וּבִנְיָמִן הוֹלִיד אֶת־בֶּלַע בְּכֹרוֹ אַשְׁבֵּל הַשֵּׁנִי וְאַחְרַח הַשְּׁלִישִׁי

Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Ahrah the third,

נוֹחָה הָרְבִיעִי וְרָפָא הַחֲמִישִׁי

Noha the fourth, and Rafa the fifth. Some of these names correspond to the names that appear in the Torah, occasionally with slight differences, while others are hard to identify. As is the case throughout this book, it seems that many individuals had two names, or nicknames.

וַיִּהְיוּ בָנִים לְבָלַע אַדָּר וְגֵרָא וַאֲבִיהוּד

Bela had sons, descendants, Adar, Gera, Avihud,

וַאֲבִישׁוּעַ וְנַעֲמָן וַאֲחוֹחַ

Avishua, Naaman, Aho’ah,

וְגֵרָא וּשְׁפוּפָן וְחוּרָם

Gera, Shefufan, and Huram,

וְאֵלֶּה בְּנֵי אֵחוּד אֵלֶּה הֵם רָאשֵׁי אָבוֹת לְיוֹשְׁבֵי גֶבַע וַיַּגְלוּם אֶל מָנָחַת

these people mentioned above are the sons of Ehud. These are the heads of patrilineal houses, the heads of families, of the inhabitants of Geva, and they were exiled to a place called Manahat, although it is unclear when and why this happened.

וְנַעֲמָן וַאֲחִיָּה וְגֵרָא הוּא הֶגְלָם וְהוֹלִיד אֶת־עֻזָּא וְאֶת־אֲחִיחֻד

As for Naaman and Ahiya, it was Gera who exiled them, and he, Gera, who banished them or caused them to depart, stayed in his place, and begot Uza and Ahihud.

וְשַׁחֲרַיִם הוֹלִיד בִּשְׂדֵה מוֹאָב מִן־שִׁלְחוֹ אֹתָם חוּשִׁים וְאֶת־בַּעֲרָא נָשָׁיו

After he sent them away, Shaharayim had children in the field of Moav; after Gera had banished the heads of the families from Giva, Shaharayim went to the field of Moav, where he fathered children with Hushim and Baara, who were his wives.

וַיּוֹלֶד מִן־חֹדֶשׁ אִשְׁתּוֹ אֶת־יוֹבָב וְאֶת־צִבְיָא וְאֶת־מֵישָׁא וְאֶת־מַלְכָּם

And he begot from Hodesh, the name of his other wife: Yovav, Tzivya, Meisha, Malkam,

וְאֶת־יְעוּץ וְאֶת־שָׂכְיָה וְאֶת־מִרְמָה אֵלֶּה בָנָיו רָאשֵׁי אָבוֹת

Yeutz, Sakhya, and Mirma. All these men are his sons, heads of the patrilineal houses.

וּמֵחֻשִׁים הוֹלִיד אֶת־אֲבִיטוּב וְאֶת־אֶלְפָּעַל

From his wife Hushim, he begot Avituv and Elpaal.

וּבְנֵי אֶלְפַּעַל עֵבֶר וּמִשְׁעָם וָשָׁמֶד הוּא בָּנָה אֶת־אוֹנוֹ וְאֶת־לֹד וּבְנֹתֶיהָ

The sons of Elpaal: Ever, Misham, and Shemed; he built Ono and Lod and its environs, nearby towns and villages. These places were located within the borders of the territory of Benjamin, in its western portion.

וּבְרִעָה וָשֶׁמַע הֵמָּה רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְיוֹשְׁבֵי אַיָּלוֹן הֵמָּה הִבְרִיחוּ אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵי גַת

Beria and Shema, from the sons of Elpaal, perhaps other names for Ever and Misham, they were heads of patrilineal houses of the inhabitants of Ayalon; they caused the inhabitants of Gatto flee.

וְאַחְיוֹ שָׁשָׁק וִירֵמוֹת

Ahyo, Shashak, Yeremot,

וּזְבַדְיָה וַעֲרָד וָעָדֶר

Zevadya, Arad, Eder,

וּמִיכָאֵל וְיִשְׁפָּה וְיוֹחָא בְּנֵי בְרִיעָה

Mikhael, Yishpa, and Yoha, all these men were the sons of Beria.

וּזְבַדְיָה וּמְשֻׁלָּם וְחִזְקִי וָחָבֶר

Zevadya, Meshulam, Hizki, Hever,

וְיִשְׁמְרַי וְיִזְלִיאָה וְיוֹבָב בְּנֵי אֶלְפָּעַל

Yishmerai, Yizliah, and Yovav were the sons of Elpaal, who was mentioned above, together with some of his sons (verses 11–12).

וְיָקִים וְזִכְרִי וְזַבְדִּי

Yakim, Zikhri, Zavdi,

וֶאֱלִיעֵנַי וְצִלְּתַי וֶאֱלִיאֵל

Eli’enai, Tziletai, Eliel,

וַעֲדָיָה וּבְרָאיָה וְשִׁמְרָת בְּנֵי שִׁמְעִי

Adaya, Beraya, and Shimrat were the sons of Shimi.

