Beriah also, and Shema. — After these two names the Masoretic punctuators have put a stop. Thus 1 Chronicles 8:12-13 give five sons of Elpaal. Or 1 Chronicles 8:13 may be disconnected from 1 Chronicles 8:12, and Beriah and Shema regarded as beginning a new series of Benjamite clans.
Who were heads of the fathers.... — Rather, “THEY were heads of the clans of the inhabitants of Aijalon; THEY put to flight the inhabitants of Gath.” The pronoun is emphatic in both cases. The clans of Beriah and Shema, who were settled at Ajalon (Yalo), near Gibeon, appear to have expelled a Gittite population from Ajalon, and dwelt in their stead. At all events, there is evident allusion to some famous exploit, in which the two Benjamite houses were more fortunate than the Ephraimites Ezer and Elead (1 Chronicles 7:21). We must not identify this Benjamite Beriah with the Ephraimite Beriah of 1 Chronicles 7:23. There was also an Asherite clan of Beriah (1 Chronicles 7:30).