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1 Chronicles3

1 Chronicles 3 meticulously records the lineage of King David, beginning with his sons born in Hebron and Jerusalem. It then traces the royal line through Solomon and the kings of Judah, down to Josiah and his sons. The chapter concludes by detailing the descendants of Jeconiah, extending the Davidic genealogy several generations beyond the Babylonian exile.

Sons of David Born in Hebron

1
These were the sons born to David in Hevron: the firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Achino'am from Yizre'el; the second, Dani'el, whose mother was Avigayil from Karmel; ​
2
the third, Avshalom, the son of Ma'akhah the daughter of Talmai king of G'shur; the fourth, Adoniyah the son of Haggit;
3
the fifth, Sh'fatyah, whose mother was Avital; and the sixth, Yitre'am, whose mother was his wife 'Eglah.
4
Six were born to David in Hevron. He ruled there seven years and six months; then he ruled in Yerushalayim thirty-three years. ​

Sons of David Born in Jerusalem

5
These were born to him in Yerushalayim: Shim'a, Shovav, Natan, Shlomo, four whose mother was Bat-Shua the daughter of 'Ammi'el; ​
6
and nine others -Yivchar, Elishama, Elifelet,
7
Nogah, Nefeg, Yafia,
8
Elishama, Elyada and Elifelet.
9
All these were sons of David, apart from the sons of the concubines; Tamar was their sister. ​

The Royal Line of Judah

10
Shlomo's son was Rechav'am, his son Aviyah, his son Asa, his son Y'hoshafat, ​
11
his son Yoram, his son Achazyah, his son Yo'ash,
12
his son Amatzyah, his son 'Azaryah, his son Yotam,
13
his son Achaz, his son Hizkiyahu, his son M'nasheh,
14
his son Amon and his son Yoshiyahu.
15
The sons of Yoshiyahu: Yochanan the firstborn, Y'hoyakim the second, Tzedekyah the third, and Shalum the fourth. ​
16
The sons of Y'hoyakim: Y'khonyah his son, and Tzedekyah his son. ​

The Post-Exilic Line

17
The sons of Y'khonyah, also called Asir: Sh'alti'el his son; ​
18
also Malkiram, P'dayah, Shen'atzar, Y'kamyah, Hoshama and N'davyah.
19
The sons of P'dayah: Z'rubavel and Shim'i. The children of Z'rubavel: Meshulam, Hananyah and Shlomit their sister; ​
20
also Hashuvah, Ohel, Berekhyah, Hasadyah and Yushav-Hesed - five.
21
The sons of Hananyah: P'latyah and Yesha'yah. His son was Refayah. His son was Arnan. His son was 'Ovadyah. And his son was Sh'khanyah.
22
The sons of Sh'khanyah: Sh'ma'yah and the sons of Sh'ma'yah - Hatush, Yig'al, Bariach, Ne'aryah and Shafat - six.
23
The sons of Ne'aryah: Elyo'einai, Hizkiyah and 'Azrikam - three.
24
The sons of Elyo'einai: Hodavyahu, Elyashiv, P'layah, 'Akuv, Yochanan, D'layah and 'Anani - seven. ​

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 3

Verse 1

This section lists David's six sons born during his initial reign in Hebron (seven years and six months). The first two, Amnon and Daniel (Chileab), and the third, Absalom, are notable figures in the historical narratives of 2 Samuel.

Verse 4

This verse summarizes David's time in Hebron, serving as a transition before listing the children born during his time as king over all Israel in Jerusalem (33 years).

Verse 5

Solomon's inclusion here is vital, as the subsequent royal genealogy follows his line. Bathshua is the Chronicler’s designation for Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah whom David took as his own (2 Sam 11).

Verse 9

The mention of 'sons of the concubines' acknowledges David’s larger family, but emphasizes that the legitimate, royal line is traced only through the named sons. Tamar is the only daughter mentioned, likely due to her significance in the tragic family history (2 Sam 13).

Verse 10

This verse transitions the genealogy from David to the continuous line of kings who ruled Judah, emphasizing the fulfillment of the divine covenant promising David an enduring dynasty (2 Sam 7).

Verse 15

The four sons listed here include Jehoahaz (Shallum), Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, who were the final kings of Judah and ruled in rapid succession during the political crisis leading to the Babylonian Exile.

Verse 16

Jehoiakim's son, Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), ruled only three months before being exiled to Babylon, marking the virtual end of the independent monarchy.

Verse 17

Jeconiah was deported in 597 BC. Although Jeremiah prophesied that his line would be cut off (Jer. 22:30), the Chronicler shows the Davidic covenant surviving the exile and continuing through his son Salathiel.

Verse 19

Zerubbabel is a pivotal figure, serving as the appointed governor who led the first wave of returnees from Babylon and oversaw the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 3). His inclusion confirms the preservation of the Davidic line in the restored community.

Verse 24

This concluding list extends the genealogy several generations past Zerubbabel, demonstrating to the post-exilic community that the legitimate Davidic lineage remained intact and preserved, carrying the hope of future restoration.

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