7:1 Issachar Ninth son of Jacob; his mother was Leah (Gen 30:17–18). Issachar’s four sons are consistently identified as Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron (Gen 46:13; Num 26:23–24).

7:2 Tola This brief genealogy covers only the descendants of Issachar’s oldest son, Tola. The other clans are referenced only indirectly, through the total given in 1 Chron 7:5.

mighty warriors of their generations Identifies them as prominent leaders and warriors. See note on 5:24.

7:6 Benjamin Jacob’s 12th and youngest son, Benjamin, was his second son by Rachel, who died in childbirth (Gen 35:16–19). Benjamin’s sons Bela and Becher are listed in Gen 46:21, but Jediael is not.

three While this verse lists only three sons of Benjamin, 1 Chron 8:1 indicates that he had five sons. In Gen 46:21, 10 names are given as sons of Benjamin. Based on comparison with 1 Chr 8:1–5, the lists of the sons of Benjamin in Gen 46:21 and the clans in Num 26:38–39 also must include grandsons.

7:12 Shuppim and Huppim These names appear to be variations on descendants of Benjamin listed in Gen 46:21 and Num 26:39. The inclusion of the names here outside the syntax of the main genealogy of Benjamin in 1 Chron 7:6–11 suggests that the names possibly were inserted so as not to omit the names of two clans of Benjamin.

the sons of Ir The name “Ir” is otherwise unknown, but the word also is a Hebrew noun for “city.” The absence of a genealogy for Dan in this passage supports the possibility that “Ir” is a corruption of “Dan.” The likelihood that this verse contained a genealogy of Dan is strengthened by the parallel sequence of Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali in the genealogies of Gen 46:21–24 and Num 26:38–50. Further, the following reference to Hushim (Hushites) is best explained as a reference to the son of Dan from Gen 46:23. The genealogy of Naphtali in 1 Chron 7:13 concludes by mentioning the descendants of Bilhah—a reference to Dan and Naphtali (Gen 30:4–8).

Hushim Identified as the only son of Dan in Gen 46:23 and the only clan of Danites according to Num 26:42–43. The spelling difference between the name “Hushim” (compare Gen 46:23) and “Shuham” in Num 26:42 reflects a transposition of the first two Hebrew letters.

the son of Aher As with “Ir,” the Hebrew word used here, acher, is a common noun, not a proper name. Acher means “another,” so the full phrase used here, benei acher, technically means “sons of another.” The plural “sons” also is unusual since only one name is given. Both of these difficulties are explained by connecting Hushim with the tribe of Dan. The phrase benei acher contains two of the letters most easily misread in the handwriting of ancient Hebrew manuscripts. When those two letters are changed to the alternatives, the phrase becomes beno echad (“his one son”). This reading aligns this verse with Gen 46:23, which lists Hushim as Dan’s only son. Alternately, Aher could be equated with Aharah from 1 Chron 8:1 or Ahiram from Num 26:38 to keep Hushim associated with the tribe of Benjamin.

7:13 The sons of Naphtali Jacob’s son Naphtali was his second son by Bilhah (Gen 30:8). The same four sons of Naphtali are named in Gen 46:24–25 and Num 26:48–49.

7:14 The sons of Manasseh Joseph’s oldest son was Manasseh (Gen 41:50–51). Jacob’s blessing in Gen 48 placed Manasseh and Ephraim at the same level as their uncles, as founders of tribes of Israel. Manasseh’s son Machir and grandson Gilead are mentioned in Num 26:29 and Josh 17:1.

7:15 Zelophehad had daughters The fact that Zelophehad had only daughters and not sons was the basis for the legal question of whether daughters could inherit. See note on Num 27:1–11; compare Josh 17:3–4.

7:20 The sons of Ephraim Joseph’s younger son (Gen 41:50–52). Shuthelah is known from Num 26:35. The names of the sons Bered and Tahath might be alternatives or misspellings for Becher and Tahan from Num 26:35.

7:23 disaster had been upon his house The Hebrew word here for disaster, bera'ah, is very similar to the Hebrew spelling of “Beriah” (beri'ah).

7:24 Lower and Upper Beth-Horon Upper and Lower Beth-horon represent the southern border of Ephraim. Solomon fortifies these cities during his reign (2 Chr 8:5).

7:27 Joshua his son The successor to Moses who led the Israelites’ conquest of Canaan. See note on Josh 1:1.

7:28 their property The territory indicated in 1 Chron 7:28–29 is substantially the same as the allotment given to Ephraim in Josh 16:1–9 (compare Josh 17:11).

7:30 The sons of Asher Jacob’s eighth son, Asher, was his second son by Zilpah. This verse and Gen 46:17 list four sons for Asher—Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. However, the identification of the clans of Asher in Num 26:44 lists only three clans—Imnites, Ishvites, and Beriites. The extremely similar spelling of “Ishvah” and “Ishvi” raises the possibility that Asher had only three sons (and that a copying error produced the repetition in Gen 46:17).

7:40 mighty warriors See note on 1 Chron 5:24.