firstborn.

1 Chronicles 5:1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but for as much as he defiled his father's bed...

Leviticus 27:26 Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the LORD's firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep...

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Here there is an ellipsis of the name of the firstborn, which the margin correctly supplies as Joel. The word {Vashni} when otherwise pointed means second, so that the verse more properly reads And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn (Joel) and the second Abiah.

Vashni. i.e., Jah is strong; wherefore, sleep thou; changed; my year; second; liberal gift of the Lord

It appears that the Joel is here lost out of the text; and that {washni}, which signifies and the second, and which refers to Abiah, is made into a proper name. The Syriac and Arabic read as in Samuel. The marginal references contain the variation in the names given to the same persons, in different parts of sacred history, as far as it can be ascertained; and nearly the whole, that is at present known concerning them, may be learned by carefully consulting them.

1 Chronicles 6:33 And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel,

1 Samuel 8:2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

Joel.