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1 Chronicles||歷代志上

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3267

1 & 2 Chronicles

The two books of the Chronicles originally formed one work in the Hebrew canon is called, "Events of the days" (the first words of the text", and is called by the Greek translation the Septuagint, "Paraleipomena", meaning a supplement to the books of Samuel and I & II Kings, "as many things passed over in the Kings are contained in these" (K&D, 375). The English name in our Bible was derived from a Latin term used by Jerome.

Traditionally it is believed the Ezra is the author of this work as the book of Ezra begins with the same words that end this work (see 2 Chr. 36:22-23; Ezr. 1:1-3). As a supplement to the books of Samuel and Kings, Chronicles skip over many of the history of the Northern Kingdom, and while the history of the kings of Judah is mentioned, the focus is on the worship of Yahweh. Together with the reference to the writings of several prophets (including Nathan, Ahijah, Iddo, Shemaiah and Isaiah), the Chroniclers' message is clear: obedience to God brings blessing while disobedience results in disaster and defeat — a lesson these post-exile returnees who now have Jerusalem repaired and the temple rebuilt should take to heart.

It is important to note "that the Chronicle was composed in the time of Ezra, and that up to that time, of the whole people, for the most part only households and families of the tribes of Judah, Levi, and Benjamin had returned to Canaan" (K&D, 401). This helps also explain why, for the most part, many of the genealogies are fragmentary and incomplete. The Chronicle is meant partly as a historical document of the returnees to re-establish their lives in a much smaller territory than the Promised Land once occupied by the twelve tribes, hence no genealogies of the tribes of Dan and Zebulun are given at all, and the sons of Naphtali being mentioned in one single verse (7:13) — all tribes that used to occupy the most northern part of Palestine which were no longer theirs to reside at the time of Ezra.

A good part of 1 Chronicles consists of genealogy (especially the first nine chapters) which, as I mentioned in the introduction, might be more relevant to the post-exile returnees to Jerusalem than to us today. However, I still encourage you to read through these genealogies and we shall seek to reflect on some of the purposes of their being recorded.

Divisions of Chapters 1-9: From primeval times to the tribes of Israel

  1. From Adam to Abraham (ch.1)
  2. Sons of Israel, families of Judah and the sons of David (2:1–4:23)
  3. The tribe of Simeon and the Transjordan tribes (4:24–5:26)
  4. The tribe of Levi (5:27–6:66)
  5. Remaining tribes (chs. 7 & 8)
  6. Former inhabitants of Jerusalem and Saul's families (9:1–9:44)

1:1-4 — The Patriarchs from Adam to Noah

  1. Why do you think the Chronicler would trace the genealogy of the Chosen People to Adam — who is not only the common ancestor of all humankind, but the one through whom sin has entered into the world? (Rom. 5:12)

1:5-23 — Descendants from the sons of Noah

  1. Japheth (1:5-7) appears to be the ancestor of the "more northern peoples of southern Europe" (PCD, 402) and not the ancestor of the Chosen people, what righteous act did he do in aiding his brother Shem and what blessing did he receive? (Gen. 9:20-27)
  2. Ham (1:8-13), like his brothers, were among the eight saved from the flood, and is the ancestor of the Egyptians, Ethiopians, Libyans and the Canaanites: what did he do that has invited the curse of Noah? (Gen. 9:20-27)
  3. Shem — ancestor of the Semites (1:17-23): what did he do right and what blessing did he receive? (Gen. 9:20-27)

1:24-34 — The Patriarchs from Shem to Abraham to the sons of Abraham

  1. Compare 1:24-27 with Genesis 11:10-26; what might the reason be that all the other sons of Terah are not mentioned here?
  2. While Ketruah also bore sons to Abraham, why are only Isaac and Ishmael called "sons of Abraham"? (1:28)

1:35-54 — The Descendants of Esau — the Edomites

  1. It appears that Esau and his descendants had not only settled in Mount Seir but assimilated with the aboriginals and thus their descendants are called "the sons of Seir":
    1. Why do you think the Bible would bother to record the descendants of Esau in such details?
    2. What did they do to the Israelites in subsequent history and what is their fate? (see for example Amos 1:9, 11; 2:1)
  2. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

