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.

The Twelve Sons of Israel

1
These are the sons of Isra'el: Re'uven, Shim'on, Levi, Y'hudah, Yissakhar, Z'vulun, ​
2
Dan, Yosef, Binyamin, Naftali, Gad and Asher.

The Sons of Judah

3
The sons of Y'hudah: 'Er, Onan and Shelah; the mother of these three was Bat-Shua the Kena'anit. 'Er, Y'hudah's firstborn, was wicked from ADONAI's perspective, so he killed him. ​
4
Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Peretz and Zerach; thus Y'hudah had five sons altogether.
5
The sons of Peretz: Hetzron and Hamul.
6
The sons of Zerach: Zimri, Eitan, Heiman, Kalkol and Dara - five of them altogether.
7
The sons of Karmi: 'Akhar [troubler], who troubled Isra'el by violating the rule concerning things set aside to be destroyed. ​
8
The son of Eitan: 'Azaryah.

The Line of Pharez Leading to David

9
The sons born to Hetzron: Yerachme'el, Ram and K'luvai.
10
Ram fathered 'Amminadav; 'Amminadav fathered Nachshon prince of the descendants of Y'hudah; ​
11
Nachshon fathered Salma; Salma fathered Bo'az;
12
Bo'az fathered 'Oved; 'Oved fathered Yishai;
13
and Yishai fathered Eli'av his firstborn, Avinadav second, Shim'a third,
14
N'tan'el fourth, Radai fifth,
15
Otzem sixth, David seventh, ​
16
and their sisters Tz'ruyah and Avigayil. The sons of Tz'ruyah: Avshai, Yo'av and 'Asah'el, three of them. ​
17
Avigayil was the mother of 'Amasa; the father of 'Amasa was Yeter the Yishma'eli.

Descendants of Caleb, Son of Hezron

18
Kalev the son of Hetzron fathered sons with 'Azuvah his wife (and with Yeri'ot); these were her sons: Yesher, Shovav and Ardon. ​
19
After 'Azuvah died, Kalev married Efrat, who bore him Hur.
20
Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered B'tzal'el. ​
21
Afterwards, Hetzron had sexual relations with the daughter of Machir the father of Gil'ad; he married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore him S'guv.
22
S'guv fathered Ya'ir, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gil'ad. ​
23
(But G'shur and Aram took Havot-Ya'ir away from them, along with K'nat and its villages - sixty cities.) All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gil'ad.
24
After Hetzron died in Kalev-Efratah, Aviyah Hetzron's wife bore him Ash'chur the father of T'koa.

The Line of Jerahmeel

25
The sons of Yerachme'el Hetzron's firstborn: Ram the firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Otzem and Achiyah.
26
Yerachme'el had another wife, whose name was 'Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.
27
The sons of Ram the firstborn son of Yerachme'el: Ma'atz, Yamin and 'Eker.
28
The sons of Onam: Shamai and Yada. The sons of Shamai: Nadav and Avishur.
29
Avishur's wife was named Avichayil, and she bore him Achban and Molid.
30
The sons of Nadav: Seled and Apayim. Seled died without having any children.
31
The son of Apayim: Yish'i. The son of Yish'i: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Achlai.
32
The sons of Yada the brother of Shamai: Yeter and Yonatan. Yeter died without having any children.
33
The sons of Yonatan: Pelet and Zaza. These were the descendants of Yerachme'el.
34
Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Yarcha; ​
35
Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Yarcha his servant, and she bore him 'Atai.
36
'Atai fathered Natan, Natan fathered Zavad,
37
Zavad fathered Eflal, Eflal fathered 'Oved,
38
'Oved fathered Yehu, Yehu fathered 'Azaryah,
39
'Azaryah fathered Heletz, Heletz fathered El'asah,
40
El'asah fathered Sismai, Sismai fathered Shalum,
41
Shalum fathered Y'kamyah and Y'kamyah fathered Elishama.

Further Descendants of Caleb

42
The sons of Kalev the brother of Yerachme'el: Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Zif; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hevron. ​
43
The sons of Hevron: Korach, Tapuach, Rekem and Shema.
44
Shema fathered Racham the father of Yorke'am, and Rekem fathered Shamai.
45
The son of Shamai was Ma'on, and Ma'on was the father of Beit-Tzur.
46
'Eifah, Kalev's concubine, bore Haran, Motza and Gazez; and Haran fathered Gazez.
47
The sons of Yahdai: Regem, Yotam, Geshan, Pelet, 'Eifah and Sha'af.
48
Ma'akhah, Kalev's concubine, bore Shever and Tirchanah.
49
[The wife of] Sha'af the father of Madmanah bore Sh'va the father of Machbenah and the father of Giv'a. The daughter of Kalev was 'Akhsah.
50
These were the descendants of Kalev. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Efratah: Shoval the father of Kiryat-Ye'arim,
51
Salma the father of Beit-Lechem and Haref the father of Beit-Gader. ​
52
Shoval the father of Kiryat-Ye'arim had sons: HaRo'eh and half of the [inhabitants of] M'nuchot.
53
The families of Kiryat-Ye'arim: the Yitri, the Puti, the Shumati and the Mishra'i; from them came the Tzor'ati and the Eshta'uli.
54
The sons of Salma: Beit-Lechem, the N'tofati, 'Atrot-Beit-Yo'av, half of the Manachati, the Tzor'i,
55
the families of scribes that lived in Ya'betz, the Tir'atim, the Shim'atim and the Sukhatim. These are the Kinim, who came from Hamat, father of the house of Rekhav. ​

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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