1 Chronicles 4:22

22 Jokim and the people who lived in the town of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who married Moabite women and then settled in Bethlehem. (These traditions are very old.)

1 Chronicles 4:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 4:22

And Jokim
The Vulgate Latin version is,

and he that made the sun to stand:
as if Joshua was meant; and in the Talmud it is F7 said Jokim, this is Joshua, who confirmed the oath to the Gibeonites; and the Targum here is,

``and the prophets of the scribes that sprang from the posterity of Joshua;''

but Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, and not of Judah; though some interpret it of Elimelech, as Lyra observes F8, of whom the fable is, that the sun stood still at his prayers, as it did in Joshua's time, to convert the men of Bethlehem; but Jokim is no doubt the proper name of some famous man or family that descended from Shelah:

and the men of Chozeba:
which signifies a lie; and the Targum interprets it of the Gibeonites, who lied to Joshua; but those were Canaanites, and not of the posterity of Shelah, and tribe of Judah; Chezib, or Achzib, a city in the tribe of Judah, very probably is meant, as Kimchi, the very place where Shelah was born, ( Genesis 38:5 ) and where dwelt some of his posterity:

and Joash and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab;
some render the word, "which married in Moab"; and so the Targum interprets it of Mahlon and Chilion, who took wives of the daughters of Moab; but rather it is to be understood of some who were governors in Moab in the times of David, when Moab was subdued by him, ( 2 Samuel 8:2 ) or however were such, who, at one time or another, made war with Moab, and overcame them:

and Jashubilehem:
which the Targumist understands of Boaz, prince of the wise men of the school of Bethlehem, and the Talmudists F9 of Ruth, that dwelt in Bethlehem; and may be interpreted of some of the inhabitants of that place which sprang from Shelah; or rather is the name of a single man, famous in his time, though not now known:

and these are ancient things;
an account of persons that lived in ancient times, and which the writer of this book gives not on his own knowledge, but by tradition, or rather by inspiration.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 2.
F8 So Heb. in Hieron. Trad. Heb. in Paralip. fol. 81. M.
F9 Ut supra. (T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 2.)

1 Chronicles 4:22 In-Context

20 Shimon had four sons: Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. Ishi had two sons: Zoheth and Benzoheth.
21 Shelah was one of Judah's sons. His descendants included Er, who founded the town of Lecah; Laadah, founder of the town of Mareshah; the clan of linen weavers, who lived in the town of Beth Ashbea;
22 Jokim and the people who lived in the town of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who married Moabite women and then settled in Bethlehem. (These traditions are very old.)
23 They were potters in the service of the king and lived in the towns of Netaim and Gederah.
24 Simeon had five sons: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Probable text] settled in Bethlehem; [Hebrew unclear.]
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.