TRV
Translation
King James Version
And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.
Complete Jewish Bible
With them, by their generations, in their fathers' clans, were army troops organized for war, 36,000 of them, because they had many women and children.
Berean Standard Bible
Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs. In addition to them, according to their genealogy, they had 36,000 troops for battle, for they had many wives and children.
American Standard Version
And with them, by their generations, after their fathers’ houses, were bands of the host for war, six and thirty thousand; for they had many wives and sons.
World English Bible Messianic
With them, by their generations, after their fathers’ houses, were bands of the army for war, thirty-six thousand; for they had many wives and sons.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And with them in their generations after the houshold of their fathers were bandes of men of warre for battel, sixe and thirtie thousand: for they had many wiues and children.
Young's Literal Translation
And beside them, by their generations, of the house of their fathers, are troops of the host of battle, thirty and six thousand, for they multiplied wives and sons;
Study This Verse
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 7 verses 1–19
1 ¶ Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
2 And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.
3 And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.
4 And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.
5 And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.
6 The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.
7 And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.
8 And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.
9 And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour, was twenty thousand and two hundred.
10 The sons also of Jediael; Bilhan: and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.
11 All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.
12 Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim, the sons of Aher.
13 The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
14 The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:
15 And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.
16 And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
17 And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.
18 And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.
19 And the sons of Shemida were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.
We have here a short view given us,
I. Of the tribe of Issachar, whom Jacob had compared to a strong ass, couching between two burdens (Gen 49:14), an industrious tribe, that minded their country business very closely and rejoiced in their tents, Deu 33:18. And here it appears, 1. That they were a numerous tribe; for they had many wives. So fruitful their country was that they saw no danger of over-stocking the pasture, and so ingenious the people were that they could find work for all hands. Let no people complain of their numbers, provided they suffer none to be idle. 2. That they were a valiant tribe, men of might (Ch1 7:2, Ch1 7:5), chief men, Ch1 7:3. Those that were inured to labour and business were of all men the fittest to serve their country when there was occasion, The number of the respective families, as taken in the days of David, is here set down, amounting in the whole to above 145,000 men fit for war. The account, some think, was taken when Joab numbered the people, 2 Sa. 24. But I rather think it refers to some other computation that was made, perhaps among themselves, because it is said (Ch1 27:24) that that account was not inserted in the chronicles of king David, it having offended God.
II. Of the tribe of Benjamin. Some account is here given of this tribe, but much larger in the next chapter. The militia of this tribe scarcely reached to 60,000; but they are said to be mighty men of valour, Ch1 7:7, Ch1 7:9, Ch1 7:11. Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf, Gen 49:27. It was the honour of this tribe that it produced Saul the first king, and more its honour that it adhered to the rightful kings of the house of David when the other tribes revolted. Here is mention (Ch1 7:12) of Hushim the sons of Aher. The sons of Dan are said to be Hushim (Gen 46:23), and therefore some read Aher appellatively, Hushim - the sons of another (that is, another of Jacob's sons) or the sons of a stranger, which Israelites should not be, but such the Danites were when they set up Micah's graven and molten image among them.
III. Of the tribe of Naphtali, Ch1 7:13. The first fathers only of that tribe are named, the very same that we shall find, Gen 46:24, only that Shillem there is Shallum here. None of their descendents are named, perhaps because their genealogies were lost.
IV. Of the tribe of Manasseh, that part of it which was seated within Jordan; for of the other part we had some account before, Ch1 5:23, etc. Of this tribe observe, 1. That one of them married an Aramitess, that is, a Syrian, Ch1 7:14. This was during their bondage in Egypt, so early did they begin to mingle with the nations. 2. That, though the father married a Syrian, Machir, the son of that marriage, perhaps seeing the inconvenience of it in his father's house, took to wife a daughter of Benjamin, Ch1 7:15. It is good for the children to take warning by their father's mistakes and not stumble at the same stone. 3. Here is mention of Bedan (Ch1 7:17), who perhaps is the same with that Bedan who is mentioned as one of Israel's deliverers, Sa1 12:11. Jair perhaps, who was of Manasseh (Jdg 10:3), was the man.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–19. 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
First Chronicles 7:4 offers a concise yet significant demographic and military assessment within the extensive genealogies of Israel. It details the impressive fighting force available from the tribe of Issachar, numbering thirty-six thousand men, organized into "bands of soldiers for war." The verse explicitly attributes this substantial military capacity to their numerous families, stating "for they had many wives and sons," thereby highlighting how fertility and large families were directly linked to a clan's and tribe's power, prosperity, and readiness for conflict in ancient Israelite society.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in 1 Chronicles 7:4 is Enumeration or Census, which is characteristic of the genealogical sections of Chronicles. The precise detailing of numbers ("six and thirty thousand men") serves to quantify the strength and vitality of the tribe, providing a concrete measure of their demographic success and military potential. Closely related is Causality, explicitly stated by the conjunction "for" (כִּי, ki), which directly links the large number of soldiers to the demographic factor of "many wives and sons." This causal statement provides a crucial insight into the ancient Israelite worldview, where human procreation was seen as a fundamental source of national power and a sign of divine blessing. Furthermore, the verse employs Synecdoche, where "sons" (a part) represents the broader concept of a large family or numerous progeny (the whole) as the direct source of military might. The overall tone is one of Factual Reporting, presenting a straightforward and objective account of tribal strength and its demographic basis.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
