I
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. I.
This
chapter and many that follow it repeat the genealogies we have hitherto met
with in the sacred history, and put them all together, with considerable
additions. We may be tempted, it may be, to think it would have been well if
they had not been written, because, when they come to be compared with other
parallel places, there are differences found, which we can scarcely
accommodate to our satisfaction; yet we must not therefore stumble at the
word, but bless God that the things necessary to salvation are plain enough.
And since the wise God has thought fit to write these things to us, we should
not pass them over unread. All scripture is profitable, though not all alike
profitable; and we may take occasion for good thoughts and meditations even
from those parts of scripture that do not furnish so much matter for
profitable remarks as some other parts. These genealogies, 1. Were then of
great use, when they were here preserved, and put into the hands of the Jews
after their return from Babylon; for the captivity, like the deluge, had put
all into confusion, and they, in that dispersion and despair, would be in
danger of losing the distinctions of their tribes and families. This therefore
revives the ancient landmarks even of some of the tribes that were carried
captive into
Assyria. Perhaps it might invite the Jews to study the
sacred writings which had been neglected, to find the names of their
ancestors, and the rise of their families in them. 2. They are still of some
use for the illustrating of the scripture-story, and especially for the
clearing of the pedigrees of the Messiah, that it might appear that our
blessed Saviour was, according to the prophecies which went before of him, the
son of David, the son of Judah, the son of Abraham, the son of Adam. And, now
that he has come for whose sake these registers were preserved, the Jews since
have so lost all their genealogies that even that of the priests, the most
sacred of all, is forgotten, and they know not of any one man in the world
that can prove himself of the house of Aaron. When the building is reared the
scaffolds are removed. When the promised Seed has come the line that was to
lead to him is broken off. In this chapter we have an abstract of all the
genealogies in the book of Genesis, till we come to Jacob. I. The descents
from Adam to Noah and his sons, out of Gen. v., ver. 1-4. II. The posterity of
Noah's sons, by which the earth was repeopled, out of Gen. x., ver. 5-23. III.
The descents from Shem to Abraham, out of Gen. xi., ver. 24-28. IV. The
posterity of Ishmael, and of Abraham's sons by Keturah, out of Gen. xxv. ver.
29-35. V. The posterity of Esau, out of Gen. xxxvi., ver. 36-54. These, it is
likely, were passed over lightly in Genesis; and therefore, according to the
law of the school, we are made to go over that lesson again which we did not
learn well.
1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh, 2 Kenan,
Mahalaleel, Jered, 3 Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 4
Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 5 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and
Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 6
And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. 7 And
the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 8
The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9 And the
sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the
sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he
began to be mighty upon the earth. 11 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and
Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 12 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim,
(of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim. 13 And Canaan
begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth, 14 The Jebusite also, and the
Amorite, and the Girgashite, 15 And the Hivite, and the Arkite,
and the Sinite, 16 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the
Hamathite. 17 The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad,
and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. 18
And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. 19 And unto Eber
were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; because in his days
the earth was divided: and his brother's name was Joktan.
20 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
21 Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah, 22 And Ebal, and Abimael,
and Sheba, 23 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were
the sons of Joktan. 24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25
Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 Abram;
the same is Abraham.
This paragraph has Adam for its first word and Abraham for its
last. Between the creation of the former and the birth of the latter were 2000
years, almost the one-half of which time Adam himself lived. Adam was the
common father of our flesh, Abraham the common father of the faithful. By the
breach which the former made of the covenant of innocency, we were all made
miserable; by the covenant of grace made with the latter, we all are, or may
be, made happy. We all are, by nature, the seed of Adam, branches of that wild
olive. Let us see to it that, by faith, we become the seed of Abraham (Rom.
iv. 11, 12), that we be grafted into the good olive and partake of its root
and fatness.
I. The first four verses of this paragraph, and the last four, which are
linked together by Shem (v. 4, 24), contain the sacred line of Christ
from Adam to Abraham, and are inserted in his pedigree, Luke iii. 34-38, the
order ascending as here it descends. This genealogy proves the falsehood of
that reproach, As for this man, we know not whence he is. Bishop
Patrick well observes here that, a genealogy being to be drawn of the families
of the Jews, this appears as the peculiar glory of the Jewish nation, that
they alone were able to derive their pedigree from the first man that God
created, which no other nation pretended to, but abused themselves and their
posterity with fabulous accounts of their originals, the Arcadians fancying
that they were before the moon, the people of Thessaly that they sprang from
stones, the Athenians that they grew out of the earth, much like the vain
imaginations which some of the philosophers had of the origin of the universe.
The account which the holy scripture gives both of the creation of the world
and of the rise of nations carries with it as clear evidences of its own truth
as those idle traditions do of their own vanity and falsehood.
II. All the verses between repeat the account of the replenishing of the earth
by the sons of Noah after the flood. 1. The historian begins with those who
were strangers to the church, the sons of Japhet, who were planted in the
isles of the Gentiles, those western parts of the world, the countries of
Europe. Of these he gives a short account (v. 5-7), because with these
the Jews had hitherto had little or no dealings. 2. He proceeds to those who
had many of them been enemies to the church, the sons of Ham, who moved
southward towards Africa and those parts of Asia which lay that way. Nimrod
the son of Cush began to be an oppressor, probably to the people of God in his
time. But Mizraim, from whom came the Egyptians, and Canaan, from whom came
the Canaanites, are both of them names of great note in the Jewish story; for
with their descendants the Israel of God had severe struggles to get out of
the land of Egypt and into the land of Canaan; and therefore the branches of
Mizraim are particularly recorded (v. 11, 12), and of Canaan, v.
