King James Version

What Does 1 Chronicles 8:33 Mean?

“And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal. Eshbaal: or, Ishbosheth 2.Sam.2.8”

Context

And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher. Zacher: or, Zechariah.IChr.9.37

And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them. Shimeah: or, Shimeam.ca.9.38, I.Sam.14.51

And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal. Eshbaal: or, Ishbosheth 2.Sam.2.8

And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah. Meribbaal: or, Mephibosheth.2.Sam.4.4

And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. Tarea: or, Tahrea.e.9.41

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(33) The house of Saul It is not said here that Saul’s immediate family was settled at Gibeon. From 1Samuel 10:26; 1Samuel 15:34, and 2Samuel 21:6, we learn that Gibeah, or “Gibeah of Saul,” was the seat of the king. It is gratuitous to suppose that the chronicler has confounded two different places. **And Ner begat Kish.**—1Samuel 9:1 gives the following pedigree of Kish: Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bechorath, son of Aphiah; and 1Samuel 14:51 states that Kish the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner, were sons of Abiel. The omission of intermediate names is not uncommon in these lists. We may, therefore, suppose that some members of the genealogical series are here omitted between Ner and Kish. The father of Abner was, of course, only a namesake of the present *Ner,* which is perhaps a clan, not an individual. **Saul begat Jonathan.**—So 1Samuel 14:49; 1Samuel 31:2; save that the former passage has Ishui for Abinadab. This seems to be a case of double naming. Others identify Ishui with Ishbosheth. **Abinadab.**—Comp. Nadab, 1Chronicles 8:30. Both are probably Divine titles, meaning “the father (i.e., Jehovah) is noble.” Comp. *Kammusu Nadbi,* “Chemosh is my prince,” the name of a Moabite king, mentioned by Sennacherib. *Ner* and *Kish* also both occurred in 1Chronicles 8:30 as Gibeonite clans. Here they (or at least Kish) may be said to be personal names. **Esh-baal.**—2Samuel 2:8, Ish-bosheth, David’s rival king. Esh-baal (“man of Baal”) is the true name. Ish-bosheth (“man of shame”) is a sort of euphemism, avoiding the very mention of an idol. So the Merib-baal (“Baal strives;” rather, perhaps, Meri-Baal, “man of Baal”) of 1Chronicles 8:34 appears in 2Samuel 4:4; 2Samuel 9:6, &c, as Mephibosheth, where probably the right reading is Meribbosheth. In like manner, idols are styled “abominations.” 1Kings 11:5 : “Milcom the abomination (*i.e.,* god) of the sons of Ammon,” and elsewhere. Beth-el, the sanctuary of the golden calf, or rather bullock, is called Beth-aven. The “house of God” is a “house of wickedness” (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Joshua 7:2.) (See Note on 1Chronicles 8:30.)

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 1 Chronicles. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

1 Chronicles 8:33 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.