First Chronicles 7:4, though seemingly a dry genealogical detail, carries profound theological and thematic weight. It underscores God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, particularly the Abrahamic covenant to multiply his descendants into a great nation, as seen in Genesis 22:17. The sheer numbers of fighting men from Issachar, directly attributed to their large families, serve as a tangible manifestation of this divine blessing and the ongoing vitality of God's people. This verse implicitly teaches that strength, whether national, communal, or spiritual, often stems from foundational elements like family, community, and growth, which God sovereignly orchestrates. It highlights the biblical value placed on life and procreation, not just for individual blessing but for the collective strength and continuity of the covenant community. The ability to muster such a formidable force for "war" also reminds us that God's people were called to be prepared, both physically and spiritually, for the challenges of their existence, relying on God's provision for their numbers and strength in fulfilling His purposes.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While we no longer measure our strength by the number of soldiers our physical families can provide, the underlying principles of 1 Chronicles 7:4 remain profoundly relevant for individuals and communities of faith today. This verse challenges us to consider what constitutes true strength and blessing in our lives and in the church. Just as ancient Israel's vitality was linked to its ability to raise up future generations, the spiritual health and impact of the church depend heavily on its commitment to nurturing, discipling, and empowering the next generation of believers. It calls us to invest in spiritual growth, both individually and corporately, recognizing that God's blessing often manifests in multiplication—not necessarily of physical bodies, but of spiritual fruit, disciples, and kingdom impact. We are reminded that God builds His kingdom through people, and our readiness for spiritual "war" against sin and darkness is enhanced when we are united, growing, and committed to passing on a vibrant faith. This passage encourages us to value every life, to foster environments where spiritual growth flourishes, and to recognize that our collective strength for God's purposes is found in the faithful stewardship of the people He has entrusted to us.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why are these genealogies so detailed in Chronicles, and what was their purpose for the original audience?
Answer: The genealogies in 1 Chronicles, particularly in chapters 1-9, are meticulously detailed for several critical reasons, especially for the post-exilic community returning to Judah. Firstly, they served to re-establish identity and a sense of belonging for a people who had lost their land and temple. Knowing one's lineage confirmed one's place within the covenant community. Secondly, they were crucial for confirming land rights and tribal inheritances, as the returning exiles sought to reclaim their ancestral lands. Thirdly, they were vital for validating priestly and Levitical lines, ensuring that only those with legitimate lineage could serve in the rebuilt temple (Ezra 2:61-63). Finally, these genealogies demonstrated the continuity of God's covenant promises to Abraham, David, and all Israel, assuring the people that despite the exile, God remained faithful to His plan for His chosen people, preserving a remnant through whom His purposes would continue.
What is the significance of "many wives and sons" in this context, and does it imply a divine endorsement of polygamy?
Answer: The phrase "for they had many wives and sons" in 1 Chronicles 7:4 is a descriptive statement of fact, providing the demographic reason for the large number of fighting men. It reflects the cultural reality of ancient Israelite society, where polygamy was practiced, though not explicitly commanded or universally endorsed by God's Law. The significance here is purely pragmatic: more wives meant more children, and more sons directly translated into a larger pool of potential soldiers, thus increasing the tribe's military and economic strength. It was seen as a sign of prosperity and divine blessing, aligning with God's original command to be fruitful and multiply and His promise to Abraham of countless descendants (Genesis 15:5). The verse does not offer a theological endorsement of polygamy as an ideal, nor does it contradict the original design for marriage found in Genesis 2:24. Rather, it observes its outcome in contributing to tribal strength in that specific historical and cultural context, highlighting how God can work through imperfect human structures to fulfill His overarching plan of multiplication.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 1 Chronicles 7:4 speaks of physical lineage and military might, its underlying themes find profound spiritual fulfillment in Christ. The meticulous tracing of generations in the Old Testament, including this verse, ultimately points to the Messiah, whose own lineage is carefully recorded in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38). The "bands of soldiers for war" foreshadow the spiritual army of God's people, the Church, which is not built on physical progeny or human strength, but on spiritual rebirth through Christ. The emphasis on "many sons" in the Old Testament finds its ultimate spiritual reality in Christ, who is the "firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:29), calling a vast multitude from every tribe, tongue, and nation into God's family (Revelation 7:9). The blessing of fertility, once understood primarily in terms of physical offspring, is transformed into the spiritual fruitfulness of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the multiplication of disciples as the gospel spreads (Acts 6:7). Ultimately, the true strength and security of God's people are found not in human numbers or military prowess, but in Christ alone, who empowers us for spiritual battle against the forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:10-18) and enables us to do all things through Him who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). He is the true "Father" (H1) of all who believe, building His "house" (H1004) through spiritual "generations" (H8435) of faith.