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1 Chronicles 8 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Within the tribe of Benjamin, we are reminded of Israel’s first king. He was the best looking man in all of Israel. He towered above all of his fellow Israelites. He seemed to be the right choice but eventually rejected God with his disobedience. In 1 Samuel 9, we read the story about Saul being chosen as king.
“And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.”
1 Samuel 9:2 ESV
Although Saul would lead Israel to many military victories, his habitual and blatant disobedience to what God had commanded is one of the saddest stories in the Bible. Here in the genealogy of Benjamin, we get a small taste of just how far off Saul journeyed from God.
“Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal;”
1 Chronicles 8:33 ESV
We read that Saul’s youngest son was named Eshbaal. It is a pagan name that means “fire of Baal.” After Saul’s death, and a five-year period where Abner was in charge, Eshbaal would take over as king of the northern kingdom. If you read the story of this in 2 Samuel, you will notice that the author lists his youngest son’s name as Ishbosheth. Most scholars agree this was an intentional name change which sought to disconnect the pagan association with Eshbaal’s name. Ishbosheth means “man of shame.”
Regardless, the consequences of Saul’s disobedience affected so many people around him. It’s a depressing but sobering example of how the path of others can be dramatically shifted by our choice to disregard God’s Word. It stands as an example for us to pursue holiness through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.