Synopsis of the Chapter
The descendants of Benjamin are listed more fully, so that the genealogy of Saul may then be traced, verse 33.
Verse 7: Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera ¶
7. NAAMAN, AHIJAH, AND GERA (Supply: are the sons of Ehud, whom I promised to list in the preceding verse) HE (namely 'Gera,' who was just mentioned) DEPORTED THEM — that is, the Ehudites from Gibeah to Manahath, as was said in verse 6. The same Gera 'begot Uzza and Ahihud,' and a third 'Shaharaim,' being 'in the country of Moab,' as follows in verse 8, to which Gera migrated perhaps with Elimelech because of famine, Ruth I.
Verse 28: Who Lived in Jerusalem ¶
28. WHO LIVED IN JERUSALEM. — For Jerusalem belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, which ceded it to Judah so that they might drive the Jebusites from it, as I said at Joshua XVIII and Judges I.
Verse 29: The Father of Gibeon ¶
29. IN GIBEON LIVED THE FATHER OF GIBEON, etc. — that is, the prince of Gibeon, whose proper name was Jehiel, as is said in the next chapter, verse 35, who was the father of Kish the father of Saul, as follows. You will ask: How then does verse 33 say that Ner was the father of Kish and grandfather of Saul? I respond that Jehiel was also called by another name, Ner, meaning 'lamp,' because like a lamp he shone before his whole family. So Emmanuel Sa and Mariana, although others think Jehiel was the father of Ner, whose son was Kish, whose son was Saul.
Verse 33: Esh-baal ¶
33. ESH-BAAL. — This one was also called by another name Ish-bosheth, who was the fourth son of Saul, and David's rival, 2 Kings II, 8.
Verse 34: Merib-baal ¶
34. THE SON OF JONATHAN WAS MERIB-BAAL. — 'Merib-baal' is Mephibosheth; for he was the only son of Jonathan, and the father of Micah, as follows. Mephibosheth is called Merib-baal, that is 'contending with a master,' or 'rebelling against a master': why he was so called is not known. The Hebrews according to St. Jerome in the Traditions give the reason that he murmured against the Lord, who had restored David to the kingdom, because David had taken away his goods and given them to Ziba his servant who was slandering him, 2 Kings XIX, 29. But this is entirely uncertain. It is more likely that he was called Merib-baal because he was forced to contend with his servant Ziba — who was falsely accusing him before David of aspiring to the kingship — not as with a servant, but as with a lord and master, and indeed to divide his inheritance (David so ordering). For this was a notable injury and humiliation to him.