歷代志上、下

這兩卷書在猶太的正典中原為一卷，是按原文的頭幾個字「那些日子的事/Events of the days"而被命名的。希臘文的七十士譯本則稱之為"補充本」，意指它是為補充撒母耳記上、下和列王記上、下而寫的(K&D,375)。中文的譯名，跟英文譯本一樣，取材自柔羅米(Jerome)的拉丁譯本所用的名稱。

一般（傳統）相信，以斯拉是這書卷的作者，特別是因以斯拉記的開始（即1:1-3）與歷代志下的結束(即36:22-23)是完全相同的。作為撒母耳和列王記的補充，歷代志沒有多提以色列北國的歷史；就是在記載猶大南國的歷史時，其重點主要放在敬拜耶和華的細節上。書中提到其他先知的記載，如先知拿單、亞希雅、易多、示瑪雅和以賽亞；其信息的重點是清晰的，就是聽從神就得福、不聽從就必帶來滅亡與失敗——這正是當時被擄歸回，在重建聖殿的百姓所當留心的。

在研讀時，我們需要注意：「歷代志是以斯拉時代的作品，那時歸回的百姓主要是猶大，利未和便雅憫支派的人」（K&D,401）。這就讓我們明白為什麼內裡不少的家譜記載不甚詳盡，甚至是選擇性的；這也與這書卷的實用性有關：為要協助這些歸回的少數餘民，在這比前較狹小的猶大地重建社區之用。故此，我們完全找不到以前在極北面佔地的但和西布侖支派的家譜；而拿弗他利亦只有在7:13被提說。

歷代志記載著不少的家譜（特別是頭九章）。像上述的引言所說，這對當時被擄歸回耶路撒冷一帶的猶太人是較有特別意思的。不過，我仍鼓勵大家照樣的每天讀完所選擇的篇幅，然後用這裡的問題稍為思想這些記載的意思。

第1-9章：由人類始祖到以色列支派的家譜

  1. 由亞當到亞伯拉罕（1:1-54）
  2. 以色列的眾子、猶大支派和大衛家（2:1-4:23）
  3. 西緬和其他泛約但區的支派（4:24-5:26）
  4. 利未支派(5:27-6:66)
  5. 其他支派(7-8)
  6. 耶路撒冷的原居民和掃羅家（9:1-9:44）

1:1-4——始祖——由亞當到挪亞

  1. 亞當既是全人類的始祖，也是罪因他而進入世界的（羅5:12）：為何要由亞當開始來記載以色列人的家譜？

1:5-23——挪亞後裔的家譜

  1. 雅弗(1:5-7)：相信是「南歐北面的民族的始祖」(PCD,402)，而非選民以色列人的始祖；他協助閃作了什麼義行？得到什麼祝福？（創9:20-27）
  2. 含(1:8-13)：與他的弟兄一樣，經歷了方舟的拯救，是埃及、伊索匹克、利比亞和迦南人的始祖：他作了什麼事換來挪亞的咒詛？（創9:20-27）
  3. 閃（1:17-23）：以色列人的始祖。他作了什麼？換來挪亞什麼祝福？（創9:20-27）

1:24-34——由閃到亞伯拉罕的後裔

  1. 試把1:24-27與創世記11:10-26作比較，看看這裡略去了誰的名字？原因是什麼？
  2. 基土拉也為亞伯拉罕生兒子，為何只有以撒和以實瑪利被稱為「亞伯拉罕的兒子」？(1:28)

1:35-54——以掃的後裔

  1. 以掃的後人不但定居西珥山，並與當地人溶合成一民族，總稱為「西珥的兒子」：
    1. 你認為聖經為何較詳盡的記載以掃的後人？
    2. 在歷史上，以東人曾怎樣對待以色列人？所得的是什麼結局？(可參摩1:9,11;2:1)
  2. 今天你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
Meditative Reflection||靈修默想
About Those Genealogies!家譜，真要命！

"These were their descendants…." (1 Chr. 1:29)

