1 Chronicles 8: 1 – 40
The lefties
8 Now Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, 2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. 3 The sons of Bela were Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. 6 These are the sons of Ehud, who were the heads of the fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and who forced them to move to Manahath: 7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera who forced them to move. He begot Uzza and Ahihud. 8 Also Shaharaim had children in the country of Moab, after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. 9 By Hodesh his wife he begot Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 10 Jeuz, Sachiah, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of their fathers’ houses. 11 And by Hushim he begot Abitub and Elpaal. 12 The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns; 13 and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of their fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove out the inhabitants of Gath. 14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ispah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah. 17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Jizliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. 19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. 22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Antothijah, 25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. 26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. 28 These were heads of the fathers’ houses by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem. 29 Now the father of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was Maacah, dwelt at Gibeon. 30 And his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, 32 and Mikloth, who begot Shimeah. They also dwelt alongside their relatives in Jerusalem, with their brethren. 33 Nerbegot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. 34 The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal begot Micah. 35 The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. 36 And Ahaz begot Jehoaddah; Jehoaddah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza. 37 Moza begot Binea, Raphah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. 38 Azel had six sons whose names were these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. 39 And the sons of Eshek his brother were Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. 40 The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor—archers. They had many sons and grandsons, one hundred and fifty in all. These were all sons of Benjamin.
It is safe to assume that those interested in the history of left-handed people, will indeed be left handed people themselves. Right-handed people basically take their dominance for granted. However, it is a fascinating subject for all, because almost everybody knows a “leftie”, be it family member, close friend, work colleague, school pal, whoever.
Looking into the history of left-handed people will shock today’s generation when they learn that in previous centuries, they would be spanked in school and chastised at home for being different. Their left hands would be tied behind their backs, to force them to write with their “correct” hand.
There used to be extreme and severe suspicions of anything left. In the history of left-handed people, the Latin term for left is sinister, which in modern English can be interpreted as meaning “evil”; “menacing”; or “threatening”. By contrast, “dexter” is the Latin word for right, which is used in a complimentary way when talking of someone well skilled in the hands, i.e. “dexterous”.
As TIME explained in 1969, “southpaws, gallock-handers, chickie paws and scrammies” were seen as sinister—literally, since the word means “left”—for centuries. “In the Middle Ages, for instance, the left-hander lived in danger of being accused of practicing witchcraft,” the article explained. “The Devil himself was considered a southpaw, and he and other evil spirits were always conjured up by left-handed gestures.”
In researching the history of left-handed people, scientists have discovered that the left-hander uses both sides of their brain evenly, while the right-hander is controlled more from the left. One theory, regarding hand preference, is that it is determined from two manifestations of a gene at the same point. These genes are referred to as the “C” and “D” genes. The D gene is more numerous and consequently leads to most of the population favoring their right-hand. The C gene is less likely to occur, but when it does, the hand preference of the individual will be split 50/50 between right and left.
Throughout the history of left-handed people, there has been many only too willing to cast disparaging remarks. One such person was a 19th-century Italian criminologist named Cesare Lombroso, who famously spoke of “Left-handedness being a stigma of degeneracy”. Such statements have thankfully long since disappeared from the views of the world, and it is worth remembering that, if ever on the receiving end of any derogatory comments from a “rightie”; the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body; so only left handed people are in their right mind!
The list of famous lefties inevitably goes back deep into history, to Charlemagne or Leonardo da Vinci. But it was only in the last few decades that being left-handed ceased to be a real problem for many people, and instead became something that could be celebrated.
Today we are going to look at the tribe of Benjamin. It is amazing fact that this tribe produced left handed special force fighters which we learn about in the book of Judges chapter 20, “16 Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every-one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss.”
8 Now Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, 2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.
The only son in whom further interest is Bela. It is he whose sons are named.
3 The sons of Bela were Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
Bela not only named his sons Naaman and Ard after his brothers, but also Shephuphan. However, of these sons only Addar and Naaman formed sub-tribes. But it brings out how prolific Bela was, a worthy son of Benjamin (Benjamin had ten sons and Bela nine).
6 These are the sons of Ehud, who were the heads of the fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and who forced them to move to Manahath: 7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera who forced them to move. He begot Uzza and Ahihud.
That Ehud was descended from Benjamin we need not doubt, even if we do not have his line of descent. His sons Naaman, Ahijah and Gera, who were heads of father’s houses (of sub-clans) over the inhabitants of Geba (1 Samuel 13.16), were carried away to Manahath, possibly as hostages. Manahath was the name of one of the sons of Shobal, the son of Seir the Horite who were merged into Edom (Genesis 36.23).
These are further sons of Ehud additional to Naaman, Ahijah and Gera, possibly born in happier times. Ehud too was prolific, and God provided him with sons in the place of the ones he had lost (as He would also for the returnees from Exile).
