(26) The Hebrew text reads: "Elkanah his son--Elkanah--Zophai his son," &c. Zophai might mean the Zophite. The LXX. has (1 Chronicles 6:25) "And sons of Elkanah, Amessi and Ahimoth;" (1 Chronicles 6:26) "Elkanah his son, Souphi his son," &c. So the Syriac. That this is correct appears from comparison of Heman's pedigree (1 Chronicles 6:35). The second Elkanah in 1 Chronicles 6:26 is therefore an intrusion, due perhaps to some scribe who remembered 1 Samuel 1:1, where Zophim occurs just before Elkanah. In 1 Chronicles 6:35 Elkanah is son of Mahath, son of Amasai. Perhaps Mahath is identical with the Ahimoth of 1 Chronicles 6:25; if so, the true reading of 1 Chronicles 6:25-26 would be: "And sons of Elkanah: Amasai his son, Ahimoth (Mahath) his son, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son," &c. Zophai is to Zuph (1 Chronicles 6:35) as Chelubai (1 Chronicles 2:9) to Chelub (1 Chronicles 4:11). Nahath looks like a transformation of Toah (1 Chronicles 6:34), and Eliab (1 Chronicles 6:27)--"El is father"--may be a by-form of Eliel (ibid.) "El is el." Jeroham and Elkanah go back to Eliel in 1 Chronicles 6:34, just as they spring from Eliab here. The two series again coincide.
6:1-81 Genealogies. - We have an account of Levi in this chapter. The priests and Levites were more concerned than any other Israelites, to preserve their descent clear, and to be able to prove it; because all the honours and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. Now, the Spirit of God calls ministers to their work, without any limit as to the families they came from; and then, as now, though believers and ministers may be very useful to the church, none but our great High Priest can make atonement for sin, nor can any be accepted but through his atonement.
The sons of Kohath, Amminadab,.... The same with Izhar, 1 Chronicles 6:2 the posterity of his brethren, Amram, Hebron, and Uzziel, are omitted; and his genealogy is carried to a considerable length, for the sake of Samuel the prophet, who sprang from him: it stands thus, Korah, Assir, Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, Tahath, Uriel, called Zephaniah, 1 Chronicles 6:36 Uzziah, the same with Azariah, 1 Chronicles 6:36. Shaul, whose name is Joel, 1 Chronicles 6:36 then through the sons of Elkanah, before mentioned, Amasai, Ahimoth, called Mahath, 1 Chronicles 6:35 another Elkanah, Zophai, or Zuph, 1 Chronicles 6:35. Nahath, the same with Toah, 1 Chronicles 6:34 and Tohu, 1 Samuel 1:1, Eliab, called Eliel, 1 Chronicles 6:34, and Elihu, 1 Samuel 1:1, Jeroham, another Elkanah, the father of Samuel the prophet, whose firstborn was Vashni, and whose name also was Joel, 1 Chronicles 6:33 and so here it is read in the Syriac and Arabic versions:
and his second son Abiah.