I Chronicles 8:8-11 · Bible study
1 Chronicles 8:8-11 Commentary: Shaharaim in Moab
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the puzzling account of Shaharaim, his divorce, and his children in Moab.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Chronicler records how a fractured Benjamite family in Moab produced clan leaders, showing God’s ongoing work through imperfect human stories.
- Key words: שׁלח (shalach, “send away/divorce”); שׂדה (sadeh, “field/region”); ראשי אבות (rashei avot, “heads of fathers’ houses”).
- Main debate: Whether Hodesh is a new wife or a renamed Baara; whether the sending away was divorce, or something else like sending away children or returning from exile.
- Theological theme: God’s faithfulness to His covenant people despite their personal and familial failures; the value of every person in His plan.
- Best use: A study on how God redeems messy family histories; a counterpoint to “clean” genealogies that skip over trouble.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
8Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara.
9His sons by his wife Hodesh:
10Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families.
11He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.
WEB World English Bible 2000
8Shaharaim became the father of children in the field of Moab, after he had sent them away. Hushim and Baara were his wives.
9By Hodesh his wife, he became the father of Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,
10Jeuz, Shachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers’ households.
11By Hushim, he became the father of Abitub and Elpaal.
KJV King James Version 1769
8And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.
9And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,
10And Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirma. These were his sons, heads of the fathers.
11And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
8And Shaharaim begat children in the field of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.
9And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcam,
10and Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers’ houses.
11And of Hushim he begat Abitub and Elpaal.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
8And Shaharaim begat in the field of Moab, after his sending them away; Hushim and Baara are his wives.
9And he begetteth of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,
10and Jeuz, and Shachiah, and Mirmah. These are his sons, heads of fathers.
11And of Hushim he begat Ahitub and Elpaal.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
8And Shaharaim begot [children] in the land of Moab after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives.
9And he begot of Hodesh his wife: Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,
10and Jeuz, and Shobia, and Mirmah; these were his sons, chief fathers.
11And of Hushim he begot Abitub, and Elpaal.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
8And Saharim begot in the land of Moab, after he sent away Husim and Bara his wives.
9And he begot of Hodes his wife Jobab, and Sebia, and Mosa, and Molchom,
10And Jehus and Sechia, and Marma. These were his sons heads of their families.
11And Mehusim begot Abitob, and Elphaal.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Chronicles 8:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that these verses record the genealogy of Shaharaim, a Benjamite who lived for a time in Moab after a family upheaval. The Hebrew phrase “after he had sent them away” (מִן־שִׁלְחוֹ אֹתָם) uses the infinitive construct of shalach (H7971, “to send away”), which Barnes and others take as referring to divorce. The mention of two wives, then a third named Hodesh, has led to two main views. Clarke, citing the Targum, suggests Hodesh is another name for Baara, taken back after a separation. Gill and Keil & Delitzsch treat Hodesh as a new wife, distinct from the ones he divorced. All agree the children listed became “heads of fathers’ households”, clan leaders within Benjamin. The passage is part of the Chronicler’s larger project of recording tribal lineages after the exile, showing that even through disruption and relocation, the tribe of Benjamin endured.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Divorce and remarriage view: Shaharaim sent away (divorced) Hushim and Baara, then took Hodesh as a new wife. This is the majority reading (Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Keil).
- Reconciliation view: Hodesh is Baara remarrying/being renamed; the Targum and Clarke support this. The children are from a reconciled relationship.
- Sending away of children view: Some (mentioned by Gill but rejected) think Shilhootham is a wife’s name or that the sending away refers to sons. This does not fit the context well.
What is clear: The text records that Shaharaim had children in Moab and that his sons became clan leaders in Benjamin, regardless of the exact circumstances of his family situation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Hodesh | She is stated as a wife of Shaharaim and mother of seven sons. | Some (Clarke, citing Targum) identify Hodesh with Baara, renamed after a reconciliation. Others (Gill, Keil) see her as a new wife taken after the divorce. |
| Meaning of “after he had sent them away” | The verb is shalach (H7971), its meaning includes sending away, dismissing, or divorcing. | Most commentators read this as divorce (Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). Gill mentions a view that Shilhootham is a wife’s name, which he rejects. The RSV/NIV take it as divorce. A minority read it as sending away children or other persons. |
| Reason for moving to Moab | Shaharaim relocated to Moab, likely for economic or safety reasons. | Some tie it to famine (like Elimelech in Ruth 1:1); Ellicott suggests expulsion from Geba due to clan conflict. The text gives no explicit reason. |
| Purpose of this genealogy | It belongs to the Chronicler’s larger genealogical introduction (1 Chr 1, 9), establishing tribal lines for post-exilic Israel. | Some see it as purely historical record; others emphasize a theological message of renewal after judgment. The brevity limits certainty. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Chronicler wrote after the Babylonian exile, likely in the late 6th or 5th century BC. These genealogies served a purpose: to connect the post-exilic community to its roots in the land and tribes. Benjamin’s territory lay close to Jerusalem, and its lineage mattered for claims to land and identity. Shaharaim’s move to Moab echoes the earlier story of Elimelech (Ruth 1:1). Moab was a neighboring region, not always friendly to Israel, but a place of refuge in times of famine or conflict. The text does not say why Shaharaim left Geba. Ellicott suggests he was “expelled from Geba” in the clan conflicts hinted at in verses 6, 7, where some Benjamites were “carried captive to Manahath.”