"Nine chapters of genealogical tables! What waste of space! Nay, rather, what blindness to think so! No part of the Chronicles is more important. Such lines of descent were of sacred importance to all godly Jews, and rightly so, for they knew that their nation, besides being the repository of a special Divine revelation, was the possessor of wonderful Divine promises reaching on to unborn generations. The chronicler himself knew well enough that these genealogies reveal till selective process of Divine election right from Adam downwards, and that the covenant line of redemptive purpose was to culminate in till Messiah. Especially did the preservation of the trunk and main branches of Israel's family tree become vital after the Babylonian exile (when the Chronicles were written). Families had been uprooted by the thousand. Connections had been broken. Many records had been lost (see for instance Ezra ii. 59), and Judah's archives must have become largely disintegrated even where not actually destroyed. Our chronicler's lists link the pre-Exile with the post-Exile period; for (as should be clearly grasped) chapter ix. 2-34 concerns the resettlement in Judea after the Exile. The break is marked by the first verses of that chapter, which should really be the last verse of the preceding chapter. The Angus Bible Handbook remarks: "These tables give the sacred line through which the promise was transmitted for nearly 3,500 years, a fact unexampled in the history of the human race." (Explore the Book, J. S. Baxter., 164)

「……這都是約坍的兒子。」(歷代志上1:23)

「九章都是家譜！簡直浪費紙張！不是的，這樣想是瞎眼的！不是歷代志其中某些篇幅才是重要的。每一行的家譜對敬虔的猶太人來說是有神聖的重要性；確是如此。這使他們知道，他們的國家，除了是神特別啟示的寶庫，更擁有神奇妙應許的恩典，惠及未出生的將來世代。歷代志的作者自己深知這些家譜啟示出神特別在每一世代的揀選，由亞當開始到大衛，把這救贖的約延續到彌賽亞為止。特別在被擄到巴比倫後（即歷代志寫作之世代），保守這以色列家的樹幹和枝子就更為重要。那時千萬的家庭被連根拔起，年代的接連被破壞了。很多記錄失傳（見拉2:59），猶大家的檔案大部份不是毀滅了，就是分散了。我們這歷代志的家譜就把被擄後的年代與被擄前的年代接連起來；就如9:2-34就是專為被擄歸回猶大的人重新移植而寫的。9:1就指出中斷的事實……就如Angus Bible Handbook所註：'這些圖表顯示（神的應許）藉著這神聖的家譜延續了近3,500年，是人類歷史從來沒有的事實。'」
(J.S Baxter, Explore the Book,164)

3268

The descendants of the sons of Israel, beginning not with the oldest son, Reuben, but with Judah: it may not mean a lot to us, but we can imagine it would have meant a lot to the returnees from exile at the time, many of whom were from the tribe of Judah. On the other hand, we can also learn a lot from the past history of many of these famous or infamous characters and gain insight into many of the important places the names of which have derived from some of these patriarchs of the tribe of Judah.

It is helpful to keep track of which of these descendants are parts of the Chosen line by reading Matthew 1:1-6 alongside this chapter.

2:1-2 — The Sons of Israel

  1. Why were the older two sons passed over and the role of the Chosen fell on Judah instead? (Gen 49:1-7; 35:22; 34:26)

2:3-5 — The Sons of Judah

  1. What is being highlighted in this genealogy and why? (Gen. 38:6-10)

2:6-8 — The Sons of Zerah — Judah's other son

  1. Why is Achar (or Achan) being highlighted as a descendant of Zerah? (2:7; Jos. 7:1)

2:9-54 — Descendants of Judah's Chosen Son, Perez — His genealogy continues with his son Hezron's children, Ram, Caleb and Jerahmeel. More descendants of Hezron are recorded in vv. 21-24:

  1. What do we know about the ancestry of Gilead after whose name the land of Gilead is called [K&D, 412]? (vv. 21-23)
  2. Descendants of Ram (vv. 10-17) — this is part of genealogy of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1)
    1. Who are the famous characters with whom you are familiar? (vv.10-14)
    2. Who does Matthew highlight in Christ's genealogy that is not mentioned here? Why does Matthew choose to highlight even the mother(s)?
    3. Why does the Chronicler include the descendants of David's sisters? (vv. 16-17)
  3. Descendants of Jerahmeel (vv. 25-41)
    1. What might the detailed inclusion of the genealogy of the descendants of Jarha signify? (v. 35)
  4. Descendants of Caleb (vv. 18-20; 42-49) and of Hur, his son of his second marriage mentioned in v. 20 (vv. 50-55)
    1. There are certain names that scholars believe contribute to the naming of the town after them: see if you can find who
    2. Hebron is? (v. 42)

ii. Ephrathah/Bethlehem? (vv. 19-20, 54)

  • Who is the famous Kenite who is related to Moses? (v. 55; Jdg. 1:16)
  • What are the Racabites famous for? (v. 55; Jer. 35:12-14)
    1. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