13-16. See at what a rate God valued Israel when he gave Egypt for their
ransom (Isa. xliii. 3), and cast out all these nations before them, Ps.
lxx. 8. 3. He then gives an account of those that were the ancestors and
allies of the church, the posterity of Shem, v. 17-23. These peopled
Asia, and spread themselves eastward. The Assyrians, Syrians, Chaldeans,
Persians, and Arabians, descended from these. At first the originals of the
respective nations were known; but at this day, we have reason to think, the
nations are so mingled with one another, by the enlargement of commerce and
dominion, the transplanting of colonies, the carrying away of captives, and
many other circumstances, that no one nation, no, nor the greatest part of
any, is descended entire from any one of these fountains. Only this we are
sure of, that God has created of one blood all nations of men; they
have all descended from one Adam, one Noah. Have we not all one father? Has
not one God created us? Mal. ii. 10. Our register hastens to the line of
Abraham, breaking off abruptly from all the other families of the sons of Noah
but that of Arphaxad, from whom Christ was to come. The great promise of the
Messiah (says bishop Patrick) was translated from Adam to Seth, from him to
Shem, from him to Eber, and so to the Hebrew nation, who were entrusted, above
all nations, with that sacred treasure, till the promise was performed and the
Messiah had come, and then that nation was made not a people.
28 The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and
Ishmael. 29 These are their generations: The firstborn of
Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 30 Mishma,
and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
These are the sons of Ishmael. 32 Now the sons of Keturah,
Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and
Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan. 33
And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah.
All these are the sons of Keturah. 34 And Abraham begat
Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau;
Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. 36 The sons of
Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.
37 The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. 38 And
the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and
Ezer, and Dishan. 39 And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and
Timna was Lotan's sister. 40 The sons of Shobal; Alian, and
Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah.
41 The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and
Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and
Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran. 43 Now these are
the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over
the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was
Dinhabah. 44 And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of
Bozrah reigned in his stead. 45 And when Jobab was dead, Husham of
the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. 46 And when Husham
was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab,
reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
47 And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
48 And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his
stead. 49 And when Shaul was dead, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor
reigned in his stead. 50 And when Baal-hanan was dead, Hadad
reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife's
name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
51 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke
Jetheth, 52 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon, 53
Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar, 54 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram.
These are the dukes of Edom.
All nations but the seed of Abraham are already shaken off from this
genealogy: they have no part nor lot in this matter. The Lord's portion is
his people. Of them he keeps an account, knows them by name; but those who
are strangers to him he beholds afar off. Not that we are to conclude that
therefore no particular persons of any other nation but the seed of Abraham
found favour with God. It was a truth, before Peter perceived it, that in
every nation he that feared God and wrought righteousness was accepted of him.
Multitudes will be brought to heaven out of all nations (Rev. vii. 9),
and we are willing to hope there were many, very many, good people in the
world, that lay out of the pale of God's covenant of peculiarity with Abraham,
whose names were in the book of life, though not descended from any of the
following families written in this book. The Lord knows those that are his.
But Israel was a chosen nation, elect in type; and no other nation, in its
national capacity, was so dignified and privileged as the Jewish nation was.
That is the holy nation which is the subject of the sacred story; and
therefore we are next to shake off all the seed of Abraham but the posterity
of Jacob only, which were all incorporated into one nation and joined to the
Lord, while the other descendants from Abraham, for aught that appears, were
estranged both from God and from one another.
I. We shall have little to say of the Ishmaelites. They were the sons
of the bondwoman, that were to be cast out and not to be heirs with the child
of the promise; and their case was to represent that of the unbelieving Jews,
who were rejected (Gal. iv. 22, &c.), and therefore there is little notice
taken of that nation. Ishmael's twelve sons are just named here (v.
29-31), to show the performance of the promise God made to Abraham, in answer
to his prayer for him, that, for Abraham's sake, he should become a great
nation, and particularly that he should beget twelve princes, Gen. xvii. 20.
II. We shall have little to say of the Midianites, who descended from
Abraham's children by Keturah. They were children of the east (probably
Job was one of them), and were separated from Isaac, the heir of the promise
(Gen. xxv. 6), and therefore they are only named here, v. 32. The sons
of Jokshan, the son of Keturah, are named also, and the sons of Midian (v.
32, 33), who became most eminent, and perhaps gave denomination to all these
families, as Judah to the Jews.
III. We shall not have much to say of the Edomites. They had an
inveterate enmity to God's Israel; yet because they descended from Esau, the
son of Isaac, we have here an account of their families, and the names of some
of their famous men, v. 35 to the end. Some slight differences there
are between some of the names here, and as we had them in Gen. xxxvi., whence
this whole account is taken. Three of four names that were written with a Vau
there are written with a Jod here, probably the pronunciation being
altered, as is usual in other languages. We now write many words very
differently from what they were written but 200 years ago. Let us take
occasion, from the reading of these genealogies, to think, 1. Of the
multitudes that have gone through this world, have acted their part in it, and
then quitted it. Job, even in his early day, saw not only every man drawing
after him, but innumerable before him, Job xxi. 33. All these, and
all theirs, had their day; many of them made a mighty noise and figure in the
world; but their day came to fall, and their place knew them no more. The
paths of death are trodden paths, but vestigia nulla retrorsum--none
can retrace their steps. 2. Of the providence of God, which keeps up the
generations of men, and so preserves that degenerate race, though guilty and
obnoxious, in being upon earth. How easily could he cut it off without either
a deluge or a conflagration! Write but all the children of men childless, as
some are, and in a few years the earth will be eased of the burden under which
it groans; but the divine patience lets the trees that cumber the ground not
only grow, but propagate. As one generation, even of sinful men, passes away,
another comes (Eccl. i. 4; Num. xxxii. 14), and will do so while the earth
remains. Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it.
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