JUDAH. 549. Genesis: Sons of Judah, Er, Onan, Shelah, Pharez, Zarah; sons of Pharez, Hezron, Hamul. Numbers: Er, Onan, Shelah, Pharez, Zerah; sons of Pharez, Hezron, Hamul. Family designations, Shelamites, Pharezites, Hezronites, Hamulites. That Er and Onan are omitted, in giving the family designations, is because they died in Canaan. The difference in Zarah and Zerah need not be explained. ISSACHER. 550. Genesis: Sons of Issacher, Tola, Phuvah, Job, Shimron. Numbers: Sons of Issacher, Tola, Pua, Jashub, Shimron. Family designations, Tolaites, Punites, Jashubites, Shimronites. In the Hebrew, Phuvah or Pua are the same; and the name in either case is right in English, according to the plan that we may adopt for making the transfer. Job and Jashub are not the same in Hebrew; but the difference consists in one letter only. This may be one of the instances where the change was made designedly, and it may be an instance of error in transcribing. 551. From Pua we should not expect the family designation to be Punites, but so it is in the original and in the translation. The latter is an easier word to sound than a regular formation, and therefore adopted. The Hebrews had some regard to euphony as well as other nations. ZEBULUN. 552. Genesis: Sons of Zebulun, Sered, Elon, Jahleel. Num.: sons of Zebulun, Sered, Elon, Jahleel. Family designations, Zebulonites, Sardites, Elonites, Jahleelites. This is the first instance where the original son of Jacob has a family designation. We have not met with Reubenites, Simeonites, Gadites, &c. But here we find Zebulunites. We have here another instance of euphony, where we have Sardites from Sered. MANASSEH. 553. Genesis 1. 23: Son of Manasseh, Machir. Numbers: Son of Manasseh, Machir; son of Machir, Gilead; sons of Gilead, Jeezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Shemida, Hepher; son of Hepher, Zelophehad; daughters of Zelophehad, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, Tirzah. Family designations, Machirites, Gileadites, Jeezerites, Shemidaites, Hepherites. Zelophehad gave rise to no family designation, for the reason stated, that he had no sons. EPHRAIM. 554. Genesis: here we have no account of any sons of Ephraim. Obviously he had none when that list was made out. But, in Numbers, he is spoken of as having Shuthelah, Becher, Tahan; sons of Shuthelah, Eran. Family designations, Shuthelahites, Bachrites, Tahanites, Eranites. Bachrites, from Becher, is another instance of euphony. BENJAMIN. 555. Genesis: Sons of Benjamin, Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, Ard. Numbers: Sons of Benjamin, Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shupham, Hupham; sons of Bela, Ard, Naaman. Family designations, Belaites, Ashbelites, Ahiramites, Shuphamites, Huphamites, Ardites, Naamites. There are here some singular discrepancies. On the first list we find Becher, Gera, Ehi and Rosh, that are not on the second. We may conclude that Muppim and Huppim, on the first, are the same as Shupham and Hupham on the second; but they are not exactly alike, either in the Hebrew or in the English. I think they are intended for the same. We have before named two causes at least, to which these changes may be referred. 556. The name Becher is probably misplaced. It was, perhaps, put here by mistake of the eye, while looking at the same name among the sons of Ephraim. Ehi and Rosh are on the first list, but not on the second; but, on the second, we have Ahiram, not on the first. I suspect that the first two were intended as one name, Ehirosh. There is no conjunction and between them, and we know that, originally, there was no division of the Hebrew Bible into words as at present. When the division was made, I doubt not there was a separation made in this name through mistake. With this understanding, the word was Ehirosh, one word, in stead of Ehi Rosh, two words. It is easy to see how Ehirosh could become Ahiram. The change only of one letter (sh is only one letter in Hebrew) would make the difference, for the vowels must not be reckoned. Gera we can account for, only by supposing that he is designedly omitted, either as having no family or on account of some crime. 557. Ard and Naaman, mentioned on the first list, as sons of Benjamin, are placed on the second as grandsons of Benjamin, and sons of Bela. This is quite common in the Hebrew Scriptures. This circumstance helps us to remove a difficulty connected with the first record. Benjamin was the youngest of the sons of Jacob; and when his brethren went down to Egypt, to buy corn, he was left behind on account of his youth. And yet, soon after, when he goes down to Egypt, we find him with the largest family of all. It does not remove the difficulty, to suppose that some of them were grandchildren; but, by making them grandchildren, we make them to have been born at a later day, and we do so far lessen the size of his family, at the time of going to Egypt, at which period he must still have been quite young. In some way, we conclude, his grandchildren were transferred from a later list to the one in Genesis. DAN. 558. Genesis: Son of Dan, Husham. Numbers: Son of Dan, Shuham. Family designation, Shuhamites. That there is here a transposition of letters, such as we supposed in the names of Zohar and Zerah in the family of Simeon, there can be no doubt. Take out the vowels from Husham and Shuham and we have two letters to be transposed, so that "the first shall be last and the last first," and the names become the same. ASHER. 559. Genesis: Sons of Asher, Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and sister Serah; sons of Beriah, Heber, Malchiel. Numbers: Sons of Asher, Jimna, Jesui, Beriah; sons of Beriah, Heber, Malchiel, and daughter Sarah. Family designations, Jimnites, Jesuites, Beriites, Heberites, Malchielites. These are so On the first list are Ishuah and Isui. near alike that they seem to have been regarded as the same, when the second list was made, so that on the latter only one was put down. This may be the reason of the difference. It may be that on the first list the last name was intended as the family designation of the first. We have found other instances where a person was named, sometimes with and sometimes without the termination denoting the family designation. NAPHTALI. 560. Genesis: Sons of Naphtali, Jahzeel, Guni, Jeezer, Shittim. Numbers; Sons of Naphtali, Jahzeel, Guni, Gezer, Shittim. Family designations, Jahzeelites, Gunites, Jezerites, Shittimites. No explanations are required here. 561. We could hardly expect, under the circumstances, less differences than we find in the two lists. They all admit of a rational explanation. The order in which the two lists are given in Genesis and Numbers is the same, except that in one Ephraim is placed first, and in the other Manasseh. The tribe of Levi is estimated separately from the rest, and we propose to give it separately. The lists are found in Exodus and Numbers, and are given as follows: EXODUS VI. Putiel to wife; and she bare him the fathers of the Levites, accordPhinhehas; these are the heads of 16. And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations; Gershon, and Ko-ing to their families. hath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred thirty and seven years. NUMBERS XXVI. 57. T And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after 17. The sons of Gershon; Libni their families; of Gershon, the and Shimi, according to their fam-family of the Gershonites; of Koites: of Merari, the family of the hath, the family of the Kohath ilies. 18. And the sons of Kohath; Amram. and Izhar, and Hebron and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were a hundred thirty and three years. 19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali, and Mushi: these are the families of Levi, according to their generations. 20. And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty and seven years. 21. And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. Merarites. Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites: And Kohath begat Amram. 58. These are the families of the 59. And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of 60. And unto Aaron was born 22. And the sons of Uzziel: Mish-Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ael and Elzaphan, and Zithri. 23. And Aaron took him Elishe 61. And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD. ba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab and Abihu, Elea-bered of them were twenty and 62. And those that were numzar and Ithamar. 24. And the sons of Korah; As-three thousand, all males, from a sr, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: month old and upward; for they these are the families of the Korwere not numbered among the children of Israel, because there hites. 25. And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took him one of the daughters of was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. |