the oldest son of Jerahmeel, were Maaz and Jamin and Eker. And the sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada; and the sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. And the name of Abishur's wife was Abihail; and she had Ahban and Molid by him. And the sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim; but Seled came to his end without sons. And the sons of Appaim: Ishi. And the sons of Ishi: Sheshan. And the sons of Sheshan: Ahlai. And the sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan; and Jether came to his end without sons. And the sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. Now Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant, whose name was Jarha. And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha, his servant, as a wife; and she had Attai by him. And Attai was the father of Nathan, and Nathan was the father of Zabad, And Zabad was the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal was the father of Obed, And Obed was the father of Jehu, and Jehu was the father of Azariah, And Azariah was the father of Helez, and Helez was the father of Eleasah, And Eleasah was the father of Sismai, and Sismai was the father of Shallum, And Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama. And the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, were Mareshah, his oldest son, who was the father of Ziph and Hebron. And the sons of Hebron: Korah and Tappuah and Rekem and Shema. And Shema was the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam, and Rekem was the father of Shammai. And the son of Shammai was Maon; and Maon was the father of Beth-zur. And Ephah, Caleb's servant-wife, had Haran and Moza and Gazez; and Haran was the father of Gazez. And the sons of Jahdai: Regem and Jotham and Geshan and Pelet and Ephah and Shaaph. Maacah, Caleb's servant-wife, was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah, And Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, Sheva, the father of Machbena and the father of Gibea; and Caleb's daughter was Achsah. These were the sons of Caleb. The sons of Hur, the oldest son of Ephrathah; Shobal, the father of Kiriath-jearim, Salma, the father of Beth-lehem, Hareph, the father of Beth-gader. And Shobal, the father of Kiriath-jearim, had sons: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites. And the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites and the Puthites and the Shumathites and the Mishraites; from them came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. The sons of Salma: Beth-lehem and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-Joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. And the families of scribes who were living at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites. These are the Kenites, the offspring of Hammath, the father of the family of Rechab.
Then Jacob went on his journey till he came to the land of the children of the East. And there he saw a water-hole in a field, and by the side of it three flocks of sheep, for there they got water for the sheep: and on the mouth of the water-hole there was a great stone. And all the flocks would come together there, and when the stone had been rolled away, they would give the sheep water, and put the stone back again in its place on the mouth of the water-hole. Then Jacob said to the herdmen, My brothers, where do you come from? And they said, From Haran. And he said to them, Have you any knowledge of Laban, the son of Nahor? And they said, We have. And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep. Then Jacob said, The sun is still high and it is not time to get the cattle together: get water for the sheep and go and give them their food. And they said, We are not able to do so till all the flocks have come together and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the water-hole; then we will get water for the sheep. While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them. Then when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, coming with Laban's sheep, he came near, and rolling the stone away from the mouth of the hole, he got water for Laban's flock. And weeping for joy, Jacob gave Rachel a kiss. And Rachel, hearing from Jacob that he was her father's relation and that he was the son of Rebekah, went running to give her father news of it. And Laban, hearing news of Jacob, his sister's son, came running, and took Jacob in his arms, and kissing him, made him come into his house. And Jacob gave him news of everything. And Laban said to him, Truly, you are my bone and my flesh. And he kept Jacob with him for the space of a month. Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to be? Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form. And Jacob was in love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here with me. And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time. Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so that I may have her, for the days are ended. And Laban got together all the men of the place and gave a feast. And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her. And Laban gave Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman. And in the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What have you done to me? was I not working for you so that I might have Rachel? why have you been false to me? And Laban said, In our country we do not let the younger daughter be married before the older. Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for another seven years. And Jacob did so; and when the week was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for his wife. And Laban gave Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman. Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his love for her was greater than his love for Leah; and he went on working for Laban for another seven years.
And Leah was with child, and gave birth to a son to whom she gave the name Reuben: for she said, The Lord has seen my sorrow; now my husband will have love for me.