    在此所記載的以色列的兒子的後裔家譜，並非以流便為始，乃是以猶大支派為首：這對我們或許意義不大，但對當時歸回的猶太人是重要的，因為大部份回歸的是猶大支派的人。不過，在閱讀這冗長的家譜時，請試留意一些著名的人物，特別那些先祖的名字後來成為該處的地名。可把馬太福音1:1-6的家譜與這裡的家譜一同閱讀，看看那些是基督家譜的先祖。不知何故，這裡的家譜不太集中記載，故此我們會嘗試把同一先祖的家譜合拼起來看。

    2:1-2——以色列的兒子

    1. 這裡雖列出雅各的十二個兒子，但他後裔的家譜卻先以猶大為始，越過流便和西緬。原因是什麼？（創49:1-7;35:22;34:26）

    2:3-5——猶大的兒子

    1. 這裡論到什麼事情？如何影響了基督的家譜？（創38:6-10）

    2:6-8——謝拉的兒子

    1. 其中提到的亞干是誰？他犯的罪為何嚴重到在家譜中被提及？（2:7;書7:1）

    2:9-55——猶大的兒子法勒斯（基督家譜的先祖）的後裔——在此列出法勒斯的家譜由兒子希斯崙的後人蘭、基路拜和耶拉篾而生的後裔所延續（希斯崙其他的後人則在2:21-24提到）：

    1. 希斯崙其他的後人：解經家指出這裡給我們看到基列地是從誰得名的。(2:21-23)
    2. 2:10-17——蘭的後裔——這是基督家譜的一部份（參太1）
      1. 這裡提到你所熟悉的人物包括誰？(2:10-14)
      2. 馬太福音的家譜所列的人物，有誰在這裡沒有被提及？
      3. 何以馬太特別列出人物的母親名字？
      4. 2:16-17何以提到大衛的姊妹？
    3. 2:25-41——耶拉篾的後裔
      1. 2:34-35所論及的較為特別。在家譜中這樣提到耶哈的原因可能是什麼？
    4. 2:18-20;42-49——迦勒(即2:9之基路拜)的後裔及他兒子戶珥的後裔(2:50-55)
      1. 這裡解經家指出一些著名城市名字的由來，試找出

    i.希伯崙的由來（2:42）

    ii.伯利恆以法他的由來（2:19-20;54）

  • 與摩西有關係的基尼人是誰？(2:55;士1:16)
  • 利甲人以什麼著稱？(2:55;耶35:12-14)
    1. 今天你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
    Meditative Reflection||靈修默想
    Learning from History歷史的功課

    "These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher." (1 Chr. 2:1-2)

    The fact that the descendants of Judah receive the most attention by the Chronicler is understandable, because Judah is the "Chosen" line of the Messiah (Matt. 1). It is also understandable that the Chronicler is very selective in his record, confining the genealogy to the more famous or infamous families or characters in the history of Israel. As a result, it is more than simply a historical document for use by the returnees from exile in re-establishing their lives within Jerusalem and its vicinity allowed by the edicts of successive Persian emperors (Ezr. 1:1-4; 6:1-12; Neh. 6:9); it is also meant to teach the Israelites lessons from their past history, and within chapter two, we can at least notice the following:

    – The wickedness of the sons of Judah including Er and Onan who died as a punishment by the Lord (2:3-4; Gen. 38:6, 10): these sons, unlike any of the sons of Israel, had had the privilege of being the ancestor of the Messiah, except that they despised such a privilege and chose the way of death;

    – The sin of Achar or Achan (2:7; Jos. 7:1ff): it highlights that fact that the sin of a member of a faith community is not just an individual sin, but has ramifications beyond oneself and one's family, and in the case of Achan, his sin led to the defeat of Israel in the hands of the men of Ai; but

    – There is also a brighter side to this genealogy in that the faithful Recabites are being highlighted (2:55): they are subsequently used by the Lord in Jeremiah's time to be an example of unwavering faithfulness to obey the decrees passed on to them by the ancestors (Jer. 35:1ff).

