1Ch 7 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Chr 7:1-40: 7:1-40 In this chapter, the genealogies of the remaining tribes of Israel are given. • The sections on the tribes of Issachar , Benjamin , and Asher might have been derived from a military census; the lists are of nearly equal length, emphasize military terminology, record the father’s houses, and provide no information on settlements. • The tribes of Zebulun and Dan are omitted entirely, and Naphtali has a very brief record.

Summary for 1Chr 7:1-40: 7:1-40 ^a In this chapter, the genealogies of the remaining tribes of Israel are given.

• The sections on the tribes of Issachar, Benjamin, and Asher might have been derived from a military census; the lists are of nearly equal length, emphasize military terminology, record the father’s houses, and provide no information on settlements.

• The tribes of Zebulun and Dan are omitted entirely, and Naphtali has a very brief record.
7:12 ^b The Hebrew text of this verse appears to have been disrupted (something was apparently lost during scribal copying) because no introduction is given for either Ir or Hushim. The names Shuppim and Huppim have parallels in the tribe of Benjamin (8:8 ^c, 11 ^d; Gen 46:21 ^e; Num 26:39 ^f). If the Hebrew text was in fact damaged, Hushim might be a descendant of Dan (cp. Gen 46:23 ^g; Num 26:42 ^h).
7:13 ⁱ In contrast with other genealogies, this abrupt listing of the sons of Naphtali includes only the first generation (cp. Gen 46:24 ^j; Num 26:48-50 ^k). The manuscript of Chronicles might have suffered damage at an early stage of scribal copying, which could also account for the omission of Dan and Zebulun. It is also possible that the records for Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali were lost when Tiglath-pileser attacked and exiled these tribes during Pekah’s reign (2 Kgs 15:29 ^l); in that case, the Chronicler had no records available to include.
Summary for 1Chr 7:14-19: 7:14-19 ^m Several difficulties in these verses might indicate that the Hebrew text was damaged: (1) Maacah is listed as the sister of Makir as well as his wife (7:15-16 ⁿ). (2) Huppim and Shuppim were listed earlier with Benjamin (7:12 ^o), not Manasseh. (3) Those considered Gileadites (7:16-17 ^p) are rather ambiguously linked to Gilead, whose direct descendants are not listed (cp. Num 26:30-33 ^q). (4) The sons of Shemida are not connected to the genealogy (1 Chr 7:19 ^r); Shemida was one of Gilead’s descendants (Num 26:32 ^s).
Summary for 1Chr 7:20-27: 7:20-27 ^t The genealogy of the descendants of Ephraim includes a story illustrating the circumstances of the tribe’s settlement in Canaan (7:21-24 ^u). The genealogy ends with Joshua son of Nun, who led Israel into the Promised Land.
7:22 ^v The father of Ezer and Elead is recorded as Ephraim, but Ephraim the son of Joseph could not have settled in Canaan after the Exodus. The traditional solution was to imagine an early exodus for the family of Ephraim. Other possibilities are that the name Ephraim is a scribal mistake or that Ephraim referred to the tribe rather than the son of Joseph who bore the name.