Ozem the sixth, David the seventh— Ozem the sixth, Elihu the seventh, David the eighth. Houbigant. Comp. 1 Samuel 16:11; 1 Samuel 17:12 from which it will appear that Jesse had eight sons, and that David was the youngest of them. Houbigant follows the Syriac and Arabic.
REFLECTIONS.—We have here the illustrious family of Jacob; and of them, Judah, as most distinguished, has the pre-eminence in his genealogy. Of him we have the largest account, not only because he was of the royal tribe, but for the Messiah's sake, who sprung from him. The names of many of his descendants, Er, Onan, Achan, and Tamar, his incestuous daughter-in-law, are marked with infamy in Scripture: yet to these was the friend of sinners allied, and from her descended. Let not the greatest criminals despair!
The family of Jesse is particularly taken notice of, for David's sake, of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. He is called the seventh son of Jesse; though in 1 Samuel 16:10. Jesse had eight, and he was the youngest. Perhaps one of them died before he came to the crown, or one of the eight might be by another wife.