1 Chronicles 2:31

And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) The children of Sheshan; Ahlai.—See Note on 1Chronicles 1:41, “Dishon.” Ahlai is the name of a clan, not of an individual. Others would explain such phrases by assuming that “sons of so-and-so” is a conventional expression, used even where only one person has to be registered; or that the chronicler has in such cases abbreviated the contents of his source, by omitting all the names but one. Both assumptions are antiquated.

Benson Commentary

1 Chronicles 2:31. The sons of Appaim, Ishi — The plural number is often used, when one son or daughter only is spoken of, for in that one, all the posterity are comprehended. Ahlai — It is plain from 1 Chronicles 2:34-35, that this Ahlai was not a son, but a daughter.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:1-55 Genealogies. - We are now come to the register of the children of Israel, that distinguished people, who were to dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations. But now, in Christ, all are welcome to his salvation who come to him; all have equal privileges according to their faith in him, their love and devotedness to him. All that is truly valuable consists in the favour, peace, and image of God, and a life spent to his glory, in promoting the welfare of our fellow-creatures.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And Ahijah - There is no "and" in the original. Hence, some would read: "the sons" were born "of" or "from Ahijah," the first wife of Jerahmeel (see the next verse).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. Caleb-ephratah—so called from uniting the names of husband and wife (1Ch 2:19), and supposed to be the same as was afterwards called Beth-lehem-ephratah.

Ashur, the father of Tekoa—(2Sa 14:2-4). He is called the father, either from his being the first founder, or perhaps the ruler, of the city.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The sons of Appaim; an expression oft used, both afterwards in this verse, and elsewhere, and in profane authors too, where there is but one son. It is an enallage of the number, which is frequent in the Hebrew.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi: Sheshan,.... Though they had each of them but one son, yet the plural number is used, their posterity being included, as in 1 Chronicles 2:8 and so in the next clause:

and the children of Sheshan; Ahlai; who, from 1 Chronicles 2:34 appears to be a daughter.

Geneva Study Bible

And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; {k} Ahlai.

(k) Who died while his father was alive, and therefore it is said in 1Ch 2:34 that Sheshan had no sons.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

31. the children of Sheshan; Ahlai] Ahlai is perhaps a gentilic name, not the name of an individual. Cp. 1 Chronicles 2:34.

1 Chronicles 2:31

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

To Abishur his wife Abihail bore likewise two sons, with whom his race terminates. - In 1 Chronicles 2:30, 1 Chronicles 2:31, Nadab's posterity follow, in four members, ending with Ahlai, in the fourth generation. But Ahlai cannot well have been a son, but must have been a daughter, the heiress of Sheshan; for, according to 1 Chronicles 2:34, Sheshen had no sons, but only daughters, and gave his daughter to an Egyptian slave whom he possessed, to wife, by whom she became the mother of a numerous posterity. The שׁשׁן בּני is not irreconcilable with this, for בּני denotes in genealogies only descendants in general, and has been here correctly so explained by Hiller in Onomast. p. 736: quicquid habuit liberorum, sive nepotum, sustulit ex unica filia Achlai.