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Berean Standard Bible
Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,
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Commentary on 1 Chronicles 1 verses 28–54
28 ¶ The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.
29 These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
30 Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,
31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.
32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.
33 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah.
34 And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.
35 The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
36 The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.
37 The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
38 And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan.
39 And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan's sister.
40 The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah.
41 The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
42 The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran.
43 Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
44 And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
45 And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.
46 And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
47 And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
48 And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
49 And when Shaul was dead, Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
50 And when Baalhanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
51 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,
52 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
53 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
54 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom.
All nations but the seed of Abraham are already shaken off from this genealogy: they have no part nor lot in this matter. The Lord's portion is his people. Of them he keeps an account, knows them by name; but those who are strangers to him he beholds afar off. Not that we are to conclude that therefore no particular persons of any other nation but the seed of Abraham found favour with God. It was a truth, before Peter perceived it, that in every nation he that feared God and wrought righteousness was accepted of him. Multitudes will be brought to heaven out of all nations (Rev 7:9), and we are willing to hope there were many, very many, good people in the world, that lay out of the pale of God's covenant of peculiarity with Abraham, whose names were in the book of life, though not descended from any of the following families written in this book. The Lord knows those that are his. But Israel was a chosen nation, elect in type; and no other nation, in its national capacity, was so dignified and privileged as the Jewish nation was. That is the holy nation which is the subject of the sacred story; and therefore we are next to shake off all the seed of Abraham but the posterity of Jacob only, which were all incorporated into one nation and joined to the Lord, while the other descendants from Abraham, for aught that appears, were estranged both from God and from one another.
I. We shall have little to say of the Ishmaelites. They were the sons of the bondwoman, that were to be cast out and not to be heirs with the child of the promise; and their case was to represent that of the unbelieving Jews, who were rejected (Gal 4:22, etc.), and therefore there is little notice taken of that nation. Ishmael's twelve sons are just named here (Ch1 1:29-31), to show the performance of the promise God made to Abraham, in answer to his prayer for him, that, for Abraham's sake, he should become a great nation, and particularly that he should beget twelve princes, Gen 17:20.
II. We shall have little to say of the Midianites, who descended from Abraham's children by Keturah. They were children of the east (probably Job was one of them), and were separated from Isaac, the heir of the promise (Gen 25:6), and therefore they are only named here, Ch1 1:32. The sons of Jokshan, the son of Keturah, are named also, and the sons of Midian (Ch1 1:32, Ch1 1:33), who became most eminent, and perhaps gave denomination to all these families, as Judah to the Jews.
III. We shall not have much to say of the Edomites. They had an inveterate enmity to God's Israel; yet because they descended from Esau, the son of Isaac, we have here an account of their families, and the names of some of their famous men, Ch1 1:35 to the end. Some slight differences there are between some of the names here, and as we had them in Gen. 36, whence this whole account is taken. Three of four names that were written with a Vau there are written with a Jod here, probably the pronunciation being altered, as is usual in other languages. we now write many words very differently from what they were written but 200 years ago. Let us take occasion, from the reading of these genealogies, to think, 1. Of the multitudes that have gone through this world, have acted their part in it, and then quitted it. Job, even in his early day, saw not only every man drawing after him, but innumerable before him, Job 21:33. All these, and all theirs, had their day; many of them made a mighty noise and figure in the world; but their day came to fall, and their place knew them no more. The paths of death are trodden paths, but vestigia nulla retrorsum - none can retrace their steps. 2. Of the providence of God, which keeps up the generations of men, and so preserves that degenerate race, though guilty and obnoxious, in being upon earth. How easily could he cut it off without either a deluge or a conflagration! Write but all the children of men childless, as some are, and in a few years the earth will be eased of the burden under which it groans; but the divine patience lets the trees that cumber the ground not only grow, but propagate. As one generation, even of sinful men, passes away, another comes (Ecc 1:4; Num 32:14), and will do so while the earth remains. Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 28–54. Public domain.
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Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
QUESTIONS ON FIRST CHRONICLES, PROLOGUE
The Chronicles also speak about the tabernacle because a temple of the Lord had not yet been built by either Samuel or David. The text also adds that that the holy services were held in the tabernacle. Worship was observed at that time according to the number of the days of the week. For it also says, “and their kindred who were in their villages were obliged to come in every seven days, in turn, to be with them.” With regard to the holy utensils it says, “Some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they were required to count them when they were brought in and taken out. Others of them were appointed over the furniture, and over all the holy utensils, also over the choice flour, the wine, the oil, the incense and the spices.” And about the priests it says, “Others, of the sons of the priests, prepared the mixing of the spices.” With regard to the tomb of Saul the Chronicles gives us much information, and in the Book of Kings itself we read that his bones were gathered and buried in the land of Jabesh.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
QUESTIONS ON 1 CHRONICLES, PROLOGUE
There is abundant information in the books of Chronicles which were written to continue the books of the Kings and to preserve the memory of such important events. The first book begins with a genealogy that sets out to demonstrate how the human race came from a single man. Since it focuses only on the single kingdom of Judah, it can tell us about its cities and the villages, and from where they took their names. Here we come to know Nathan, from whom the blessed Luke constructed the beginning of his genealogy of our Lord and Savior, Son of David and Solomon’s brother4 on his mother’s side: “The following children were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimeah, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, that is, the four children he fathered with Bersabea, daughter of Ammiel.” And Rechab6 herself, who is mentioned in many books of Scripture, is said to have come from the tribe of Judah.It also clearly explains why Reuben lost his birthright and Joseph gained it and also, finally, the reason why the tribe of Judah obtained the highest honor: “The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright; though Judah became prominent among his brothers and a ruler came from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph.” It also explains the reason why such a great honor was conceded to Joseph. By the will of God Judah had the dignity of receiving the Lord who was born from him according to the flesh. This is the sense tacitly expressed with the words “a leader from him.” Indeed the passage seems to assert that not only the kings of the earth derived from Judah, but also the eternal king himself who had no beginning and will never end.
