929 at the Sthiebel: I Chronicles 2

The ordering of the sons of Israel are off. If the order was purely chronological by birth, it should be Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issacher, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin. If the order was chronologically by wife, it would be (Leah) Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar; (Bilhah) Dan, Naphtali; (Zilpah) Zebulun, Gad; (Rachel) Joseph, Benjamin. If it was listed by chief wife versus concubine it would be (Leah) Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar; (Rachel) Joseph, Benjamin; (Bilhah) Dan, Naphtali, (Zilpah) Gad, Asher.

Any of these ways Dan is out of place and is listed before Joseph. Malbim explains that Dan is listed immediately before Joseph because it was Dan's birth that led to the birth of Joseph. Rachel was childless and Leah had already had multiple children. Rachel decided to give her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob (Exodus 30:3). Bilhah then gave birth to Dan. The Malbim explains that it was Rachel’s selfless act of giving her maidservant over that ultimately led to her becoming pregnant with Joseph. Because of this, Dan is listed before Joseph.

There could also be a political reason. The first king of Israel was Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. After the split of the kingdom, the northern kingdom was more often than not associated with the tribe of Joseph. Chronicles is about the kingdom of Judah and the line of King David. It would make sense to try to push down the significance of Rachel’s sons- Joseph and Benjamin. By placing Dan before them, the author is reminding the reader that Joseph was born after even the sons of the maidservant. Yes, Judah was also not a first born, but he was born before Joseph and before the maidservant children. By splitting the children of the maidservants, and placing Joseph and Benjamin in between, the author highlights this point.

Josh Blechner, 929

Tamar’s place in the family and Judah’s posterity are secured. She gives birth to twins, Perez and Zerah (Gen 38:29–30; 1 Chr 2:4), thus restoring two sons to Judah, who has lost two. Their birth is reminiscent of the birth of Rebekah’s twin sons, at which Jacob came out holding Esau’s heel (Gen 25:24–26). Perez does him one better. The midwife marks Zerah’s hand with a scarlet cord when it emerges from the womb first, but Perez (whose name means “barrier-breach”) edges his way through. From his line would come David.

Tamar was assertive of her rights and subversive of convention. She was also deeply loyal to Judah’s family. These qualities also show up in Ruth, who appears later in the lineage of Perez and preserves Boaz’s part of that line. The blessing at Ruth’s wedding underscores the similarity in its hope that Boaz’s house “be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah” (Ruth 4:12). Tamar’s (and Ruth’s) traits of assertiveness in action, willingness to be unconventional, and deep loyalty to family are the very qualities that distinguish their descendant, King David.

Tikva Frymer-Kensky, JWA: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/tamar-bible

The name Beit Lechem in Hebrew translates to “the house of bread.” However, the Arabic name, Beit Lahm, means “house of meat.” According to scholars, both Semitic languages inherited this word from an earlier meaning of “the main food.” When flour was the basis of the main food, then lechem meant bread; for those who relied primarily on meat, then the same root took on that meaning.

There are two other words with the same root as lechem: milchama- “war” and halchama – “welding.” Many linguists suggest that all these words are related. Welding brings things closer, and in war in ancient times, the combatants were very close to one another. And what about lechem? Some scholars claim that people feel very close to lechem (“food”), whereas others says that lechemas flesh came earlier, and explain that flesh is very close to the bone.