1 Chronicles2

1 Chronicles 2 begins by listing the twelve sons of Israel, then primarily focuses on the extensive genealogy of Judah, tracing the lineage from his sons, particularly Pharez, down to King David. The chapter also details the descendants of Hezron, including the lines of Caleb and Jerahmeel, highlighting various family branches, marriages, and the establishment of certain towns. This detailed record emphasizes the foundational families of Judah and their historical connections.

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The Twelve Sons of Israel

¶ These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

The Sons of Judah

The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

And Tamar his daughter in law bare him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul.

And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all.

And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.

And the sons of Ethan; Azariah.

The Line of Pharez Leading to David

The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.

And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;

And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,

And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse,

And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,

Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:

Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite.

Descendants of Caleb, Son of Hezron

¶ And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.

And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur.

And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel.

And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.

And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.

And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

And after that Hezron was dead in Calebephratah, then Abiah Hezron's wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa.

The Line of Jerahmeel

And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah.

Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.

And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur.

And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid.

And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children.

And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.

And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.

And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.

Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha.

And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai.

And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad,

And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed,

And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah,

And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah,

And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum,

And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.

Further Descendants of Caleb

Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.

And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.

And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai.

And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur.

And Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.

And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.

Maachah, Caleb's concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.

She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.

These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim,

Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Bethgader.

And Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites.

And the families of Kirjathjearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites.

The sons of Salma; Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.

And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 2

Verse 1

The Chronicler begins with the twelve patriarchs to establish the continuity and unity of Israel before focusing on the royal tribe of Judah, emphasizing the foundation of the community.

Verse 3

This verse summarizes the account in Genesis 38, noting the death of Er and Onan due to their wickedness. This serves as a reminder that divine judgment applies even within the chosen lineage.

Verse 7

Achar (Achan in Joshua 7) is specifically named 'the troubler of Israel.' The Chronicler rarely includes negative material, highlighting Achar's transgression concerning the devoted things at Jericho as a severe communal sin.

Verse 10

Nahshon is historically significant as the 'prince' (nasi) of the tribe of Judah during the Exodus period (cf. Numbers 1 and 7). He is also listed in the genealogies of Matthew and Luke.

Verse 15

David is listed as the seventh son, a number often associated with divine completeness or perfection. This selection highlights God's sovereign choice of David over his older, seemingly more qualified brothers (cf. 1 Samuel 16:11–12).

Verse 16

Zeruiah’s sons (Joab, Abishai, Asahel) were David’s formidable nephews and military commanders. Their inclusion shows the tight integration of the royal house with its key military and political support system.

Verse 18

This Caleb is distinct from the famous Caleb, son of Jephunneh (Num 13:6), though they share the name and are both prominent figures in the tribe of Judah. He represents a major clan within the Hezronite line.

Verse 20

Bezaleel is the master craftsman whom God filled with the Spirit to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:2–5). His inclusion links the lineage of Judah to Israel's sacred institutions and artistry.

Verse 22

Jair’s conquest of 23 Transjordan cities is also recorded in Numbers 32:41. This detail demonstrates Judah's influence and claims extending across the Jordan River into the territory of Gilead, stressing the expansive nature of the tribe.

Verse 34

The unusual event of Sheshan marrying his daughter to an Egyptian servant, Jarha, illustrates the incorporation of non-Israelites into the tribal structure. This demonstrates the permeability of social and ethnic boundaries within the community.

Verse 42

This lengthy section shifts focus from individuals to the corporate identity of the families and the founding of key cities in the southern Judean landscape, such as Hebron and Bethzur.

Verse 51

Salma is identified as the founder of Bethlehem. The Chronicler is establishing the historical and geographical roots of the city that would later become famous as the birthplace of David and the Messiah.

Verse 55

The mention of 'families of the scribes' and the Kenites highlights the importance of literary and religious scholarship in post-exilic Judah. The Kenites were a nomadic group often allied with Israel, suggesting diverse groups contributed to leadership.

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1 Chronicles2

The Twelve Sons of Israel

The Sons of Judah

The Line of Pharez Leading to David

Descendants of Caleb, Son of Hezron

The Line of Jerahmeel

Further Descendants of Caleb

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