1 Chronicles

Adam, then Sheth, then Enosh.

1Adam, Sheth, Enosh,

NoteChronicles opens with no introduction at all: nine chapters of names, running from the first man down to the writer's own time. It was compiled after the Babylonian exile, for readers returning to a ruined homeland who needed to know who they were and where they stood in a much older story. Verses 1–4 are a bare chain of fathers and sons (each man is the son of the one named before him) drawn from Genesis 5. The spellings follow the KJV's Hebrew forms, so some names look different from their better-known versions: Sheth is Seth, Henoch is Enoch, Jered is Jared.

2Then Kenan, then Mahalaleel, then Jered.

2Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,

3Then Henoch, then Methuselah, then Lamech.

3Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,

4Then Noah. Noah's sons were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

4Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

NoteThe Hebrew of this verse is just four names in a row; "Noah's sons were" is supplied to make the relationship clear. In Genesis, Noah survives the flood with these three sons, and the peoples of the whole known world are traced back to them. The lists that follow work through the three in reverse order, Japheth first, then Ham, then Shem, whose line leads to Abraham.

5The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

5The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

NoteFrom here on, "the sons of" often means descended peoples rather than individual men: most of these names are known elsewhere as countries, tribes or regions. Gomer is usually identified with the Cimmerians north of the Black Sea, Madai with the Medes of western Iran, Javan with the Greeks (the Hebrew word is the same as "Ionia"), and Tubal and Meshech with peoples of Asia Minor, in modern Turkey. The group as a whole covers the lands north and west of Israel.

6The sons of Gomer were Ashchenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

6And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

7The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

7And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

NoteKittim is Cyprus, or the Greek settlements on it; Tarshish is a far-off port reached by sea, probably in the western Mediterranean; Elishah may be Cyprus or the Aegean coast. "Dodanim" appears in some Hebrew copies and in Genesis as "Rodanim", the people of Rhodes, the Hebrew letters for d and r are almost identical, and copyists confused them easily.

8The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

8The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

NoteHam's line covers the lands south and southwest of Israel. Cush is Nubia, the region up the Nile south of Egypt (modern Sudan); Mizraim is simply the ordinary Hebrew word for Egypt; Put is generally taken as Libya or the African coast west of Egypt; Canaan is the land Israel later occupied, roughly modern Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.

9The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

9And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

NoteThese are trading peoples of Arabia and the Red Sea coast. Sheba, in southwestern Arabia (modern Yemen), and Dedan, an oasis on the northern caravan route, were both known to Israel as sources of incense, gold and spices.

10Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be mighty on the earth.

10And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.

NoteThe KJV's "began to be mighty upon the earth" translates a Hebrew word, gibbor, meaning a warrior or a man of great power. Genesis 10, which tells the story more fully, calls Nimrod a mighty hunter and credits him with founding the great cities of Mesopotamia, including Babel and Nineveh.

11Mizraim was the father of the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, and the Naphtuhim.

11And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

NoteThe -im ending is the Hebrew plural: these are names of peoples, not of individual men, so the sense is "Egypt was the ancestor of the Ludites, the Anamites" and so on. Most cannot now be identified with certainty; they seem to be groups living in and around Egypt and North Africa.

12He was also the father of the Pathrusim, the Casluhim (the Philistines came from them), and the Caphthorim.

12And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim.

NoteThe Philistines were a people of the southern coastal plain of Canaan, organized around five cities including Gaza, Ashdod and Ekron, and Israel's chief rivals in the era of Samson, Samuel, Saul and David. Caphtor, from which they are said to come, is usually identified with Crete or the Aegean generally.

13Canaan was the father of Zidon, his oldest son, and of Heth.

13And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,

NoteZidon is the Phoenician seaport of Sidon, on the coast of modern Lebanon; naming it as Canaan's firstborn is a way of saying the city was the oldest of the Canaanite settlements. Heth is the ancestor of the people the Old Testament calls the children of Heth, or Hittites, who appear in Genesis living around Hebron.