וְיִשְׁפָּן וָעֵבֶר וֶאֱלִיאֵל

Yishpan, Eved, Eliel,

וְעַבְדּוֹן וְזִכְרִי וְחָנָן

Avdon, Zikhri, Hanan;

וַחֲנַנְיָה וְעֵילָם וְעַנְתֹתִיָּה

Hananya, Elam, Antotiya,

וְיִפְדְּיָה וּפְנוּאֵל בְּנֵי שָׁשָׁק

Yifdeya and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.

וְשַׁמְשְׁרַי וּשְׁחַרְיָה וַעֲתַלְיָה

Shamsherai, Sheharya, Atalya, which is apparently the name of a man here, as opposed to the well-known Atalya, the royal mother and queen;

וְיַעֲרֶשְׁיָה וְאֵלִיָּה וְזִכְרִי בְּנֵי יְרֹחָם

Yaareshya, Eliya, and Zikhri were the sons of Yeroham.

אֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי אָבוֹת לְתֹלְדוֹתָם רָאשִׁים אֵלֶּה יָשְׁבוּ בִירוּשָׁלִָם

These are heads of patrilineal houses by their progeny, in order of birth; these heads settled in Jerusalem, part of which was in the territory of Benjamin.

וּבְגִבְעוֹן יָשְׁבוּ אֲבִי גִבְעוֹן וְשֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ מַעֲכָה

In Givon, the father of the settlement of Givon settled, and his wife’s name was Maakha;

וּבְנוֹ הַבְּכוֹר עַבְדּוֹן וצוּר וְקִישׁ וּבַעַל וְנָדָב

his firstborn son was called Avdon, and the rest of his sons were called Tzur, Kish, Baal, Nadav,

וּגְדוֹר וְאַחְיוֹ וָזָכֶר

Gedor, Ahyo, and Zekher.

וּמִקְלוֹת הוֹלִיד אֶת־שִׁמְאָה וְאַף־הֵמָּה נֶגֶד אֲחֵיהֶם יָשְׁבוּ בִירוּשָׁלִַם עִם־אֲחֵיהֶם

Miklot, who was also a son of the man known as the father of the settlement of Givon, begot Shima. They too, the members of this family, settled like their brethren in Jerusalem, like their brothers, they lived in Jerusalem with their brethren.

וְנֵר הוֹלִיד אֶת־קִישׁ וְקִישׁ הוֹלִיד אֶת־שָׁאוּל וְשָׁאוּל הוֹלִיד אֶת־יְהוֹנָתָן וְאֶת־מַלְכִּי־שׁוּעַ וְאֶת־אֲבִינָדָב וְאֶת־אֶשְׁבָּעַל

Ner begot Kish, and Kish begot Saul. This teaches that Avner son of Ner was a close relative of Saul. This accounts for his unique relationship with the house of Saul. And Saul begot Yehonatan, about whom much is related in the book of Samuel, Malki Shua, Avinadav, and Eshbaal, also called Ish Boshet in the book of Samuel. This is the same name, but as the Baal is an idol, this part of the name was replaced by the derogatory term boshet, or shame.

וּבֶן־יְהוֹנָתָן מְרִיב בָּעַל וּמְרִיב בַּעַל הוֹלִיד אֶת־מִיכָה

The son of Yehonatan was Meriv Baal, more frequently called Mefivoshet, and Meriv Baal begot Mikha.

וּבְנֵי מִיכָה פִּיתוֹן וָמֶלֶךְ וְתַאְרֵעַ וְאָחָז

The sons of Mikha: Piton, Melekh, Taare’a, and Ahaz.

וְאָחָז הוֹלִיד אֶת־יְהוֹעַדָּה וִיהוֹעַדָּה הוֹלִיד אֶת־עָלֶמֶת וְאֶת־עַזְמָוֶת וְאֶת־זִמְרִי וְזִמְרִי הוֹלִיד אֶת־מוֹצָא

Ahaz begot Yehoada; Yehoada begot Alemet, Azmavet, and Zimri; Zimri begot Motza;

וּמוֹצָא הוֹלִיד אֶת־בִּנְעָא רָפָה בְנוֹ אֶלְעָשָׂה בְנוֹ אָצֵל בְּנוֹ

Motza begot Bine’a; Rafa was his, Bine’a’s son, and thus the generations continued: Elasa his son, Atzel his son.

וּלְאָצֵל שִׁשָּׁה בָנִים וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹתָם עַזְרִיקָם בֹּכְרוּ וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל וּשְׁעַרְיָה וְעֹבַדְיָה וְחָנָן כָּל־אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי אָצַל

Atzel had six sons and these are their names: Azrikam, Bokhru, Yishmael, Shearya, Ovadya, and Hanan. All these are the sons of Atzel.

וּבְנֵי עֵשֶׁק אָחִיו אוּלָם בְּכֹרוֹ יְעוּשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי וֶאֱלִיפֶלֶט הַשְּׁלִשִׁי

The sons of Eshek his brother, the brother of Atzel: Ulam his firstborn, Yeush the second, and Elifelet the third.

וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי־אוּלָם אֲנָשִׁים גִּבּוֹרֵי־חַיִל דֹּרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת וּמַרְבִּים בָּנִים וּבְנֵי בָנִים מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים כָּל־אֵלֶּה מִבְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן

The sons of Ulam were mighty warriors, archers, and had many children and grandchildren, and the family numbered one hundred and fifty men in total. All these are of the children of Benjamin.