[circa 1471, etc. BC] Verse 42:[1] Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.
[Now, the sons of Caleb] Namely, of the first, concerning whom verse 18, called Chelubai in verse 9. Now, here, for the sake of brevity, the sons mentioned in verse 18 are passed over in silence (Junius, Malvenda). The sons of Caleb, namely, of Azubah his wife, concerning whom verse 18 (or of some other wife [Mariana]). For the sons whom he begat of his two other wives, Jerioth and Ephratah, were enumerated in verses 18-20 (Piscator).
The sons of Caleb, to wit, of that Caleb mentioned verse 18, as appears by comparing that verse with verse 24. And these are his sons by another and his third wife. See on verse 18.
[He is the father of Ziph[2] (thus all interpreters)] That is the name of two cities in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:24, 55 (Piscator). The founder of the town thus named was Mesha (Mariana). Others: of the Ziphites (Junius and Tremellius, Piscator). A Metonymy of the subject (Piscator). He was the founder of those inhabiting Ziph (Vatablus). The father of a certain one by the name of Ziph (Osiander).
Ziph; the name either of a man, or of a place, of which see Joshua 15:24, 55; and then father is to be understood here, as verses 23, 24.
[And the sons of Mareshah[3] (thus the Septuagint, Syriac, Montanus, Tigurinus, Castalio, Munster)] And the posterity of Mareshah (Junius and Tremellius, Piscator). Others: and of the sons of Mareshah (Pagnine, Vatablus, Osiander); prince of the citizens of the city Mareshah (Vatablus).
[Who is the father of Hebron[4] (thus the Septuagint, Syriac, Munster, Tigurinus, Montanus, Castalio, Strigelius, Osiander)] Others: and the father of Hebron (Pagnine); and the founder of Hebron (Vatablus). That is, the founder of Ziph, Mareshah, and Hebron, which were cities in the tribe of Judah (Menochius). But, that Hebron here is not a town, is evident from this, that next the sons of Hebron designated (Mariana).
The father of Hebron; not the place so called, but a man, as is evident, because his sons here follow.
Verse 43:[5] And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.
Verse 44:[6] And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai.
[The father of Jorkoam] It is the name either of a town, or of a man (Malvenda).
Verse 45:[7] And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.
[The father of Beth-zur] The name of a city in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:58 (Piscator). The founder of the city of Beth-zur (Grotius); or its builder (Malvenda). The father of the Beth-Zuritæ (Junius and Tremellius, Piscator). Scaliger[8] renders it, the father of the house of the Zuritæ (Malvenda).
Beth-zur: A place in Judah, Joshua 15:58. See on 1 Chronicles 2:23.
Verse 46:[9] And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.
[Haran begat Gazez[10] (similarly Junius and Tremellius)] The understand the same with the preceding: whence this absurdity will follow, that Haran begat Gazez by his own mother; which incest the Holy Spirit would not have passed over in silence. Therefore, I think that this Gazez is diverse from the preceding (Piscator). Haran was the brother of Gazez, and the father of the other Gazez (Vatablus).
Verse 47:[11] And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.
[The sons of Jahdai, etc.] Hebrew: the sons of Jahdai; Regem and Jotham (Malvenda, similarly all interpreters). Rightly, for the word בְנֵי/sons here is in construct; and so it appears to govern the word immediately following, but not some word understood. At the same time, it appears from the order of sentences that this Jahdai is to be thought to have been the son of Moza (Piscator). Some, because no mention of this Jahdai begetting went before, here take him, not as the father, but as the son (Malvenda). [Thus they supply:] But the sons of Moza, Jahdai; of whom Regem, etc. (Junius and Tremellius). The previous supplement appears to be confirmed by the order of sentences. For, since Moza was the brother of Haran, the nearest of kin to him, verse 46, and the son of Haran was immediately indicated, it was consequent that the children of Moza should also be indicated. Whether the latter supplement be genuine, I doubt: perhaps it was sought from the Hebraic distinction, for names that follow are contained in their particular member; since they are distinguished from the preceding by the Atnah ( ֑ ) (Piscator). [Others thus:] I think that Jahdai is Moza son of Ephah: for מוֹצָא/Moza signifies one brought forth:[12] יָהְדָּי/Jahdai has his name from extending or stretching forth.[13] And it is certain, that many Jews have two names. But whoever he may have been, whether Moza, or a grandson of Ephah, he certainly begat sons, Regem, etc. (Osiander).
The sons of Jahdai, the son of Gazez last mentioned; which is implied, because he follows next after him in the genealogy. Or, the sons of Moza; whose name might be changed into Jahdai for some reason now unknown.
Verse 48:[14] Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.
