Jesse’s Sons by A. B. L.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 18, 1873

Jesse’s Sons.

By A. B. L.

A CORRESPONDENT desires 1 Chron. 2:15, harmonized with 1 Sam. 16:10-13.

1 Chron. 2:13-15, gives an account of how many sons Jesse begat, giving their names from Eliab, the first, to David, the seventh; and we see by reading 1 Sam. 16:11-13, that David was the youngest, and we read in verse 10, of the same chapter, that Jesse had made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel before calling David.

Also in 1 Sam. 17:12, it is plainly stated that Jesse had eight sons. 1 Chron. 2:16, speaks of the two daughters of Jesse, Zeruiah and Abigail, giving the names of both their sons, with Jether, the husband of Abigail. Is it inconsistent to reckon Jether, the son-in-law, with the seven begotten sons of Jesse, as he is spoken of again in 2 Sam. 17:24, thereby giving some pre-eminence to his name, while Zeruiah’s husband’s name is not mentioned at all?

Dr. Adam Clarke, in speaking of the genealogy of Christ, recorded by Matthew and Luke, says:—

“As the Hebrews never permit women to enter into their genealogical tables, whenever a family happened to end with a daughter, instead of naming her in the genealogy, they inserted her husband as the son of him who was in reality but his father-in-law.”

A. B. L.