    「以色列的兒子是流便、西緬、利未、猶大、以薩迦、西布倫、但、約瑟、便雅憫、拿弗他利、迦得、亞設。」(代上2:1-2)

    歷代志這樣詳盡的記載猶大的後裔是可以了解的，因為基督是從猶大家而生（太1）。歷代志所記的家譜是非常選擇性的，這也是可以了解的，為要穿插著一些重要歷史的片斷和人物。故此，它並不是像一些解經家所說，純粹是歷史的記錄，供當時被擄歸回的猶太人用作重建這比前狹小的地域的指南，乃更像所有聖經的經書一樣，是作教導用的，特別叫以色列人從過去的歷史學到功課。就是在第二章的家譜記載，我們可以看到：

    -猶大的兒子珥和俄南因行耶和華眼中看為惡的，被神擊殺（2:3-4;創38:6,10）。他們原比差不多所有以色列的後裔都優勝，因為他們本可成為彌賽亞家譜的延續者。可惜他們輕看了這權利，反而選擇死亡；

    -這家譜也有正面的例子，如特別被提及的利甲家(2:55)：神藉著耶利米先知來以他們作榜樣，要以色列人學效他們忠於先祖傳下來的吩咐（耶35:1ff）。

    3269

    Having given us detailed genealogy for the other two sons of Hezron, Jerahmeel and Caleb in the last chapter, the Chronicler now give us details of the genealogy of the most important character in the lineage of Ram, David:

    3:1-9 — Sons of David

    1. Can you count how many sons did David have in total?
    2. How many wives, apart from concubines, did David have?
    3. With so many wives and concubines and a total of at least 19 sons, even though David was "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22), do you think he could teach and lead his children to know and fear God? Why or why not?
    4. David must have many daughters too, why was only Tamar mentioned in this genealogy? (v. 9; see 2 Sam. 13)
    5. How did the rape by Ammon and the subsequent murder by Absalom and his plot to usurp the throne of David support your answer to question #3 above?

    3:10-16 — The Kings of Judah

    1. In this part of the genealogy, several things might be worth noting:
      1. The sons of Josiah were lumped together, "because with Josiah the regular succession to the throne in the house of David ceased…and the independent kingship of David came properly to an end with the death of Josiah" (K&D, 421): what might be the meaning of the reading of this list to the returnees from exile?
      2. Matthew, in his rendering of this part of the genealogy, omitted (obviously purposely) the names of Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah who was Uzziah (vv. 11-12; Matt. 1:7-11) to make the lineage from Solomon to Jeconiah (or Jehoiachin) into 14 generations: what was the point Matthew tried to make? (Matt. 1:17)

    3:17-24 — The Royal Line after Exile

    1. Most of these names after exile are relatively unknown: what was the point of listing them out by the Chronicler for the returnees? For future generations beyond his time?
    2. The most prominent descendant of all on this list was Zerubbabel (v. 19). Read also Ezra 3:2; 5:2; Haggai 1:1, 14; Zechariah 4:9. What is the importance of this genealogy to Zerubbabel and the work of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem?
    3. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

    上一章較詳細的記載希斯崙的兩個兒子耶拉篾和迦勒（即基路拜）的後裔，這一章則記載他另外的兒子蘭的後人，也就是大衛的家譜：

    3:1-9——大衛的兒子

    1. 請算一算大衛共有多少個兒子？
    2. 除妃嬪外，大衛有多少個妻子？
    3. 大衛雖然是個「合神心意的人」（撒上13:14;徒13:22），有這麼多的妻妾，加上至少19個兒子，你認為他能好好教養兒女敬畏神嗎？為什麼？
    4. 為何在眾多的女兒中，單提到他瑪？(3:9;撒下13)
    5. 他瑪事件所引來的家庭慘變怎樣支持你以上第3問題的答案？(3:9;撒下13:28-39;15:1-18)

    3:10-16——猶大諸王

    1. 這段家譜值得留意的包括：
      1. 約西亞的兒子沒有分別的記述，「因為到了約西亞，大衛家的王位到此為止……約西亞死後，大衛家自主的王權已終止了」(K&D,421)：這段記載對被擄歸回的猶太人有什麼提醒？
      2. 在新約馬太把這段家譜濃縮為14代（刻意略去亞撒利雅、約坦和亞哈斯——即烏西雅）（太1:17）：他的用意何在？

    3:17-24——被擄後的家譜

    1. 這裡的名字多是我們不熟悉的：對被擄歸回者有什麼意思？對日後的人，包括我們又可有什麼意思？
    2. 在這一列的名字中最著名的該是所羅巴伯(3:19)：
      1. 你可知他是誰？(參拉3:2;5:2；該1:1,14；亞4:9)
      2. 這段家譜對當時的所羅巴伯和他的工作有多重要？
    3. 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
    Meditative Reflection||靈修默想
    We Reap What We Sow種什麼、收什麼

    "All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister." (1 Chr. 3:9)

    Reading the genealogy here in 1 Chronicles 3 reminds me that as much as the many kings of Judah and their people had invited the wrath of God with their rebellion against the Lord, especially in idol worship, but David, the king after God's own heart, in fact, planted the seed of rebellion in the heart of the nation.

