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1 Chronicles7

1 Chronicles 7 meticulously details the genealogies and military strengths of several Israelite tribes. It begins with Issachar, Benjamin, and Naphtali, highlighting their valiant men and numerous fighting forces. The chapter then traces the lineage of Manasseh and Ephraim, including a notable incident of Ephraim's sons being slain, before concluding with the extensive genealogies and military count of Asher.

The Descendants of Issachar

1
Of the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
2
The sons of Tola: Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations: their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred. ​
3
The sons of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Isshiah, five; all of them chief men.
4
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. ​
5
Their brothers among all the families of Issachar, mighty men of valor, reckoned in all by genealogy, were eighty-seven thousand.

The Line of Benjamin

6
The sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three. ​
7
The sons of Bela: Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor; and they were reckoned by genealogy twenty-two thousand thirty-four.
8
The sons of Becher: Zemirah, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jeremoth, and Abijah, and Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher.
9
They were reckoned by genealogy, after their generations, heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor, twenty thousand two hundred.
10
The sons of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tarshish, and Ahishahar.
11
All these were sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers’ households, mighty men of valor, seventeen thousand and two hundred, who were able to go out in the army for war.
12
Shuppim also, and Huppim, the sons of Ir, Hushim, the sons of Aher. ​

The Sons of Naphtali

13
The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah. ​

The Families of Manasseh

14
The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bore: she bore Machir the father of Gilead: ​
15
and Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah; and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.
16
Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she named him Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
17
The sons of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.
18
His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, and Abiezer, and Mahlah.
19
The sons of Shemida were Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.

The Genealogy of Ephraim

20
The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eleadah his son, and Tahath his son,
21
and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock. ​
22
Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him.
23
He went in to his wife, and she conceived, and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because it went evil with his house. ​
24
His daughter was Sheerah, who built Beth Horon the lower and the upper, and Uzzen Sheerah. ​
25
Rephah was his son, and Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,
26
Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,
27
Nun his son, Joshua his son. ​
28
Their possessions and habitations were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with its towns; Shechem also and its towns, to Azzah and its towns; ​
29
and by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth Shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these lived the children of Joseph the son of Israel.

The Clans of Asher

30
The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.
31
The sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.
32
Heber became the father of Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.
33
The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.
34
The sons of Shemer: Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.
35
The sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.
36
The sons of Zophah: Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,
37
Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.
38
The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, and Pispa, and Ara.
39
The sons of Ulla: Arah, and Hanniel, and Rizia.
40
All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. The number of them reckoned by genealogy for service in war was twenty-six thousand men. ​

Study Notes for 1 Chronicles 7

Verse 2

The Chronicler frequently emphasizes the military strength of the tribes (valiant men of might), linking the people’s vitality to their capacity for warfare and defense, a key concern for the post-exilic audience.

Verse 4

The large population and military size of Issachar are attributed directly to their fertility ('many wives and sons'), demonstrating the biblical value placed on large, effective families as the basis of national strength.

Verse 6

This list of Benjamin’s sons (Bela, Becher, Jediael) differs significantly from the list in Genesis 46:21. The Chronicler often focuses on the main clans that survived and were politically relevant in the post-exilic period, omitting others.

Verse 12

Shuppim and Huppim are difficult to place here; they appear elsewhere as sons of Benjamin (Gen. 46:21) or associated with Dan (Num. 26:42). The reference to 'Aher' (meaning 'another') may indicate a fragmented or uncertain lineage appended to the Benjamin list.

Verse 13

The genealogy of Naphtali is notably brief, listing only the four founding fathers. This brevity suggests that detailed records for this northern tribe may have been scarce or less relevant to the Chronicler's primary focus on the southern kingdom.

Verse 14

Manasseh is presented through the line of Machir, who was born to an Aramitess concubine. Machir is pivotal because he is the 'father of Gilead,' highlighting the importance of the Manassite settlement in Transjordan.

Verse 21

This passage recounts an unusual tragedy, likely referring to an early, ill-fated raid by Ephraimite clans into the coastal plain near Philistine Gath, pre-dating the main conquest. This detail emphasizes suffering within the tribal history.

Verse 23

The name Beriah means 'in trouble' or 'with evil,' serving as a memorial name commemorating the disaster where his brothers were killed (v. 21). This illustrates how clan names often served as historical markers of significant events.

Verse 24

Sherah is an important figure, credited with founding significant cities (Upper and Nether Beth-horon), which became strategic locations. The inclusion of a daughter as a city-builder is rare and highlights female leadership in this clan history.

Verse 27

This genealogy is crucial because Non is the father of Jehoshua (Joshua). The Chronicler thus embeds the greatest leader of the conquest period within the detailed lineage of the tribe of Ephraim.

Verse 28

This geographical summary emphasizes the vast and central territory held by Ephraim, ranging from Bethel in the south to Shechem and the towns around Gaza (though control over Gaza itself was temporary), defining the core of the Joseph tribes.

Verse 40

The chapter concludes by stressing the high military readiness of Asher (26,000 fighting men). The Chronicler consistently emphasizes the military capability of the northern tribes, integrating them into the unified strength of Israel.

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