8 Also Shaharaim had children in the country of Moab, after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives.
Shaharaim may have been the son of one of the three who were taken away to Manahath. He may have been a separate hostage. The ‘he’ who sent them away was again probably the king of Moab but even in exile God was with His people and Shaharaim begat sons. His wives were Hushim and Baara.
9 By Hodesh his wife he begot Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 10 Jeuz, Sachiah, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of their fathers’ houses.
God had not forgotten His servant even in trying conditions and had already provided for his future. This was something that the returnees from Babylon had already experienced.
11 And by Hushim he begot Abitub and Elpaal.
His other wife Hushim also bore him children named Abitub and Elpaal. Elpaal was the most influential one for we are informed next about his descendants.
12 The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns;
Some of the descendants of Elpaal rebuilt and fortified Ono and Lod with its ‘daughters’ (its surrounding villages). These may well have been the ancestor of the returnees from Exile who again took up residence in Ono and Lod (Ezra 2.33; Nehemiah 7.37; 11.35). In a sense history was repeating itself. The God Who had delivered Shaharaim and his descendants, was the One Who had also delivered the returnees from Exile.
13 and Beriah and Shema, who were heads of their fathers’ houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove out the inhabitants of Gath.
Others of his descendants were sub-clan leaders in Aijalon, who proved their might by putting to flight the inhabitants of Gath. This may have been as the consequence of a Philistine incursion into Benjamite territory, or they themselves may have sought to despoil Gath. The former seems more likely.
14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ispah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah. 17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Jizliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. 19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. 22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Antothijah, 25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. 26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. 28 These were heads of the fathers’ houses by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.
Further descendants are now named, some related to Beriah, some to Elpaal himself, some to Shimei (Shema), and some to Shashak and Jeroham, the sons of Beriah. These would be chieftains in Benjamin. The inclusion again of Elpaal suggests that these were heads of sub-clans, the Beriahites, the Elpaalites, the Shimeites, the Shashakites and the Jerohamites. Beriah is mentioned first because his sons also will form sub-clans.
29 Now the father of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was Maacah, dwelt at Gibeon.
The house of Saul had its origin in Gibeon, the city renowned for its deceit in the time of Joshua (Joshua 9.3-27). Perhaps we are to see in this a premonition of what Saul would become. And his ancestor was ‘the father of Gibeon’, that is, its establisher after its inhabitant had been expelled.
30 And his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, 32 and Mikloth, who begot Shimeah. They also dwelt alongside their relatives in Jerusalem, with their brethren. 33 Nerbegot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.
The ten sons of Gibeon are listed with comments being added after the names of Mikloth and Ner. Ner was the ancestor of Kish (named after Ner’s brother), and Kish was the father of Saul. In 1 Samuel 9.1 Kish’s father is named Abiel, but that is because Ner was not the father of Kish but his clan ancestor (as Amram was probably the clan ancestor of Moses and not his father).
Mikloth was noted for ‘begetting’ a descendant named Shimeah (Shimeam), who lived in Jerusalem as a clan leader in the days of David, a supporter of the throne of David, dwelling there among his brothers, the tribal and clan leaders of Israel, while overseeing from there his brothers the Benjamites, a faithful servant of King David.
34 The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal begot Micah. 35 The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
Saul bore four sons, Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab and Eshbaal (Ishbosheth). The first three were slain on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31.2), where Israel were defeated by the Philistines, and Saul himself died. After that Eshbaal was supported by the Israelite general Abner in opposition to David. The writer in Samuel gave him the name Ishbosheth which means ‘man of shame’, probably because his name included the name of Baal (which was originally also used of YHWH as ‘Lord’, Hosea 2.16, but was later seen as a thing of shame).
Saul’s son Jonathan, the friend of David, had a son named Meri-baal (Mephibosheth). It was to him that David showed kindness ‘for Jonathan’s sake’. And we are now given in some detail the descendants of Meribaal, almost down to the Exile, a sign that God did not hold Saul’s sins against them. But it was a hint that Saul’s line ceased at the Exile.
36 And Ahaz begot Jehoaddah; Jehoaddah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza.
The descent of the line of Saul and Jonathan continues. Some of the names (but not the persons) are well known elsewhere.
37 Moza begot Binea, Raphah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. 38 Azel had six sons whose names were these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.
The line continues down to Azel who had six sons as named. God continues to bless the line
39 And the sons of Eshek his brother were Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third.
For Eshek had three sons of which the firstborn was Ulam, and it was Ulam whose sons were to be especially mighty warriors.
40 The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor—archers. They had many sons and grandsons, one hundred and fifty in all. These were all sons of Benjamin.
For Ulam’s descendants were great warriors and skilled bowmen and developed into a skilled fighting force comprising a larger unit of bowmen totaling 150. I wonder if they were lefties?