    As a devout king, he should know the Law of Moses very well, especially the warning to a king like him, "He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray." (Deut. 17:17) And yet, he chose to follow the culture of his time, and worse, he followed the practice of the kings of the nations around him, and married many wives and took concubines, most likely out of political expediency. Some of these women were obviously not God-fearers, like Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, kin of Geshur (a small kingdom in the north-east of Bashan). The result could not have been more tragic because out of this union prohibited by God, we are reminded here that Absalom was born (3:2). "Absalom denotes 'father of peace' or 'father's peace". The name was a complete misnomer, for the bearer became the disturber of David's happiness and a rebel to his government." (JFB, 222)

    The words of Malachi come to mind, "And did not He make one? Yet had He the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth." (Mal. 2:15, KJV) Indeed, by taking many wives and concubines, David could not have produced "godly seeds", and the highlighting of Tamar by the Chronicler (3:9) reminds us of the tragic rape and murder that took place among the children of David which led to his fleeing for his life in his old age for fear of Absalom. Unfortunately, the old adage is always true, "we reap what we sow!" (Job 4:8)

    「這都是大衛的兒子，還有他們的妹子他瑪，妃嬪的兒子不在其內。」(代上3:9)

    讀到歷代志上這裡的家譜，叫我想到雖然猶大諸王，甚多是因行惡而惹起神怒氣的，而這被聖經稱為「合神心意的人」的大衛，其實早已把叛逆神的種子植在他的子孫心中。

    作為一個「合神心意」的王，他該知道摩西律法對他的提醒，就是「不可為自己多立妃嬪，恐怕他的心偏邪……」(申17:17)。大衛應該知道這律例，因為撒母耳必定已用律法來教導他。但大衛卻選擇跟隨當時外邦文化的風俗，學習其他列邦君王的政治手段，娶了基述王的女兒瑪迦為妻(基述是巴珊東北面的一個小國)。此舉卻帶來無窮的禍患，因為因此而生了押沙龍。「押沙龍的名字原是「父親平安」之意，但卻名不乎實；他成為父親快樂的破壞者、是他政權的叛逆者！」(JFB 222)

    這也使我想起瑪拉基的話：「雖然神有靈的餘力能造多人，他不是單造一人麼？為何只造一人呢？乃是他願人得虔誠的後裔。所以當謹守你們的心，誰也不可以詭詐待幼年所娶的妻。」（瑪2:15）。是的，大衛這樣的娶妻立妾，何以能產生「虔誠的後裔」呢！歷代志特別提到他瑪是要提醒我們，大衛的多妻直接引至家庭中發生強姦、兄弟仇殺之事；更引至大衛在晚年因懼怕押沙龍之故而逃命！是的，我們種什麼、也收什麼！(伯4:8)

    3270

    4:1-23 — The Other Clans of Judah

    As we read this chapter, allow me to mention the following:

    – This is a selected genealogy of the other heads of families of the descendants of Judah not already mentioned. Of the "sons" of Judah listed as a superscription of what follows, only Perez was his son, while Hezron was his grandson, Hur was the grandson of Hezron and Shobal was Hur's son, plus Carmi, likely the grandson of Judah from the line of Zerah (v. 1);

    – It is futile to try to trace some of these names which seem to appear out of nowhere. The reason might be that the names of the sons given in chapter 3 may not include every son of the each family. As a result, we have no idea who "Etam" was in 4:3, except to assume that the names in v.3 are likely a continuation of the descendants of Shobal in v. 2; and

    – The selective nature of the genealogy might be due to the fact that some of these families had ceased to exist by the time of Ezra and were of no practical use to the re-establishment of the family life of these returnees from exile.

