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46 The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer,

the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of
Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve

47 The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, cities. the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

48 Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

49¶ But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

50 And these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,

51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,

52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,

53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

54¶Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for their's was the lot.

55 And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it.

56 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

57 And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs,

58 And 18 Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,

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59 And Ashan with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs:

60 And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and 20 Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.

61 And unto the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, namely, out of the half tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities.

62 And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

63 Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of

64 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs.

65 And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their

names.

66 And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim.

67 And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs,

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68 And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs,

69 And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs:

70 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath.

71 Unto the sons of Gershom were giren out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs:

72 And out of the tribe of Issachar ; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,

73 And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs:

74 And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs,

75 And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs:

76 And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs.

77 Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun. Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs:

78 And on the other side Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs,

79 Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs:

80 And out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

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81 And Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs.

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(12) Heb. stood.
(13) ver. 26, Nahath.
(14) Or, Zophai.

(15) ver. 24, Shaul, Uzziah, Uriel. (16) Called Jeduthun, ch. ix. 16; and xxv. 1, 3, 6.

(17) Or, Kushaiah, ch. xv. 17. (18) Or, Holon, Josh. xxi. 15.

(19) Or, Ain, Josh. xxi. 16. (20) Or, Almon, Josh. xxi. 18. (21) See Josh. xxi., xxii-XXXV., where many of these cities have other names.

THE families of another tribe are recorded in this chapter. Some of these names, likewise, will suggest some profitable reflections.

It is the tribe of Levi. When this child was born, his mother said, Now will my husband be joined to me. And she called his name Levi, which signifies "joined." (Gen. xxix. 34.) Now, as Leah spake of Jacob on that occasion, ought we not to speak of ourselves at all times? Ought we not to consider ourselves as united to the Lord? Does not the apostle speak of a true believer in Christ, as one that is "joined to the Lord," and so is of "one spirit with him?” (1 Cor. vi. 17.) We know not what you may think of this word; but surely it is one of a very significant meaning. The children of Levi were called Levites; that is, the joined ones. In a spiritual sense, all true believers in Christ are the truly "joined" ones. They cleave to him. They are one with him. They belong to him. They are interested in him. They live upon him. In short, they are one with Christ; and Christ is one with them. They are the true Levites. They are the people who are joined to the Lord. Can we find here our state and character; our unity and oneness with Christ?

Moreover, of all the tribes, that of Levi was chosen to be, in a peculiar manner, nigh unto the Lord. They were more especially engaged in his service. None but a Levite could do the work of the sanctuary. None but a priest of the Levites could do the service of the tabernacle. None but the high priest of the sons of Aaron, who was of the tribe of Levi, could enter the holiest of all. Are not these things significant? Are they not spiritually verified in all the children of God; and, above all, in him who is the glorious Redeemer of the sons of the Most High? Can any but the true believer

serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear? Can any but the true believer draw nigh to God with favour and peace? Do any but true believers dwell in the secret place of the Almighty? Do any but they walk in the light; feed upon Christ; dwell under the shadow of his wings; and find pardon and peace at the mercy seat, Jesus Christ? Are they not, in every sense of the word, a peculiar people; peculiar in their blessings; peculiar in their privileges on earth; peculiar in their glory in heaven? That they are "made kings and priests unto God" is the essence of their blessedness here, and will be the summit of their glory hereafter. (Rev. i. 5.)

But, are there not some names connected with the families of this tribe, which ought to impress our minds with a holy fear and salutary warning? Can we forget the rebellion of Corah; or the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu? Can we forget how the one was struck dead by fire before the Lord; and how the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up alive the other? Are we not hereby fearfully reminded of the imminent peril of venturing to contravene any divine appointment; or denying, or setting aside, any divine truth? Do we not seem to see the fire of the Lord breaking forth and consuming those two young men in their daring impiety? impiety? Do we not seem to see the earth rending asunder to swallow up Corah and all his company alive in the pit? Does not the sound of their cry still seem to ring in our ears, as they went down, and the earth closed upon them? Oh, then, let us stand, and pause, and fear, and pray. Let us hear the voice of the Lord still speaking from this tremendous overthrow, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people; and I will be glorified.” (Lev. x. 3.)

On the other hand, there is another name here mentioned, which may impress the mind with more encouraging sensations. Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, was zealous for his God. At a time when daring acts of impiety were openly committed, he acted in the most zealous manner for the honour and glory of God, without any regard to man: and he was to have the covenant of peace. Let this

encourage all devoted Christians to stand forth on the Lord's side in these degenerate days. Spare no sin. Crucify every lust. Reprove the wicked. Rebuke the ungodly. Evince the utmost abhorrence of their crimes. And, while you pity and pray for their souls, shew that you can have no fellowship with their evil ways. "Be not partaker with other men's sins; keep thyself pure." (1 Tim. v. 22.)

CHAPTER VII.

1 The sons of Issachar, 6 of Benjamin, 13 of Naphtali, 14 of Manasseh, 20, 24 and of Ephraim. 21 The calamity of Ephraim by the men of Gath. 23 Beriah is born. 28 Ephraim's habitations. 30 The sons of Asher.

TOW the sons of Issachar were, Tola,

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and 'Puah, Jashub, and Shinrom, four. 2 And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.

3 And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.

4 And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.

5 And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.

6 The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.

7 And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.

8 And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.

9 And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour, was twenty thousand and two hundred.

10 The sons also of Jediael; Bilhan: and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.

11 All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour,

were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.

12 Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of 2 Ir, and Hushim, the sons of 'Aher.

