begat Abitub and Elpaal. 12And the sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with the towns thereof: 13and Beriah, and Shema, who were heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath; 14and Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth; 15and Zebadiah, and Arad, and Eder; 16and Michael, and Ishpah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah; 17and Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hizki, and Heber; 18and Ishmerai, and Izliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal; 19and Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi; 20and Elienai and Zillethai, and Eliel; 21and Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of [1]Shimei; 22and Ishpan, and Eber, and Eliel; 23and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan; 24and Hananiah, and Elam, and Anthothijah; 25and Iphdeiah, and Penuel, the sons of
11. Abitub] no sons of his are recorded.
12. sons of Elpaal] Elpaal's sons are given also and more fully in vv. 17, 18; and, as the three names in the present verse appear to be transcriptional variants of three mentioned in 17, 18, it is probable that this verse is a marginal note which has crept into the text.
who built Ono and Lod] the subject is not Shemed, but Elpaal; "built," i.e. entered into possession of. Ono and Lod (= Lydda), some seven and eleven miles respectively south of Jaffa, are referred to in Neh. vii. 35, xi. 35, and Ezr. ii. 33. The Targum adds, which the sons of Israel laid waste and burnt with fire, when they made war in Gibeah with the tribe of Benjamin.
13. Aijalon] Cp. Josh. x. 12. It was situated near the Jaffa road, about thirteen miles from Jerusalem.
who put . . . Gath] an interesting remark, which should be compared with vii. 31, 33—note the name Beriah in both passages. The relation of the two passages is, however, uncertain.
14. And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth] Read, following LXX., And their brethren Shashak and Jeremoth. The pronoun of course refers to Beriah and Shema (ver. 13), and to Abitub and Elpaal (ver. 11)—these four, with Shashak and Jeremoth, being sons of Hushim, if ver. 11 be emended and vv. 12, 13 be regarded as a marginal addition, as is suggested above.
20. Elienai] Read, perhaps, Elioenai, a name meaning "My eyes look towards Jehovah," cp. iii. 23.
21. Shimei] = Shema (ver. 13).
24. Anthothijah] The name is a trace of an ancient Egyptian war-goddess 'Anath, apparently associated with Jehovah in the Jewish temple at Elephantine (see 'Anath-bethel in the papyri). Cp. also Anathoth near Jerusalem.
- ↑ In ver. 13, Shema.
