Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 8:40
The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and they had many sons and grandsons—150 in all. All these were the descendants of Benjamin.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Chronicler records genealogical data for the tribe of Benjamin, specifically tracing the lineage of Eshek and his firstborn son Ulam for the post-exilic community. This list functions as a administrative record of tribal inheritance and military readiness.
The words — The text employs גִּבֹּרֵי חַיִל (gibbarei chayil) for "mighty men of valor" and דּוֹרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת (dorkhei keshet) for "archers," literally rendering men who bend the bow. These terms specify that the descendants of Ulam were trained combatants rather than passive clan members.
The thread — The linkage of offspring and warrior status appears in Psalms 127:3 regarding children as a heritage, Psalms 128:3 comparing sons to shoots around a table, and 1 Chronicles 12:2 describing Saul’s kinsmen as archers skilled with both hands. The Chronicler consistently ties tribal identity to both numerical strength and combat proficiency.
Why it lands — The passage demands recognition of the recorded military capacity and numerical size of Benjamin’s line without spiritualizing the genealogy. It requires the reader to acknowledge that the text presents lineage and martial skill as documented historical facts rather than symbolic metaphors.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons’ sons, an hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.
Cross-references
- Psalms 127:3 Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.
- Psalms 128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.
- 1 Chronicles 12:2 they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):
- 2 Chronicles 14:8 Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.