It also describes the situation of the tribes beyond the Jordan, those of Reuben and Gad, and even the tribes of Manasseh which later were received into those of the Hagarites and the Itureans, and talks about the tribes of the Naphiseans, and all those peoples who entered into conflict with them. In addition the text relates how they fought and won, and made the Hagarites flee. And it also reports the reason for the victory: “When they received help against them, the Hagarites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried to God in the battle, and he granted their entreaty because they trusted in him.” It also describes the amount of the spoils of war: “They captured their livestock: 50, of their camels, 250, sheep, 2, donkeys and 100, captives. Many were slain because the war was from God. And they lived in their territory until the exile.”
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
QUESTIONS ON 1 CHRONICLES, PROLOGUE
The genealogy of the priests and the Levites comes after this. It relates that Zadok, who was high priest at the time of David, had been the eleventh from Aaron; that Azariah, nephew of Zadok, had been the first to receive the priestly anointing in the temple built by Solomon. Among them there was also Jehozadak, who was brought to Babylon as a war prisoner. Jesus9 was his son, a high priest as well, who delivered the people from bondage together with Zerubbabel, and built a temple for the Lord. Here we also learn that Korah, who revolted against the great Moses, was a nephew of Isaar, son of Caath and brother of Amram, Aaron’s and Moses’ father. According to this lineage he was related to the first legislator. But he himself paid in the desert for his errors, although his children did not share the punishment of their father. From here Samuel13 came and then Aeman, who intoned Psalms and was a nephew of the prophet Samuel. In fact he was the son of Joel, son of Samuel. On the other hand, Asaph, one of the singers, came from the lineage of Gerson, son of Levi and brother of Caath. Aetham, who also belonged to the group of the singers, had Merari, the third son of Levi, as great-grandfather.The text also explains the difference between the priests and the Levites. It relates that the Levites were initiated into all the ministries of the holy altar of God: “But Aaron and his sons made offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, doing all the work of the most holy place, to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.” It seems to me, in fact, that this book was written after the return from Babylon. For this reason it also talks about the bondage and explains its cause: “So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and these are written in the book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. Now the first to live again in their possessions in their towns were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.” These accounts show that the book was begun after the captivity. Indeed no historian ever relates facts that happened afterwards, but what happened before or during his times. And actually only the prophets have the power to foretell the future. In addition it says that also those who had inhabited that land before them had been enslaved. And actually many of them still live with them: the Canaanites, Chettites, Jebusites, who had been their companions in such a misfortune. Also the priests and the Levites were brought into captivity with the Israelites. I believe that those who were called “the saints’ servants” were then called Nathinim. Many of them, in fact, consecrated themselves to the ministries of the priests and the Levites. There were among them also those who were entrusted with the carrying of the water, the gathering of wood and other necessary duties. Indeed, if it was imposed to the Gabaonites, who were foreigners, to follow Joshua in the praises and to perform some works as porters or carpenters, this task was even more the duty of the Israelites. As a proof of this I have found in the interpretation of Hebrew names that this name means “house of Iaō,” that is, “of the God who is.” The text, in fact, mentions the children of Israel and among them Judah and Benjamin, and Ephraim18 and Manasseh. It also mentions the priests and the Levites, who inhabited those cities. About the Korēnites it says that they derived from Korah. It also says that among them there had been the guardians of the temple of God as well, and it seems that this custom had been introduced by Samuel and David. “All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds, were two hundred twelve. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and the prophet Samuel established them in their office of trust. So they and their descendants were in charge of the gates of the house of the Lord, that is, the house of the tent, as guards. The gatekeepers were on the four sides, east, west, north, and south.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
1 Chronicles 1:30 presents a concise yet profoundly significant enumeration of five of Ishmael's twelve sons: Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema. Situated within the extensive and foundational genealogies that open the book of Chronicles, this verse serves as a critical link in the unfolding tapestry of biblical history, specifically underscoring the fulfillment of divine promises concerning Ishmael's numerous descendants and highlighting the Chronicler's meticulous commitment to comprehensive historical record-keeping, even for nations outside the direct covenant line of Israel.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in 1 Chronicles 1:30, and indeed throughout the initial chapters of Chronicles, is Genealogy. This is far from a mere dry list; it functions as a sophisticated literary and theological tool. By meticulously listing names and lineages, the Chronicler masterfully establishes Historical Continuity, directly connecting the post-exilic community to their foundational patriarchs and, ultimately, to Adam himself. This provides an indispensable sense of identity, legitimacy, and belonging for a people striving to rebuild their national and spiritual life. Furthermore, the inclusion of Ishmael's sons, closely paralleling the account in Genesis, demonstrates Repetition as a powerful device to underscore the reliability, consistency, and divine inspiration of the biblical record. It also highlights Enumeration, emphasizing the precise fulfillment of God's promise to make Ishmael the father of twelve princes, thereby affirming God's unwavering faithfulness even to promises that might appear secondary to the main covenant narrative. The very act of listing these names, even those outside the direct covenant line of Israel, serves to illustrate God's comprehensive oversight of all nations and His meticulous attention to every detail of human history.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
