1 Chronicles 8:8
And Shaharaim begate children in the countrey of Moab. After hee had sent them away: Hushim, and Baara were his wiues. 1 Chronicles 8:8 (KJV)
The book of 1 Chronicles belongs to the historical books of the Old Testament and is primarily concerned with the genealogy and history of Israel, especially the lineages of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In chapter 8 the chronicler records the descendants of the tribe of Benjamin, and verse 8:8 mentions Shaharaim as a figure who “begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.”
Shaharaim is presented in this verse as an ancestor within the Benjaminite line. While the name does not appear in many modern standard translations of 1 Chronicles, the KJV rendering includes it, and some scholars note that the name is absent from other textual traditions. The verse therefore highlights a point of textual variation that readers should be aware of when studying the genealogical records.
Moab, situated east of the Jordan River, was inhabited by the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. The Moabites were therefore distant relatives of the Israelites. The reference to Shaharaim having children in Moab suggests that members of the Benjaminite family at times lived beyond the borders of Israel, perhaps for economic or familial reasons, before returning or maintaining ties to their tribal heritage.
The mention of Hushim and Baara as Shaharaim’s wives reflects the practice of polygamy that was common in ancient Israel, though it was not the original design of marriage established by God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:24). By naming the wives, the chronicler provides a fuller picture of the family structure and ensures that the lineage can be traced through both paternal and maternal lines.
In summary, 1 Chronicles 8:8 offers a concise yet informative snapshot of a Benjaminite ancestor, his marital relationships, and his connection to Moab. The verse also serves as a reminder that biblical genealogies sometimes contain names that are preserved in some textual traditions but omitted in others, inviting careful comparison of translations and manuscript evidence when conducting a study of Israel’s ancestral records.
