24. And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-ephrathah] The Hebrew is certainly corrupt, but can easily be emended with the help of the LXX. Read And after Hezron was dead Caleb went in to Ephrath (verse 19) his father Hezron’s wife and she bare him, etc. Ephrath (= Ephrathah, verse 50, iv. 4) is a name of Bethlehem (Ruth iv. 11; Micah v. 2). “The taking of a father’s wife signified a claim to inherit the father’s possessions (compare 2 Samuel xvi. 22), and the phrase here expresses the legitimacy of Caleb’s residence in northern Judea” (see note on verse 42).
Ashhur] compare iv. 4, 5. Ashhur might be a younger brother of Hur (verses 19, 50); but quite possibly they are one and the same (compare the contraction of Jehoahaz into Ahaz); see also iv. 5.
the father of Tekoa] i.e. the founder of the town or the eponymous ancestor of its inhabitants. For Tekoa see 2 Chronicles xx. 20, note.
25–41.
The Genealogy of the Jerahmeelites.
²⁵And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, Ahijah.
25. Jerahmeel] In David’s time they were, like Caleb, a semi-nomadic clan in the south of Judah; compare 1 Samuel xxvii. 10; xxx. 29. They shared in the northern movements of Caleb (see note on verse 42), and eventually formed part of the post-exilic Jewish community; hence their records do not appear in earlier parts of the Old Testament, but are known to the Chronicler.
Ozem, Ahijah] By a slight change in the Hebrew we get Ozem his brother (so LXX.); compare xxvi. 20 for a similar confusion of reading.
²⁶And Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. ²⁷And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker. ²⁸And the sons of Onam were Shammai, and Jada: and the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur. ²⁹And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail; and she bare him Ahban, and Molid. ³⁰And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children[¹].
[¹] Or, sons.
26. Atarah] see note on Hezron, verse 5.