1 Chronicles 27:16

16 Forsooth these were the sovereigns of the lineages of Israel (And these were the rulers of the tribes of Israel); duke Eliezer, the son of Zichri, was sovereign to Reubenites; duke Shephatiah, the son of Maachah, was sovereign to Simeonites;

1 Chronicles 27:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 16-22. Furthermore, over the cities of Israel
Were the following rulers or princes; the captains over the militia before named were of David's appointment; but these ruled over their respective tribes in their own right, or by the choice of their tribes: the ruler of the tribe of Reuben was Eliezer, the son of Zichri: of the tribe of Simeon, Shephatiah the son of Maachah; whether this was his father's or mother's name is not certain, it being the name both of a man and woman: of the tribe of Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel: of the Aaronites, who were of the same tribe, but, being priests, are thus distinguished from the Levites, Zadok, who was made high priest in the times of Solomon: of the tribe of Judah, Elihu, a brother of David's, the same with Eliab, ( 1 Samuel 16:6 ) , of the tribe of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael: of the tribe of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah: of the tribe of Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel: of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah: of the half tribe of Manasseh, on this side Jordan westward, Joel the son of Pedaiah: of the half tribe of Manasseh, in Gilead, on the other side Jordan eastward, Iddo the son of Zechariah: of the tribe of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner, the famous general on the side of Ishbosheth; of the tribe of Dan, Azareel the son of Jeroham:

these were the princes of the tribes of Israel;
of all excepting Gad and Asher, who are omitted; perhaps he that was prince of the tribe of Reuben, or else of the half tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan, was ruler of Gad and Asher; these lying between Zebulun and Naphtali, might be under the prince of one of them.

1 Chronicles 27:16 In-Context

14 In the eleventh month, the eleventh prince was Benaiah (the) Pirathonite, of the sons of Ephraim, and four and twenty thousand were in his company.
15 In the twelfth month, the twelfth prince was Heldai (the) Netophathite, of the generation of Othniel (of the sons of Othniel), and four and twenty thousand were in his company.
16 Forsooth these were the sovereigns of the lineages of Israel (And these were the rulers of the tribes of Israel); duke Eliezer, the son of Zichri, was sovereign to Reubenites; duke Shephatiah, the son of Maachah, was sovereign to Simeonites;
17 Hashabiah, the son of Kemuel, was sovereign to the Levites; Zadok was sovereign to Aaronites;
18 Elihu, the brother of David, was sovereign to the lineage of Judah (Elihu, David's brother, was the ruler of the tribe of Judah); Omri, the son of Michael, was sovereign to Issacharites.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.