The mention of multiple wives is typical for the period. Polygamy was legal, though not the ideal of Genesis 2. The Hebrew word for “sent away” (שָׁלַח) is used elsewhere for divorce, as in Abraham sending away Hagar (Genesis 25:6). But some commentators consider an alternative: the phrase could mean “from when he sent them (his children) away,” though that creates its own difficulties. The placement of “Hushim and Baara his wives” right after the verb suggests the object is these women. The grammar favors the divorce reading, as Gill and Barnes argue.
Why record this? The Chronicler often includes imperfect families to show God’s grace working through human failure. Shaharaim’s sons become clan heads, leaders in Benjamin. The genealogy asserts that even a family fractured by divorce and exile contributed to the tribe’s future. For early readers returning from exile, this message offered hope: their own fragmented stories could still yield fruit.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note a minor textual variant in how the phrase “after he had sent them away. Hushim and Baara were his wives” is read. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges observes that the Revised Version margin reads “sent away Hushim and Baara his wives,” taking them as the direct object of the verb. This reading simplifies the grammar and aligns with modern translations like the BSB and NIV. The Masoretic text places the wives after a pause, but the sense is likely the same: Shaharaim divorced Hushim and Baara. No significant textual variants affect the names or the overall meaning.
Reception History
This passage has received limited attention in church history, mostly from commentators working through the genealogies. The early church focused on Christ’s lineage in Matthew and Luke, not these names. Medieval Jewish exegetes like Rashi and Kimchi (mentioned by Gill) grappled with the grammar and the identity of Hodesh. Protestant Reformers such as Calvin and Luther did not comment directly on these verses, but their tradition valued all Scripture as profitable for teaching. John Gill (18th century) and Matthew Henry (17th century) treated it as showing the providence of God in preserving the tribe of Benjamin despite family upheaval. In modern times, the passage is often cited in discussions on divorce and the genealogical genre of Chronicles.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Crisis leads to relocation. Shaharaim leaves Benjamin for Moab, likely driven by famine or conflict. God works even in displacement.
- Broken families are not beyond redemption. The divorce is recorded without moral comment, but the children become leaders. God’s purposes are not derailed by human failure.
- God preserves a remnant. The Chronicler carefully lists names to show Benjamin’s continuity into the post-exilic period. No detail is wasted.
Five-point outline
- Setting: the time after the exile. The genealogy reminds the returned community that they belong to a long story.
- The move to Moab. A Benjamite family takes refuge in a foreign land, reflecting later exiles.
- The divorce. The sending away of wives raises questions about sin and consequence, but the text does not dwell on judgment.
- The new family. Children by Hodesh (or Baara remarried) become the seeds of clan leadership.
- The outcome: heads of fathers’ houses. God brings order out of chaos. The names are preserved for future generations.
Illustration hooks
- A family tree drawn in a church foyer: not all branches are neat, but each person has a story.
- Moving to a new city after a divorce: the sense of starting over, uncertain what will come.
- A genealogy website that fills in missing names: the Chronicler did the same work for the post-exilic community.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible include messy family stories like this one?
- What does this genealogy have to do with me today?
- Is there hope for a family that has gone through divorce or estrangement?
Leading a Discussion
These four verses sit within a long list of names. They are easy to skip over. But they reveal something about how God works through real, complicated families. Shaharaim left his home, sent away his wives, started a new family in a foreign land, and his sons became leaders. The passage does not excuse the divorce, but it does show that God’s plan for Israel did not stop because of it.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the structure of this passage? How does it connect to the verses before and after?
- The text says Shaharaim “sent them away.” What range of meanings could this have? Why does it matter which one we choose?
- How does the Chronicler’s decision to include this story shape the way we read the rest of 1 Chronicles?
- Why do you think the Chronicler records the names of children we know nothing else about?
- What does this genealogy teach us about God’s character, especially in light of human failure?
- How might this passage encourage someone who feels their family history is too broken to matter?
- If you were to write a “genealogy of grace” from your own life, what names or events would you include?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 25:6 | but Abraham gave gifts to the sons of Abraham’s concubines. While he still lived, he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the east country. |
| Ruth 1:1 | In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke suggests that the woman named Hodesh in this verse is actually Baara under a new name. He supports this by noting that no children are credited to Baara, and the Targum explains she was called Hodesh because her husband remarried her after divorcing her.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes specifies that the phrase "sent them away" should be read as a formal divorce from two named wives, Hushim and Baara. He insists on this precise translation rather than a general dismissal.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the Hebrew phrasing allows for a different reading, which the Revised Version margin adopts: Hushim and Baara were sent away rather than simply being named as wives. It also flags a more precise translation of "fathers' houses" for the phrase often rendered "of the fathers."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that Shaharaim had children in Moab only after sending away his first two wives, Hushim and Baara. He then fathered additional sons with a third wife, Hodesh, whose children are listed as chief fathers of the tribe.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the phrase "sent them away" should be understood as Shaharaim divorcing his wives Hushim and Baara before he fathered children in Moab with a new wife named Hodesh. He rejects alternative readings that interpret it as a relocation or as a wife's name.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB suggests an alternative to the usual reading of Shaharaim's conduct. Rather than divorcing his two wives and marrying a third, it may be that Baara is the same woman later called Hodesh, meaning Shaharaim returned to her after a long separation.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch notes that Shaharaim, a Benjamite, lived in Moab for a long time after divorcing his wives Hushim and Baara. He then fathered sons with Hodesh, including heads of families who built the cities Ono and Lydda, the latter identified as the Lydda in Acts.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that this detailed genealogy of Benjamin and Saul's house appears to come from a separate document, supplementing the shorter list in the previous chapter. He notes the chronicler treats Benjamin and the royal line of Saul with the same exactness as Judah and David's house, showing their equal importance in Israel's history.