¹ In chapter ix. 37, _Zechariah_. =31.= _and Zecher_] Read with ix. 37, =and Zechariah, and Mikloth=. ³²And Mikloth begat Shimeah¹. And they also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against their brethren. ¹ In chapter ix. 38, _Shimeam_. =32.= _with their brethren_, etc.] i.e. with some of their brethren in Jerusalem over against other of their brethren in Gibeon and other places. “They” would seem to refer to _Mikloth_ and _Shimeah_, but the clause is far from clear, and it may be noted that verse 32b looks like the heading of a list that has been lost. ³³And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab¹, and Eshbaal². ¹ In 1 Samuel xiv. 49, _Ishvi_. ² In 2 Samuel ii. 8, _Ishbosheth_. =33.= _begat Kish_] here and in ix. 39, read =begat Abner=――as in 1 Samuel xiv. 51, etc. _Jonathan ... Abinadab_] Slain with Saul on Mt Gilboa; x. 2; 1 Samuel xxxi. 2. _Eshbaal_] In 2 Samuel ii. 8 called _Ish-bosheth_. In the (more generally read) Samuel text the offensive name _Eshbaal_, “Man (i.e. worshipper) of Baal,” has been changed to _Ishbosheth_, “Man of the Shameful-thing” (i.e. of the idol), but it has been left standing in the less-used text of Chronicles The title _Baal_ (“Lord”) was applied in early days (e.g. in the days of Saul) to the national God of Israel, but in later days the prophets objected to it because of its general use in designation of the heathen gods also. Hosea (ii. 17), for example, declares that the true worshippers of Jehovah must no longer call him “My Baal” (_Baali_). Thus to Saul and Samuel the name _Eshbaal_ was acceptable as meaning “Man of the Lord,” i.e. of Jehovah, but to the late reviser of the book of Samuel it was offensive as signifying “Man of Baal,” i.e. of one of the gods worshipped by the old Canaanite peoples or by the neighbouring nations. Since the text of Chronicles has retained such forms as Eshbaal (here), Ashbel (verse 1), it seems that the conscientious alterations of such forms in the books of Samuel, Kings, etc., are later than the time of the Chronicler. ³⁴And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal¹; and Merib-baal begat Micah. ¹ In 2 Samuel iv. 4, ix. 6, 10, _Mephibosheth_. =34.= _Merib-baal_] A name meaning “Baal pleadeth”; in chapter ix. 40b (Hebrew) it is written _Meri-baal_, i.e. “Man of Baal.” The person meant seems to be _Mephibosheth_ (2 Samuel ix. 6, 12). ³⁵And the sons of Micah; Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea¹, and Ahaz. ¹ In chapter ix. 41, _Tahrea_. =35.= _Tarea_] In ix. 41, _Tahrea_. ³⁶And Ahaz begat Jehoaddah¹; and Jehoaddah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza: ¹ In chapter ix. 42, _Jarah_. =36.= _Jehoaddah_] In ix. 42, _Jarah_.