13 ¶ The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Bilhah. Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of

14 ¶ The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:

15 And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.

16 And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

17 And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

18 And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.

19 And the sons of Shemidah were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.

20 ¶ And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,

21 ¶ And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

22 And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.

23 ¶ And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.

24 (And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)

25 And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son, 26 Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

27 Non his son, Jehoshuah his son.

28 ¶ And their possessions and habitations were, Beth-el and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:

29 And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth-shean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.

30 The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. 31 And the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzavith.

32 And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.

33 And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.

34 And the sons of Shamer; Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

35 And the sons of his brother Helem; Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.

36 The sons of Zophah; Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,

37 Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.

38 And the sons of Jether; Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.

39 And the sons of Ulla; Arah, and Haniel, and Rezia.

40 All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father's house, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men.

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NAMES of several of the tribes are presented to our notice in this chapter. First, here is the tribe of Issachar mentioned; and the many thousands of that family are said to have been valiant men of might in all their generations. The same is observed of the thousands of Benjamin, that they were all mighty men of valour (v. 5-11). May not this testimony teach us, that, as true Israelites, they were all mighty men of valour, and valiant men of might; so we, as true Christians, should be valiant for the truth, as good soldiers of Jesus Christ? If they had enemies; so have we. If they had need to exercise their courage and their skill; so have we. If they would be called on to shew attachment to the interests of the Israel of God; so shall we. Every man's religion will be put to the test. In some way or other, God will try every one, whether he be sound in the faith, or not. There is the world always an enemy to the soul. There is the flesh always opposing our progress. There is the devil always seeking to resist our path, or allure us from the Lord, or draw

us into some snare, sin, or danger. In short, whilst we are here, we are always on an enemy's ground. We shall always need to be on our guard; always shall we have cause to buckle on our armour; always shall we be called to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, still to stand. Happy for us, that we have the promise of every needful supply; that we have the great Captain of our salvation to trust in; and that we have a complete set of armour to defend us from the assaults of our foes; and strength imparted to bear us up under their attacks, and victory ensured by the covenanted word of One who hath already subdued them all for us, and who will now subdue them in us. (Eph. vi. 10—20.)

Among other things recorded in this chapter, we must not fail to notice the sorrows of

Ephraim (v. 22). Several of his sons were slain by the men of Gath, because they came down to take away their cattle. For those children, thus slain, their father mourned many days; and his brethren came to comfort him. And when he had another son born, he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house. Now, whether these sons were slain by the men of Gath in attempting to save their cattle from an assault made by Ephraim's sons to take them away; or whether they lost their lives in the endeayour to save their father's property from the effort made by the men of Gath to seize the spoil; it was a very sore trial. That the latter was the case is intimated in verse 13 of the next chapter. To lose so many sons at once must have pressed heavily on his mind; and he was somewhat like Job in his distresses, when his friends came to comfort him.

But is there not a voice in all our troubles? Do they not invite us to seek the Lord? If it go evil with our house, should we not seek a blessing? If some comforts are taken away, should we not be thankful for those which are left? Are there not blessings sometimes in the greatest trials? May not sweetness be found in the bitterest draughts? May not gain be extracted from our greatest losses? If your troubles, losses, or bereavements, lead you to ponder your ways; to repent of your sins; to seek the Lord; to taste of his tender love; to wean you from

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4 And Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah, 5 And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. 6 And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:

7 And Naaman, and Ahiah, and Gera, he removed them, and begat Uzza, and Ahihud.

8 And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.

9 And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,

10 And Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers. 11 And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.

12 The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof;

13 Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath:

14 And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth, 15 And Zebadiah, and Arad, and Ader, 16 And Michael, and Ispah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah;

17 And Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hezeki, and Heber,

18 Ishmerai also, and Jezliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal;

19 And Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi, 20 And Elienai, and Zilthai, and Eliel, 21 And Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimhi;

22 And Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel, 23 And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan, 24 And Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,

25 And Iphedeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak;

26 And Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,

27 And Jaresiah, and Eliah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.

28 These were heads of the fathers, by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.

29 And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon; whose wife's name was Maachah : 30 And his firstborn son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,

31 And Gedor, and Ahio, and Zacher. 32 And Mikloth begat "Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against them.

33 ¶ And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

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34 And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Merib-baal begat Micah.

35 And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and "Tarea, and Ahaz.

36 And Ahaz begat Jehoadah; and Jehoadah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza,

37 And Moza begat Binea: Rapha was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son:

38 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

39 And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.

40 And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty. these are of the sons of Benjamin.

(1) Or, Ard, Gen. xlvi. 21.

(2) Or, Shupham, Num. xxvi. 39. See ch. vii. 12.

(3) Or, Shema, ver. 13.
(4) Called Jehiel, ch. ix. 35.

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(5) Or, Zechariah, ch. ix. 37. (6) Or, Shimeam, ch. ix. 38. (7) Or, Ish-bosheth, 2 Sam. ii. 8. (8) Or, Mephi-bosheth, 2 Sam. iv. 4; and ix. 6, 10.

(9) Or, Tahrea, ch. ix. 41.

THIS chapter speaks of the chief men of the tribe of Benjamin; and describes the stock, or pedigree, of Saul and Jonathan. Some things may be observed about this son. Two things are mentioned when he was born. His mother called him, the son of her sorrow. His father named him, the son of his right hand. She died in the birth. He lived many years to enjoy the comfort of his son in his declining years. Oh, how few are the children, of whom their parents can say, they are the sons of my right hand! How many are

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