Now while they were living in that country, Reuben had connection with Bilhah, his father's servant-woman: and Israel had news of it. Now Jacob had twelve sons: the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's first son, and Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun;
And Jacob sent for his sons, and said, Come together, all of you, so that I may give you news of your fate in future times. Come near, O sons of Jacob, and give ear to the words of Israel your father. Reuben, you are my oldest son, the first-fruit of my strength, first in pride and first in power: But because you were uncontrolled, the first place will not be yours; for you went up to your father's bed, even his bride-bed, and made it unclean. Simeon and Levi are brothers; deceit and force are their secret designs. Take no part in their secrets, O my soul; keep far away, O my heart, from their meetings; for in their wrath they put men to death, and for their pleasure even oxen were wounded. A curse on their passion for it was bitter; and on their wrath for it was cruel. I will let their heritage in Jacob be broken up, driving them from their places in Israel. To you, Judah, will your brothers give praise: your hand will be on the neck of your haters; your father's sons will go down to the earth before you. Judah is a young lion; like a lion full of meat you have become great, my son; now he takes his rest like a lion stretched out and like an old lion; by whom will his sleep be broken? The rod of authority will not be taken from Judah, and he will not be without a law-giver, till he comes who has the right to it, and the peoples will put themselves under his rule. Knotting his ass's cord to the vine, and his young ass to the best vine; washing his robe in wine, and his clothing in the blood of grapes: His eyes will be dark with wine, and his teeth white with milk. The resting-place of Zebulun will be by the sea, and he will be a harbour for ships; the edge of his land will be by Zidon. Issachar is a strong ass stretched out among the flocks: And he saw that rest was good and the land was pleasing; so he let them put weights on his back and became a servant. Dan will be the judge of his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. May Dan be a snake in the way, a horned snake by the road, biting the horse's foot so that the horseman has a fall. I have been waiting for your salvation, O Lord. Gad, an army will come against him, but he will come down on them in their flight. Asher's bread is fat; he gives delicate food for kings. Naphtali is a roe let loose, giving fair young ones. Joseph is a young ox, whose steps are turned to the fountain; He was troubled by the archers; they sent out their arrows against him, cruelly wounding him: But their bows were broken by a strong one, and the cords of their arms were cut by the Strength of Jacob, by the name of the Stone of Israel: Even by the God of your father, who will be your help, and by the Ruler of all, who will make you full with blessings from heaven on high, blessings of the deep stretched out under the earth, blessings of the breasts and of the fertile body: Blessings of sons, old and young, to the father: blessings of the oldest mountains and the fruit of the eternal hills: let them come on the head of Joseph, on the crown of him who was separate from his brothers. Benjamin is a wolf, searching for meat: in the morning he takes his food, and in the evening he makes division of what he has taken. These are the twelve tribes of Israel: and these are the words their father said to them, blessing them; to every one he gave his blessing. And he gave orders to them, saying, Put me to rest with my people and with my fathers, in the hollow of the rock in the field of Ephron the Hittite, In the rock in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham got from Ephron the Hittite, to be his resting-place. There Abraham and Sarah his wife were put to rest, and there they put Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I put Leah to rest. In the rock in the field which was got for a price from the people of Heth. And when Jacob had come to the end of these words to his sons, stretching himself on his bed, he gave up his spirit, and went the way of his people.
These are the heads of their fathers' families: the sons of Reuben the oldest son of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi: these are the families of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul, the son of a woman of Canaan: these are the families of Simeon. And these are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari: and the years of Levi's life were a hundred and thirty-seven. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, in the order of their families. And the sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel: and the years of Kohath's life were a hundred and thirty-three.
These are the names of those who are to be your helpers: from Reuben, Elizur, the son of Shedeur;
The generations of the sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel, were numbered by their families and their fathers' houses, every male of twenty years old and over, who was able to go to war; Forty-six thousand, five hundred of the tribe of Reuben were numbered.
On the south side is the flag of the children of Reuben, in the order of their armies, with Elizur, the son of Shedeur, as their chief. The number of his army was forty-six thousand, five hundred. And nearest to him, the tribe of Simeon, with Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, as their chief. The number of his army was fifty-nine thousand, three hundred.
