The sons of Israel - The order of the names here approximates to an order determined by legitimacy of birth. A single change - the removal of Dan to the place after Benjamin - would give the following result:

(1) The six sons of the first wife, Leah.

(2) the two sons of the second wife, Rachel.

(3) the two sons of the first concubine, Bilhah.

(4) the two sons of the second concubine, Zilpah.

Dan's undue prominency may, perhaps, be accounted for by his occupying the seventh place in the "blessing of Jacob" Genesis 49:16.

These are the sons of Israel - For this genealogy see the parallel places at Genesis 29:32; Genesis 30:5; Genesis 35:18, Genesis 35:22; Genesis 46:8, etc.

These are the sons of Israel,.... Or Jacob, the other son of Isaac, who had the name of Israel given him, because of his power with God, Genesis 32:28, whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name; the first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun; and between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.

The twelve sons of Israel, arranged as follows: first, the six sons of Leah; then Dan, the son of Rachel's handmaid; next, the sons of Rachel; and finally, the remaining sons of the handmaids. That a different place is assigned to Dan, viz., before the sons of Rachel, from that which he holds in the list in Genesis 35:23., is perhaps to be accounted for by Rachel's wishing the son of her maid Bilhah to be accounted her own (vide Genesis 30:3-6).

These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

Israel: or, Jacob

CHAPTER 2

1Ch 2:1, 2. Sons of Israel.

2:1-55 Genealogies. - We are now come to the register of the children of Israel, that distinguished people, who were to dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations. But now, in Christ, all are welcome to his salvation who come to him; all have equal privileges according to their faith in him, their love and devotedness to him. All that is truly valuable consists in the favour, peace, and image of God, and a life spent to his glory, in promoting the welfare of our fellow-creatures.