    May I suggest that you slowly read through these clans of Judah and see what might catch your special attention, including perhaps:

    1. Jabez (vv. 9-10) — it appears that Jabez whose name means "to grieve" or "son of sorrow" is one of the descendants of Koz (v. 8) who can be traced back to Shobal (v.2)
      1. Why was he given such a name?
      2. In old Hebrew tradition, a name seems to foretell the life of a person: how did Jabez seek to change his future?
      3. What happened to his prayer? (see beginning of v. 9 and end of v. 10)
      4. Without making too much speculation, what can you learn from this short interlude?
    2. The "son" of Kenaz, Othniel (v.13): — read Judges 3:9-11 and Joshua 15:17
      1. Who was Othniel?
      2. How did God use this "1st Judge" of Israel?
      3. Given the description in both Judges and Joshua, what was his relationship to Caleb, son of Jephunneh?
      4. What does "son" of Kenaz mean in this case?

    4:24-43 — The Families and Dwelling-places of the Tribe of Simeon

    – The families of the tribe — vv. 24-27

    – Ancient dwelling places of the tribe — vv. 28-33

    – Migration of some of the families of the tribe — vv. 34-43

    1. The families of the tribe (vv. 24-27)
      1. Why did Simeon have such a short genealogy? (v. 27)
      2. See Numbers 1-4 and compare the size of the tribe of Simeon to that of Judah even at the time of Moses.
      3. How does this reflect the curse of Jacob? (Gen. 49:5-7)
    2. Ancient dwelling of the tribe (vv. 28-33)
      1. Read Joshua 19:1-9 about their allotment, including the town of Ziklag.
      2. What happened to (at least part of) their land during the time of Saul? (see 1 Sam. 27:1-6 and note below)
    3. Migration of the tribe (vv. 34-43)
      1. We have no idea where Gedor was, except that it used to be occupied by the Hamites — the descendants of Ham — the North African peoples: what kind of land was Gedor?
      2. They also invaded the hill country of Seir (i.e. Edom) and finished off the Amalekites that Saul failed to kill and "they have lived there to this day" (v. 43) — that perhaps explains why they were not mentioned in the post-exilic period of re-settlement.
    4. What is the main message to you today, and how may you apply it to your life?

    Note: "Ziklag had been, even before the reign of David, taken away from the Simeonites by the Philistines, and had become the property of King Achish, who in the reign of Saul presented it to David, and through him it became the property of the kings of Judah…The subscription can only mean that till the reign of David these cities rightfully belonged to the Simeonites, but that during and after David's reign this rightful possession of the Simeonites was trenched upon; and of this curtailing of their rights, the transfer of the city of Ziklag to the kings of Judah gives one historically attested proof." (K&D, 434)

    4:1-23——猶大其他的後裔——在思想這段家譜前，容許我先指出：

    -這裡記載猶大其他尚未提到的後裔家譜，內容是非常選擇性的。4:1的引言所記載的先祖，只有法勒斯是猶大的兒子，希斯崙是他的孫兒，戶珥是希斯崙的孫兒，而朔巴是戶珥的兒子，迦米則是謝拉(2:4)的兒子——即猶大的孫兒。這樣的併列，顯示他們家族的主要領袖。

    -這選擇性的家譜也意味著一些家族到以斯拉時已經再沒有延續下去，這對回歸的猶太人重找祖業沒有什麼重要性。

    讓我提議在細心慢慢讀時，要看有什麼值得留意之處，這可能包括：

    1. 4:9-10——雅比斯名字的意思是「痛苦」——相信是哥斯的後人（4:8——亦即朔巴[4:2]的後裔）
      1. 他母親為何給他起這名字？
      2. 古時希伯來人的名字往往是對那人的將來有關的。雅比斯如何力圖改變他的命運？
      3. 他的禱告如何得到應允？（見4:9 a）
      4. 這記載實在太短，不容我們過份的解釋，但能應用在你身上的可包括什麼？
    2. 4:13——基納斯的兒子俄陀聶（請參閱士3:9-11和書15:17）
      1. 他是誰？
      2. 神怎樣使用以色列這「第一位士師」？
      3. 他與耶孚尼兒子迦勒（4:15;非2:18之迦勒）有什麼關係？
      4. 基於4:13是以「兒子」來記載家譜：我們可以怎樣領會「兒子」的意思？

