15and Machir took a wife [1]of Huppim and Shuppim, [2]whose sister's name was Maacah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters. 16And Maacah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. 17And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. 18And his sister [2]Hammolecheth bare Ishhod, and [3]Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19And the sons of Shemida were Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.
20And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eleadah his son, and Tahath his son, 21and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer,
15. took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim] i.e. allied himself by marriage to these two families.
whose sister's name] Render, and his (Machir's) sister's name. The statement regarding Maacah is ethnographical, and means that the people of Maacah (a district at the foot of Hermon) were related by blood to Machir (the Eastern Manassites).
Zelophehad had daughters] Num. xxvii. 1—11.
16. wife of] But in ver. 15, Maacah is sister of Machir. The text of vv. 15, 16 has probably suffered some disturbance.
17. the sons of Ulam] Sons of Ulam are mentioned (viii. 40) among the descendants of Benjamin: a variation in the tradition of their descent.
18. Abiezer] Gideon's family; Judg. vi. 11; cp. Josh. xvii. 2.
19. Shechem] This name represents the Israelite portion of the inhabitants of Shechem: the rest of the inhabitants were Hivites or Canaanites. See Judg. ix.
20—27. The Line of Ephraim to Joshua.
20—27. The section presents several difficulties, arising either from the attempt to combine various threads of traditions or possibly from textual corruption. Note that Ezer and Elead, who in ver. 21 are removed by several generations from Ephraim, are in ver. 22 f. treated as his immediate sons.
20. Shuthelah . . . Bered . . . Tahath . . . Eleadah] These four names appear to correspond with Shuthelah . . . Becher . . . Tahan . . . Eran in Num. xxvi. 35, 36.