1 Chronicles 1:30, though a seemingly simple list of names, carries profound theological weight. It stands as a powerful testament to God's meticulous attention to detail and His unwavering faithfulness to all His declarations. While the primary covenant line and the promise of the Messiah passed through Isaac, God did not forget His promise to Abraham concerning Ishmael, ensuring his descendants would indeed become a great nation. This demonstrates a broader, often overlooked, aspect of God's character: His sovereignty extends over all peoples and nations, not exclusively Israel. The Chronicler, writing to a community rebuilding after the trauma of exile, uses these genealogies to remind them of God's enduring plan and His providential hand in shaping history, even through those not directly in the messianic lineage. It underscores that God's word is utterly reliable, and His purposes will be fulfilled precisely as declared, providing a deep and unshakable foundation of trust for the returning exiles and for believers today.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a contemporary world often characterized by fleeting trends, a pervasive sense of disconnection, and a disregard for historical roots, 1 Chronicles 1:30 offers a profound reminder of the enduring nature of God's eternal plan and the inherent significance of our heritage. This verse, an integral part of an extensive genealogy, invites us to deeply appreciate God's meticulous care for every individual and every family line, demonstrating unequivocally that no detail is too small for His divine attention and sovereign oversight. For the post-exilic community, these names provided an absolutely vital link to their past, affirming their divinely appointed identity and their secure place within God's unfolding redemptive story. For us today, it powerfully underscores the paramount importance of understanding our spiritual lineage—how we are inextricably connected to the great cloud of witnesses (as described in Hebrews 12:1) and the immutable covenant promises of God. It encourages us to find our ultimate identity not in transient cultural markers or fleeting worldly achievements, but in our rootedness in God's eternal purposes and His unwavering faithfulness across all generations. This seemingly dry list of names thus transforms into a vibrant, living testament to a God who meticulously keeps His word, a profound truth that builds unshakeable confidence and security in our own lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does the book of Chronicles include genealogies for nations outside of Israel, like Ishmael's descendants?
Answer: The inclusion of non-Israelite genealogies, such as those of Ishmael's sons in 1 Chronicles 1:29-31, serves several crucial purposes for the Chronicler's post-exilic audience and for readers today. Firstly, it powerfully demonstrates the comprehensiveness of God's historical oversight. God's sovereign plan is not narrowly limited to Israel but expansively encompasses all nations, even those who would become neighbors or, at times, adversaries. Secondly, it highlights the undeniable fulfillment of divine promises. God had explicitly promised Abraham that Ishmael would be the father of twelve princes and a great nation (Genesis 17:20). The Chronicler's meticulous listing of these descendants shows that God is faithful to all His word, reinforcing trust in His greater, overarching covenant promises to Israel. Thirdly, it provides essential historical context and legitimacy. By showing the broader family of Abraham, the Chronicler grounds Israel's identity within a wider, divinely ordained human history, confirming their rightful place and heritage in the land alongside other established peoples. This meticulous record-keeping was absolutely vital for the returned exiles to re-establish their tribal affiliations, land claims, and national identity in the post-exilic world.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 1 Chronicles 1:30 meticulously details the lineage of Ishmael, a line distinct from the direct messianic promise, it subtly yet profoundly points to Christ in its broader theological implications. The Chronicler's unwavering emphasis on God's meticulous record-keeping and His unwavering faithfulness to all His promises, even those concerning Ishmael's numerous descendants, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate and comprehensive fulfillment of God's grand redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. The very act of tracing lineages, though focused on physical descent in the Old Testament, ultimately culminates in the one through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). In Christ, the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile is decisively broken down (Ephesians 2:14), and a new spiritual family is formed, encompassing people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Revelation 7:9). The meticulousness with which God preserved the physical lines in the Old Testament finds its ultimate purpose and perfect completion in the singular, perfect lineage of Christ, through whom all who believe, regardless of their earthly heritage or national origin, are graciously adopted into God's eternal family (Galatians 3:28-29). Thus, even a verse about Ishmael's descendants serves as a powerful reminder of God's expansive love and His sovereign, all-encompassing plan to redeem a people for Himself from every corner of the earth through His beloved Son.