דברי הימים א, פרק ד׳, פסוק ג׳

Biblical genealogies often hold hidden historical connections, pointing toward key figures in the history of Israel. Within the lineage of the tribe of Judah, a specific family group is listed, culminating in the rare mention of a prominent woman.

The record connects this group to the previously mentioned lineage of Hur and Shobal. The primary approach among commentators is that this section simply continues the genealogy, listing additional sons belonging to that same family [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, רד״ק]. However, an alternative perspective suggests that the opening of the record actually introduces the given name of a specific man, who was the grandson of Shobal and the father of Etam [מלבי״ם]. The reference to the father of Etam carries dual possibilities: it either identifies him as the biological father of a son named Etam, or it designates him as the founder and leader of a geographic location by that name [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The genealogy concludes by singling out the sister of the family, Hatzlelponi. Including a woman in these traditional male records is highly unusual. Her presence indicates that she was either the only sister in the family or a famous, deeply influential woman in her generation [רד״ק]. Ancient tradition identifies Hatzlelponi as the mother of Samson, a detail left unmentioned in the Book of Judges [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This identification sheds light on Samson's complex family background. While his father, Manoah, belonged to the tribe of Dan, his mother came from the tribe of Judah. This tribal connection explains why the spirit of God first began to move Samson in the camp of Dan, located between Zorah and Eshtaol. These specific areas were situated within the territory of Judah, the very region where his mother's family lived and where Manoah originally found his wife [מלבי״ם].