1 Chronicles4

First Chronicles chapter four primarily details the genealogies of the tribe of Judah, tracing various family lines and their settlements. A notable interlude recounts the prayer of Jabez, who sought divine blessing, enlarged territory, God's hand, and protection from evil, which God granted. The chapter then shifts to the genealogies of the tribe of Simeon, describing their cities and later accounts of their expansion and conquests.

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The Descendants of Judah

¶ The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.

And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.

And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi:

And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem.

And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.

And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

The Prayer of Jabez

And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

¶ And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.

And Eshton begat Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Rechah.

And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath.

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

And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz.

And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.

And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took.

And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth.

Families of Specialized Craftsmen

The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,

And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.

These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

The Tribe of Simeon

¶ The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:

Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.

And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.

And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.

Simeon’s Settlements and Territory

And they dwelt at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,

And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

And at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.

And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:

And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.

And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,

And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,

And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah;

Simeon’s Expansion and Conquest

These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly.

And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.

And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 4

Verse 1

This chapter continues the genealogy of Judah, the tribe through which the Davidic dynasty and ultimately the Messiah would come. The Chronicler focuses on various family lines and their geographical settlements.

Verse 4

Hur, the son of Ephratah, is specifically noted as 'the father of Bethlehem,' linking this lineage directly to the significant city of David's origin (cf. 1 Sam 16:1).

Verse 9

The sudden insertion of this brief narrative breaks the genealogical list, highlighting Jabez as an example of faithfulness. His name ('Jabez' sounds like the Hebrew for 'pain' or 'sorrow') contrasts with his later honored status.

Verse 10

Jabez’s profound prayer requests four things: divine blessing, territorial expansion ('enlarge my coast'), God’s presence ('thine hand might be with me'), and deliverance from evil. The immediate answer ('God granted him') serves as a theological statement on the power of devoted prayer.

Verse 14

This verse notes that Joab was the founder of the 'Valley of Charashim' (Valley of Craftsmen), indicating that the Chronicler recorded not just lineage but also the specialized trades and professions associated with certain families.

Verse 18

The mention of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, marrying Mered is unusual. This detail may indicate an intermarriage during the time of the Exodus or perhaps a later alliance, suggesting the incorporation of foreign nobility into Judah’s lineage.

Verse 21

The focus shifts to families known for specific industries, such as those who 'wrought fine linen,' an expensive and important trade, likely indicating royal or temple service.

Verse 22

The phrase 'These are ancient things' suggests the Chronicler drew upon older, established records for this section of Judah’s history, including their brief 'dominion in Moab.'

Verse 23

The potters and others mentioned here 'dwelt with the king for his work.' This emphasizes the importance of skilled artisans and their direct service to the crown, perhaps indicating royal patronage during the periods of David or Solomon.

Verse 24

The genealogy abruptly shifts focus from Judah to Simeon, the second tribe listed in this section. Simeon was geographically surrounded by Judah and often struggled for independent identity and territory.

Verse 27

This note explains the limited size of the tribe of Simeon ('had not many children'), which aligns with historical accounts suggesting the tribe was partially absorbed into Judah, fulfilling Jacob’s prophecy (Gen 49:7).

Verse 31

The phrase 'unto the reign of David' provides a historical marker, indicating that Simeon’s independent control of these cities persisted until David’s monarchy consolidated tribal territories.

Verse 38

These men were powerful 'princes' whose success resulted in a large increase of their families, necessitating a search for new grazing lands outside their traditional southern territory.

Verse 40

The description of the newly found land—'fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable'—highlights the provision of God and the reward of obedience, echoing the description of the Promised Land.

Verse 41

The dating of this conquest to the 'days of Hezekiah' places this event centuries after the initial settlement of Canaan, showing that the tribe of Simeon was still active in territorial expansion and military action during the Judean monarchy.

Verse 43

The final destruction of the remnant of the Amalekites fulfills a long-standing divine command (Exod 17:14). This act demonstrates the zeal of Simeon and the Chronicler’s focus on the complete elimination of Israel’s historic enemies.

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1 Chronicles4

The Descendants of Judah

The Prayer of Jabez

Families of Specialized Craftsmen

The Tribe of Simeon

Simeon’s Settlements and Territory

Simeon’s Expansion and Conquest

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