    4:24-43——西緬的後裔和居所

    -西緬的家族——4:24-27

    -原居地——4:28-33

    -遷居地——4:34-43

    1. 4:24-27——西緬的家族
      1. 與猶大相比，你可覺得西緬的家譜甚為短？（4:27）何解？
      2. 這家族的人數：試把進迦南時的人數與猶大支派作比較（參民1-4）。
      3. 這事實如何反映雅各對西緬的咒詛？(創49:5-7）
    2. 4:28-33——原居地
      1. 請翻閱約書亞記19:1-9，看看他們原得的地，包括洗革拉。
      2. 在掃羅時代發生了什麼轉變？(參撒上27:1-6和下註)
    3. 4:34-43——遷居地
      1. 我們根本不曉得基多是何地，只知曾是含族（即北非人）的地土。這裡怎樣形容那地？
      2. 西緬人亦佔領了西珥山（即以東地），把掃羅未盡滅的亞瑪力人殺掉，「就住在那裡直到今日」(4:43)——這給我領會到為什麼在歸回的人群中，沒有提到他們！
    4. 今日對你主要的提醒是什麼？你可以怎樣應用在你的生命中？

    註：「在大衛作王前，洗革拉已被非利士人從西緬支派手中奪去，成為亞吉王的地土。亞吉在掃羅作王時把這地方賜給大衛；因此成為日後猶大的產業……這樣的記載顯示，在大衛之前，這（一帶）西緬名下的地土，因大衛之故，業權被奪去。」(K&D,434)

    Meditative Reflection||靈修默想
    Our Future is in God's Hand神掌管明天

    "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, 'I gave birth to him in pain.' Jabez cried out to the God of Israel…" (1 Chr. 4:9-10)

    I am not sure if the Chronicler senses that several chapters of genealogy must be pretty dry reading, so from time to time, he inserts some rather interesting interludes into the genealogy. The story of Jabez is a case in point (4:9-10).

    While I would caution not to interpret and extrapolate too much out of a short few verses of mention about this character beyond which we really know nothing about, the fact is clear that his mother suffered a great deal in giving birth to him, causing her to give him the name, Jabez which means to grieve. Unfortunately, it appears that in ancient Eastern culture, the name of a person carried significant meaning which seemed to dictate the future of a person, at least psychologically. In order to free himself from this bondage (at least psychologically), Jabez resorted to pray to the Lord. Since we do not know exactly what his situation was, I would not want to speculate what his prayer "enlarge my territory" means (4:10), but the result was clear: "God granted his request" and "Jabez was more honorable than his brother".

    The reason why the Chronicler chooses to include this short story in his otherwise monotonous genealogy is certainly not to promote "prosperity theology", but to show us that our future is not dictated by our past or family of origin, but is totally in God's hand. If we look to God, and not to men or even our own ability, He will turn our lives around. The words of the Psalmist come to mind:

    "Why are you so downcast, O may soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will praise Him, my Savior and my God." (Ps. 42:11; 43:5)

    「雅比斯比他眾弟兄更尊貴，他母親給他起名叫雅比斯，意思說：我生他甚是痛苦。雅比斯求告以色列的神……」(代上4:9-10)

    或許歷代志的作者意味到這冗長的家譜是不容易消化的，故簡中加插一些有趣的片段。雅比斯的故事就是例子之一(4:9-10)

    我們對他的認識就只限於這兩節，故此過份的引伸是不智的。從這兩節的記載，我們知道他母親因生產的痛苦給他起了雅比斯這名字，是痛苦之意。不幸的是，在古時希伯來人的觀念中，人的名字似乎往往預表了那人的一生。是對或是錯也好，雅比斯就活在這陰影之下，甚至是活在這事實之中。為求走出這景況(或是這精神上的綑綁)，他選擇向神呼求。我既不曉得實情，就不想猜想「擴張境界」是什麼意思；但結果是清楚的：「神就應允他所求的」，以致「雅比斯比他眾弟兄更尊貴」。

    我相信歷代志的作者在冗長的家譜中加添這插曲，絕不是提倡「福樂神學/prosperity theology」，乃是指出我們的明天全在神的手中；我們不要被原身家庭或我們的過往綑綁著；我們的一切全在神的手中。如果我們仰望神，不指望人，也不靠自己的力量，祂要改變我們的一切。寫到這裡，我就想起詩人的話：

    「我的心哪，你為何憂悶？為何在我裡面煩躁？應當仰望神，因我還要稱讚祂。祂是我的幫助，是我的神。」(詩42:11;43:5)