1 Chronicles 18:16

Or, Seraiah.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 16. Zadok-and Abimelech - priests] Both high priests; one at Gibeon, and the other at Jerusalem, as we have seen 1Ch 16:39.

Shavsha was scribe] Called Seraiah, 2Sa 8:17.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) Zadok, of the line of Eleazar (1Ch_6:4-8). (Comp. 1Ch_12:28; 1Ch_16:39; 2Sa_8:17; 2Sa_15:24; 2Sa_19:11; 1Ki_1:8; 1Ki_4:4.)

Abimelech the son of Abiathar.—Read Ahimelech the son of Abiathar. Samuel has “Ahimelech the son of Abiathar.” Elsewhere Zadok and Abiathar figure as the priests of David’s reign (comp. 2Sa_15:29; 2Sa_15:35), and as Abiathar was a son of the Ahimelech who was slain at Nob by Saul’s orders (1Sa_22:20), it has been proposed to read here and in the parallel passage,” Abiathar the son of Ahimelech.” The correction, however, is far from certain, inasmuch as an “Ahimelech son of Abiathar,” who was priest in David’s time, is mentioned thrice in 1Ch_24:3; 1Ch_24:6; 1Ch_24:31, and this Ahimelech may have been acting as locum tenens for his father at the time when this brief list was drawn up. In the absence of details, it would be arbitrary to alter the text of four different passages of the Chronicles. In Samuel the Syriac and Arabic read “Abiathar son of Ahimelech,” but here LXX., Vulg., Syriac, Arabic, all have “Ahimelech son of Abiathar.”

Abiathar was of the lineage of Ithamar.

Shavsha.—Besides the variants in the margin, 2Sa_20:25 has “Shĕva” (Heb. margin, Shĕya). Seraiah (with which comp. Israel) appears to be the original name. (Comp. Syriac and Arabic, “Sarîyâ.”)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. Abimelech the son of Abiathar] In 2Sa_8:17, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, but read Abiathar son of Ahimelech in both passages. Cp. 1Ch_15:11; 1Ch_24:2, notes; and Kirkpatrick on 2Sa_8:17.

Shavsha] 2Sa_8:17, Seraiah; ib. 2Sa_20:25 Sheva; and 1Ki_4:3 (perhaps), Shisha. Shisha and Shavsha probably represent two different attempts to pronounce a foreign name; Seraiah and Sheva are mere errors of transcription. Foreigners were admitted to posts of authority in the empire of David and Solomon; Ittai the Gittite and Uriah the Hittite are instances.

scribe] R.V. mg., secretary. See 2Ki_12:10; 2Ki_18:18; 2Ki_22:3; cp. 2Ki_25:19, a passage which suggests that there was a second scribe with military duties. The first, the king’s scribe, would formulate the king’s orders and conduct his correspondence with foreign powers.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Abiathar and Achimelech had both names indifferently. Hebrew reads Abimelech, which is a manifest mistake. The name of Abiathar perhaps ought to be in the place of Achimelech; as we know that he was the son of the latter, and the high priest under David. Some would translate, "and Abiathar, son of Achimelech." --- Susa, or Saraias, secretary.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Abimelech the son of Abiathar. The reading in the parallel place is, "Abimelech the son of Abiathar," as also in 1Ch_24:6; but comparison of 1Sa_22:20; 2Sa_20:25; 1Ki_1:7, 1Ki_1:8, suggests that the right reading would be "Abiathar the son of Ahimelech." With this Mar_2:26 agrees, and tells of a correct manuscript, from which, indirectly, the quotation came. Shavsha. The parallel place reads Seraiaha; 2Sa_20:25 reads Sheva; and 1Ki_4:3 reads Shisha. The differences are probably due simply to errors of transcription. Scribe. The historical development of this title is obscure, and not easy to trace. The use of some form or other of the root is abundantly frequent from the times of the earliest parts of Scripture, in the sense of "numbering," or "declaring," or "recording." Perhaps our title of "secretary" would answer sufficiently to it, and all the better, because the Old Testament scribes were also of different leading kinds, like in some degree to our various secretaries of state. There was the kind of scribe of Jud_1:5:14 where our Authorized Version is far from the mark, and should rather read "the staff of the scribe," in place of "the pen of the writer a military officer, whose duty it was to keep the muster-roll. There was the scribe of 2Ki_25:19 a passage which throws light on the former (see also Isa_33:18; Jer_52:25) There were the scribes of a more literary, lawyer-like, or clerk-like kind, as here, and in the parallel place, and in 2Sa_20:25; 1Ki_4:3; 1Ch_2:55. In the time of Hezekiah, if not before, the scribes became distinctly a class of men (Pro_25:1; Jer_8:8) and the times of the Captivity greatly enlarged their importance. Their exact duties in the best times of the monarchy are not laid down, but the dignified place the king"s scribe held is evident from the company in which he is placed here and in the parallel passage.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and Shavsha was scribe Ahilud was the recorder, and Shavsha would write alongside him.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.