Ver. 1. Aharah.] Alias Ahiram, (Numbers 26:38) and Ehi. (Genesis 46:21)
Ver. 2. Rapha.] Alias Rosh. (Genesis 46:21)
Ver. 5. And Gera.] Who haply was the son of the former Gera; or the former might die soon, and this be called after his name.
Ver. 6. And these are the sons of Ehud.] Haply of that famous Ehud. (Judges 3:15) And they removed them.] The governors did; but when, how, or wherefore, we find not.
Ver. 7. He removed them.] Ut de haereditate singulis ante obitum prospiceret, saith Junius: that he might provide inheritances for them before his death. Abraham did the like. (Genesis 25:5,6)
Ver. 8. And begat children in the country of Moab.] Where he sojourned, haply—as did Elimelech (Ruth 1:1) -because of the famine. After he had sent them away.] Or, After he had sent away Hushim and Basra, his wives, quas repudiavit propter causas quae tacentur, saith Vatablus.
Ver. 13. Who drove away the inhabitants of Gath.] See 1 Chronicles 7:21.
Ver. 14. Here we have a list of the chieftains of the Benjamites who dwelt at Jerusalem after the captivity.
Ver. 29. Whose wife’s name was Maachah.] Who was surely an honour to her husband, with whom she is therefore once and again memorised. See 1 Chronicles 7:15,16.
Ver. 33. And Ner begat Kish.] This Ner is also called Abiel. (1 Samuel 9:1) The Hebrews tell us that his proper name was Abiel; and that he was called Ner—that is, a lamp or torch—because he outshone others in holiness. He had another son besides Kish, the father of Saul, viz., Ner, the father of Abner. (1 Samuel 14:50,51) And Saul begat Jonathan.] Who was—as the Romans once said of Pompey—a most amiable son of an odious father. And Eshbaal.] Alias Ishbosheth; so 1 Chronicles 8:34. Meribbaal, alias Mephibosheth. Baal is by Hosea called “That shame.” εχθρου πατρος φιλτατον τεκνον.
Ver. 34. And Meribbaal begat Micah.] From hence to the end of this chapter is a catalogue of Jonathan’s progeny. Of the rest of Saul’s children we read not that they had any posterity. That old verse is well known and daily verified, “ Ευσεβεων παιδεαυι τα λωια, δυαυεβεων δ ου. ”