[The concubine of Caleb, Maachah, begat Sheber, etc. (thus Montanus, Septuagint, Pagnine), וגו״ פִּלֶ֤גֶשׁ כָּלֵב֙ מַעֲכָ֔ה יָ֥לַד] But the other concubine of Caleb, by the name of Maachah, begat two sons to him (Osiander). The masculine יָלַד, he begat, is attributed to the woman, to indicate her manly spirit (Malvenda). [Others otherwise:] By his wife, the concubine Maachah, Caleb begat, etc. (Junius and Tremellius, Piscator). Hebrew: By Maachah, Caleb’s wife-concubine, he begat, etc. A trajection of the name constituting the antecedent nominative; which sort is found in Genesis 9:6 (Piscator). Caleb’s concubine was Maachah, of whom he begat (Munster, Tigurinus).
Verse 49:[15] She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was (Josh. 15:17) Achsah.
[The father of Madmannah] This and the following Machbenah and Gibea were names of cities in the tribe of Judah. Therefore, father here is the builder (or Founder [Vatablus]) of those cities (Dutch). Concerning the city of Madmannah, see Joshua 15:31 (Malvenda). [Others thus render this passage:] Shaaph, father of a certain one by the name of Madmannah (who posterity is not described), also begat a certain Sheva, etc. (Osiander).
Madmannah: this and divers other following names are the names of places in Judah, and father is meant as verses 23, 24.
[The daughter of Caleb was Achsah] Hence you might suppose that this is the Caleb that saw the land of Promise; but it is closer to the truth that both Calebs had a daughter by that name (Mariana, similarly Junius).
[1] Hebrew: וּבְנֵ֤י כָלֵב֙ אֲחִ֣י יְרַחְמְאֵ֔ל מֵישָׁ֥ע בְּכֹר֖וֹ ה֣וּא אֲבִי־זִ֑יף וּבְנֵ֥י מָרֵשָׁ֖ה אֲבִ֥י חֶבְרֽוֹן׃
[2] Hebrew: ה֣וּא אֲבִי־זִ֑יף.
[3] Hebrew: וּבְנֵ֥י מָרֵשָׁ֖ה.
[4] Hebrew: וּבְנֵ֥י מָרֵשָׁ֖ה אֲבִ֥י חֶבְרֽוֹן׃.
[5] Hebrew: וּבְנֵ֖י חֶבְר֑וֹן קֹ֥רַח וְתַפֻּ֖חַ וְרֶ֥קֶם וָשָֽׁמַע׃
[6] Hebrew: וְשֶׁ֣מַע הוֹלִ֔יד אֶת־רַ֖חַם אֲבִ֣י יָרְקֳעָ֑ם וְרֶ֖קֶם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־שַׁמָּֽי׃
[7] Hebrew: וּבֶן־שַׁמַּ֖י מָע֑וֹן וּמָע֖וֹן אֲבִ֥י בֵֽית־צֽוּר׃
[8] Joseph Scaliger (1540-1609) was a classicist, chronologer, and skilled linguist, one of the most learned men of his age. During the course of his studies and travels, he became a Protestant and suffered exile with the Huguenots. He was offered a professorship at Leiden (1593), a position which he eventually accepted and in which he remained until his death.
[9] Hebrew: וְעֵיפָה֙ פִּילֶ֣גֶשׁ כָּלֵ֔ב יָֽלְדָ֛ה אֶת־חָרָ֥ן וְאֶת־מוֹצָ֖א וְאֶת־גָּזֵ֑ז וְחָרָ֖ן הֹלִ֥יד אֶת־גָּזֵֽז׃ ס
[10] Hebrew: וְחָרָ֖ן הֹלִ֥יד אֶת־גָּזֵֽז׃.
[11] Hebrew: וּבְנֵ֖י יָהְדָּ֑י רֶ֧גֶם וְיוֹתָ֛ם וְגֵישָׁ֥ן וָפֶ֖לֶט וְעֵיפָ֥ה וָשָֽׁעַף׃
[12] יָצָא signifies to go forth.
[13] הָדָה signifies to stretch forth the hand.
[14] Hebrew: פּלֶ֤גֶשׁ כָּלֵב֙ מַעֲכָ֔ה יָ֥לַד שֶׁ֖בֶר וְאֶֽת־תִּרְחֲנָֽה׃
[15] Hebrew: וַתֵּ֗לֶד שַׁ֚עַף אֲבִ֣י מַדְמַנָּ֔ה אֶת־שְׁוָ֛א אֲבִ֥י מַכְבֵּנָ֖ה וַאֲבִ֣י גִבְעָ֑א וּבַת־כָּלֵ֖ב עַכְסָֽה׃ ס
John Gill: Verse 42. Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel,.... Called Chelubai, 1 Chronicles 2:9 and is the same Caleb spoken of in 1 Chronicles 2:18 and his sons next reckoned were by a third wife, Azubah, Ephrath being dead, 1 Chronicles 2:19 and these sons were
Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; who gave name to the city of Ziph; there were two of this name in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:24 or this is the title of Mesha, governor of the city of Ziph; so the Targum calls him, prince of the Ziphites:
and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron; according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, the words are…
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