Let all the people of twenty years old and over be numbered, as the Lord has given orders to Moses and the children of Israel who have come out of Egypt. Reuben, the first son of Israel: the sons of Reuben by their families: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites: Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. These are the families of the Reubenites: their number was forty-three thousand, seven hundred and thirty. And the sons of Pallu, Eliab And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the same Dathan and Abiram who had a place in the meeting of the people, who together with Korah made an outcry against Moses and Aaron and against the Lord: And they went down into the open mouth of the earth, together with Korah, when death overtook him and all his band; at the time when two hundred and fifty men were burned in the fire, and they became a sign. But death did not overtake the sons of Korah.
And Benjamin was the father of Bela his oldest son, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third, Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. And Bela had sons, Addar and Gera, the father of Ehud, And Abishua and Naaman and Ahoah And Gera and Shephuphan and Huram. And these are the sons of Ehud, heads of families of those living in Geba: Iglaam and Alemeth And Naaman and Ahijah and Gera; and Iglaam was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. And Shaharaim became the father of children in the country of the Moabites after driving out Hushim and Beerah his wives; And by Hodesh his wife he became the father of Jobab and Zibia and Mesha and Malcam. And Jeuz and Shachia and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. And Hushim became the father of Abitub and Elpaal. And the sons of Elpaal: Eber and Misham and Shemed (he was the builder of Ono and Lod and their daughter-towns); And Beriah and Shema, who were heads of the families of those who were living in Aijalon, who put to flight the people living in Gath; And their brothers Shashak and Jeremoth. And Zebadiah and Arad and Eder And Michael and Ishpah and Joha, the sons of Beriah; And Zebadiah and Meshullam and Hizki and Heber And Ishmerai and Izliah and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal; And Jakim and Zichri and Zabdi And Elienai and Zillethai and Eliel And Adaiah and Beraiah and Shimrath, the sons of Shimei; And Ishpan and Eber and Eliel And Abdon and Zichri and Hanan And Hananiah and Elam and Anathothijah And Iphdeiah and Penuel, the sons of Shashak; And Shamsherai and Shehariah and Athaliah And Jaareshiah and Elijah and Zichri, the sons of Jeremoth. These were heads of families in their generations; chief men: these were living in Jerusalem. And in Gibeon was living the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah; And his oldest son Abdon, and Zur and Kish and Baal and Ner and Nadab And Gedor and Ahio and Zechariah and Mikloth. And Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. And they were living with their brothers in Jerusalem opposite their brothers. And Ner was the father of Abner, and Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan and Malchi-shua and Abinadab and Eshbaal. And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal was the father of Micah. And the sons of Micah: Pithon and Melech and Tarea and Ahaz. And Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah; and Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth and Azmaveth and Zimri; and Zimri was the father of Moza; And Moza was the father of Binea: Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son; And Azel had five sons, whose names are: Azrikam, his oldest, and Ishmael and Sheariah and Obadiah and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. And the sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his oldest son, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. And the sons of Ulam were men of war, bowmen, and had a great number of sons and sons' sons, a hundred and fifty. All these were the sons of Benjamin.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 46
Commentary on Genesis 46 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 46
Jacob is here removing to Egypt in his old age, forced thither by a famine, and invited thither by a son. Here,
Gen 46:1-4
The divine precept is, In all thy ways acknowledge God; and the promise annexed to it is, He shall direct thy paths. Jacob has here a very great concern before him, not only a journey, but a removal, to settle in another country, a change which was very surprising to him (for he never had any other thoughts than to live and die in Canaan), and which would be of great consequence to his family for a long time to come. Now here we are told,
Gen 46:5-27
Old Jacob is here flitting. Little did he think of ever leaving Canaan; he expected, no doubt, to die in his nest, and to leave his seed in actual possession of the promised land: but Providence orders it otherwise. Note, Those that think themselves well settled may yet be unsettled in a little time. Even old people, who think of no other removal than that to the grave (which Jacob had much upon his heart, ch. 37:35; 42:38), sometimes live to see great changes in their family. It is good to be ready, not only for the grave, but for whatever may happen betwixt us and the grave. Observe,
Gen 46:28-34
We have here,