They found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceful; for those who lived there before were descended from Ham.
Parallel Translations
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They found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceful; for those who lived there before were descended from Ham.
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And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.
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And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they that dwelt there aforetime were of Ham.
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to 1 Chronicles 4:40 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Judges 18:7-10 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in safety, in the way of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with anyone else. They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers asked them, “What do you say?” They said, “Arise, and let’s go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. Do you stand still? Don’t be slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land. When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
- Genesis 9:22-29 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.” Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
- Genesis 10:6 The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
- Psalms 78:51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
- Psalms 105:23 Israel also came into Egypt. Jacob lived in the land of Ham.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (10 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ch 4:40 And they found fat pasture and good,…
1Ch 4:40 And they found fat pasture and good, and the land [was] wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for [they] of Ham had dwelt there of old.
Ver. 40. And they found fat pasture and good.] This tempted the Simeonites to set upon them, as the wealth of Cyprus did the old Romans; {a} and as the pearls usually cast out with the flood and gathered at the ebb, drew Caesar’s affection for the conquest of Britain. {b}
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For quiet, and peaceable.] See on Jdg 18:27-28.
And they of Ham had dwelt there.] The cursed Canaanites.
{a} Sext. Rufus
{b} {Suetonius, Julius Caesar, l. 1. c. 47. 1:95}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain They of Ham, i.e. the posterity of that cursed…
They of Ham, i.e. the posterity of that cursed Ham; either the Arabians; or the Canaanites or Philistines, who descended from Ham, Gen 10:6. And accordingly these words contain a reason, either,
1. To prove that the land was good; because the Arabians, who, being wholly given to pasturage, used to find out the choicest grounds, had formerly pitched their tents there. Or,
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2. Why they went and possessed this place, because it was not in the hands of their brethren of Judah, but in the possession of that people which they had authority and command to expel.
Had dwelt there of old, i.e. had possessed it of old and hitherto. Or, dwelt there before, i.e. before they came and cast them out of their possessions.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And some of them, even of the sons of…
And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men went to Mount Seir,.... In the land of Edom:
having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi; these four captains are said, by the ancient Rabbins, to be of the tribe of Manasseh, as Kimchi observes; see Ch1 5:24 but as the five hundred they were at the head of were of the sons of Simeon, the captains, no doubt, were of the same race.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Fat pasture, &c. - Those who thus dwelt (as…
Fat pasture, &c. - Those who thus dwelt (as we do) in a fruitful country, and whose land is wide and quiet and peaceable, have reason to own themselves indebted to that God, who appoints the bounds of our habitation. Of Ham - The Canaanites, who descended from Ham. And accordingly these words contain a reason, why they went and possessed this place, because it was not in the hands of their brethren of Judah, but in the possession of that people which they had authority to expel.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 40. They of Ham had dwelt there of…
Verse 40. They of Ham had dwelt there of old.] These were probably either Philistines or Egyptians, who dwelt at Gedor, which was situated in the environs of Joppa and Samnia.
Those whom the five hundred Simeonites expelled from Seir were Amalekites, 1Ch 4:43.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Ch 4:40. They found fat pasture, &c. — Those…
1Ch 4:40. They found fat pasture, &c. — Those who thus dwelt (as we do) in a fruitful country, and whose land is wide, and quiet, and peaceable, have reason to own themselves indebted to that God, who appoints the bounds o four habitation. Of Ham — The Canaanites, who descended from Ham. And, accordingly, these words contain a reason why they went and possessed this place, because it was not in the hands of their brethren of Judah, but in the possession of that people which they had authority to expel.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Cham. It is not certain that the Philistines, who…
Cham. It is not certain that the Philistines, who came from the country of the Casluim, were descendants of Mezraim, Genesis x. 14. But it is very clear that the Egyptians sprung from Cham, Psalm lxxvii. 51.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 40. they of Ham] Canaanites who had not been…
40. they of Ham] Canaanites who had not been dispossessed at the Conquest and therefore expected no disturbance at a later time.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (40) And they found fat pasture and good.—If Gerar…
(40) And they found fat pasture and good.—If Gerar was the right reading in 1Ch_4:39, we might compare Gen_26:17 seq.
And the land was wide.—Gen_34:21. Literally, broad of both hands—i.e., on both sides. An open plain is meant.
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And quiet and peaceable.—Like Laish, which the Danites took by surprise (Jdg_18:7; Jdg_18:28).
They of Ham had dwelt there of old.—That is, they who were then dwelling there were Hamites or Canaanites (1Ch_1:8).
Of old.—Literally, before (lephânîm); that is, before the Simeonite invasion.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Fat pasture.
Fat pasture.
This passage relates an expedition of certain Simeonite chiefs and their followers, which took place in the days of Hezekiah. The tribe of Simeon was restless and warlike. This exploit was performed, apparently, from selfish, rapacious motives. The Simeonites wanted more pasture for their flocks; and, finding just what suited them in a territory possessed by their neighbours, they invaded their fertile and peaceful valley, slew the inhabitants, and seized their lands for their own use. What circumstances may have justified or extenuated such a proceeding we are not told.
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I PLENTY IS A DIVINE GIFT. The land itself is the gift of God. Its favourable situation, its chemical constituents, the sunshine and the moisture, which make up its fertility, all are from him, and are proofs of his creative wisdom and goodness. The flocks and herds, and their increase, are his, whose are "the cattle upon a thousand hills." When the valleys are covered over with corn, when the sheep bleat in the pastures, when there is abundant provision for man and beast, then let our hearts ascend in gratitude to him who "openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing.
II PLENTY HAS MANY ADVANTAGES. In communities which are abundantly supplied with the necessities and comforts of life, there is opportunity and leisure for the cultivation of arts and learning, there is stimulus for commerce and manufactures, there is capacity for benevolence and for evangelization. If it is well used, plenty is a blessing. Only let all things be received as immediately from God"s hand, and be regarded as a sacred trust to be used for his glory and in his service.
III PLENTY IS NOT WITHOUT ITS DANGERS. It was foreseen that when Israel quitted the wilderness, and entered upon possession of the land flowing with milk and honey, there would be a temptation to forget God, and to take credit for national prosperity and wealth. Against the perils of plenty and prosperity, let the fortunate and happy be ever on their guard.
T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.