1 Chronicles 4:14

1Ch 4:14 And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen.

Ver. 14. For they were craftsmen.] Opifices Deo curae sunt. God takes notice of, and care for poor handicraftsmen, who live by their hard labour, who get it and eat it. Yea, the apostle Peter showeth that a poor servant, when he suffereth hard words and ill usage from his master, doth herein find acceptance with God. {1Pe 2:19-20}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The words “and Meonothai” should he added to the end of 1Ch 4:13; but they should be retained also at the commencement of 1Ch 4:14. Or, see the marginal note.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Lord of that valley where the artificers did work.

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

Joab, the father of the valley of Carashim--literally, "the father of the inhabitants of the valley"--"the valley of craftsmen," as the word denotes. They dwelt together, according to a custom which, independently of any law, extensively prevails in Eastern countries for persons of the same trade to inhabit the same street or the same quarter, and to follow the same occupation from father to son, through many generations. Their occupation was probably that of carpenters, and the valley where they lived seems to have been in the neighborhood of Jerusalem (Neh 11:35).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

14. Meonothai] perhaps a son of Othniel.

the valley of Charashim] R.V. marg. the valley of craftsmen. It is mentioned Neh_11:35 along with Lod (the Lydda of Act_9:32) and therefore was probably near Lydda.

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.

And Meonothai,.... Another son of Othniel:

begat Ophrah; and Seraiah, the brother of Othniel, begat Joab; not David's general, but another of the same name, who lived long before him, see Ch1 2:54.

the father of the valley of Charashim: of the inhabitants of the valley, or the prince of them, called the valley of craftsmen, Neh 11:35 the reason of which is here given:

for they were craftsmen; that dwelt in it, carpenters and smiths, both which the word signifies, men that wrought in stone, wood, and iron.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Artificers. Hebrew Charashim, which means various sorts of "workmen," (Calmet) or "father (prince.; Menochius) of Ge-Harasim, for," &c. (Calmet) --- Under this lord the artificers dwelt who built the temple. (Worthington)

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).

The father of the valley, i.e. of the inhabitants of the valley.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. The father of the valley of Charashim — That is, father of those who dwelt there, and founder, so to speak, of the institution which gave the place its name. The inhabitants of this valley were craftsmen, and were descended from Joab, the son of Seraiah; so the business of engraving and working in wood and metals was the institution of the place. The location of this valley is unknown, but Neh_11:35, and the Talmud, would seem to place it in the vicinity of Lod, or Lydda.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Father - Of the inhabitants of the valley.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And Meonothai,.... Another son of Othniel:

begat Ophrah; and Seraiah, the brother of Othniel, begat Joab; not David's general, but another of the same name, who lived long before him, see Ch1 2:54.

the father of the valley of Charashim: of the inhabitants of the valley, or the prince of them, called the valley of craftsmen, Neh 11:35 the reason of which is here given:

for they were craftsmen; that dwelt in it, carpenters and smiths, both which the word signifies, men that wrought in stone, wood, and iron.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

And Seraiah begot Joab, the leader of Gei Harashim Joab was the leader of a valley in which there were craftsmen. Now why do I call it the Valley of Craftsmen? Because they were craftsmen; i. e., those who dwelt in the Valley of the Craftsmen were craftsmen, and the valley was named after them.

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.