14He was also the father of the Jebusites, the Amorites, and the Girgashites.

14The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,

NoteThese are the peoples living in Canaan before Israel, listed repeatedly in the Old Testament as the nations Israel encountered there. The Jebusites held Jerusalem until David took it; "Amorite" is often used loosely for the inland population as a whole.

15He was also the father of the Hivites, the Arkites, and the Sinites.

15And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

16He was also the father of the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

16And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.

NoteThe last of these are named from towns on the Phoenician and Syrian coast: Arvad is an island city off northern Lebanon, Zemar a town nearby, and Hamath a major city on the Orontes river in Syria that marked the northern edge of Israel's widest borders.

17The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

17The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.

NoteIn Genesis 10, Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech are the sons of Aram: that is, Shem's great-grandsons, not his sons. The Chronicler's text as it stands has dropped the phrase "and the sons of Aram", so all nine names run together in a single list. Elam lay east of Babylonia in what is now southwestern Iran, and Asshur is Assyria, in northern Iraq.

18Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.

18And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.

NoteEber's name is built from the same consonants as the word "Hebrew", and ancient readers connected the two, though the exact relationship is uncertain.

19Eber had two sons. One was named Peleg, because in his lifetime the earth was divided. His brother was named Joktan.

19And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother’s name was Joktan.

NoteThe name Peleg sounds like the Hebrew verb palag, "to divide" or "to split", and the verse plays on that. What the division was is not explained: it may mean the scattering of the world's peoples into separate nations, as in the Babel story of Genesis 11, or the parcelling out of territory, or (since the same root is used of watercourses) the cutting of irrigation channels. The Hebrew leaves it open.

20Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, and Jerah.

20And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

21He was also the father of Hadoram, Uzal, and Diklah.

21Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah,

22He was also the father of Ebal, Abimael, and Sheba.

22And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

23He was also the father of Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of these were sons of Joktan.

23And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

NoteJoktan's descendants are tribes and places of the Arabian peninsula. Hazarmaveth is Hadramaut in southern Arabia; Sheba and Havilah are incense and gold regions; Ophir was proverbial in Israel for the finest gold, imported by sea in Solomon's day.

24This is the family line from Shem: Shem, then Arphaxad, then Shelah.

24Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,

NoteHaving spread outward to cover every known people, the list now doubles back and narrows to a single thread. Verses 24–27 repeat names already given in verses 17–19 and carry the line forward to Abraham, in the pattern of Genesis 11.

25Then Eber, then Peleg, then Reu.

25Eber, Peleg, Reu,

26Then Serug, then Nahor, then Terah.

26Serug, Nahor, Terah,

27Then Abram, who is also called Abraham.

27Abram; the same is Abraham.

NoteAbram means something like "exalted father"; in Genesis 17 God renames him Abraham, explained there as "father of a multitude". The Chronicler notes the two names refer to one man.

28The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.

28The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.

NoteIshmael was in fact the elder, born to Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian slave; Isaac was born later to Sarah herself. The order here is not birth order. The Chronicler's method throughout is to name the side branches, dispose of them quickly, and then return to the line he is actually following, so Ishmael's descendants come first, in verses 29–31, and Isaac's line resumes at verse 34.

29This is the record of their families. Ishmael's oldest son was Nebaioth. After him came Kedar, Adbeel, and Mibsam.

29These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

Note"Generations" translates a Hebrew word (toledot) used throughout Genesis for a family record or register, the account of what came from a given ancestor.

30Then Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema.

30Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,

31Then Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.

31Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.

NoteIshmael's twelve sons correspond to nomadic tribes of the northern Arabian desert. Several (Kedar, Nebaioth, Tema, Dumah) appear in Assyrian records and elsewhere in the Old Testament as real Arab peoples and oasis settlements.

32Keturah was Abraham's concubine. She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan.

32Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.

NoteA concubine was a secondary wife: legally recognized, living in the household, and her children counted as the man's own, but she ranked below a full wife and her sons normally had a weaker claim on the inheritance. Genesis 25 calls Keturah Abraham's wife; the Chronicler uses the lower term, placing her clearly beneath Sarah.

33The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Henoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these came from Keturah.

33And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah.

NoteThe Midianites were a people of the northwestern Arabian desert and the Sinai region who appear often in Israel's story, Moses married a Midianite and herded her father's flocks, and Gideon fought off Midianite raiders.

34Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.

34And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.

NoteIsrael is the second name given to Jacob in Genesis 32; Chronicles almost always calls him Israel rather than Jacob. Esau was the elder of the twins, but as with Ishmael, the Chronicler names him first only in order to deal with his descendants (verses 35–54) and clear the way for Israel's line, which occupies the rest of the book.

35The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.

35The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.

NoteEsau is also called Edom, and his descendants are the Edomites, who settled the rugged country southeast of the Dead Sea. They were Israel's nearest kin among the surrounding nations and, for most of the Old Testament, among its most persistent enemies.

36The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

36The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.

NoteIn Genesis 36 Timna is not a son but a woman, a concubine of Eliphaz who bore him Amalek. The Chronicler's compressed list runs her name into the sequence so that she reads as one more son. Amalek is the ancestor of the Amalekites, desert raiders who attacked Israel after the exodus.

37The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

37The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

38The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezar, and Dishan.

38And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezar, and Dishan.

NoteSeir was not descended from Esau at all. He is the ancestor of the Horites, the people already living in the land of Seir when the Edomites arrived; the two groups intermarried and merged, which is why their family lists are set side by side here.

39The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister.

39And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan’s sister.

40The sons of Shobal were Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah.

40The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah.

NoteSeveral names in this section are spelled slightly differently from the parallel list in Genesis 36, Alian for Alvan, Shephi for Shepho, and in the next verse Amram for Hemdan. These are copying variations between Hebrew letters that look much alike, not different people.

41The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were Amram, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

41The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.

42The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.

42The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran.

43These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the people of Israel. Bela son of Beor ruled, and his city was named Dinhabah.

43Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

NoteEdom had a monarchy before Israel did. Note that not one of these eight kings is the son of the one before him: the throne did not pass from father to son, which suggests each was chosen or seized power, more like a paramount chief than a dynastic king. Each ruled from his own town rather than from a fixed capital.

44When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah, from Bozrah, became king in his place.

44And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

NoteBozrah was the principal city of northern Edom, and later prophets use its name as shorthand for Edom itself.

45When Jobab died, Husham, from the land of the Temanites, became king in his place.

45And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.

NoteTeman was a district of Edom, proverbial for wisdom; one of Job's three friends is Eliphaz the Temanite.

46When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad became king in his place. Hadad defeated Midian in the open country of Moab. His city was named Avith.

46And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.

Note"In the field of Moab" means in the open country of Moab, the plateau east of the Dead Sea, north of Edom. Midian's herding tribes ranged widely, and this records a battle fought on Moabite ground.

47When Hadad died, Samlah, from Masrekah, became king in his place.

47And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.

48When Samlah died, Shaul, from Rehoboth by the river, became king in his place.

48And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.

NoteIn the Hebrew Bible "the river", used on its own without a name, normally means the Euphrates. Rehoboth is otherwise unknown.

49When Shaul died, Baalhanan son of Achbor became king in his place.

49And when Shaul was dead, Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

50When Baalhanan died, Hadad became king in his place. His city was named Pai. His wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, who was the daughter of Mezahab.

50And when Baalhanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

NoteIt is unusual for a genealogy of this kind to name a king's wife at all, still less her mother and grandmother; something in the tradition evidently made this family worth recording. Mezahab means "waters of gold".

51Then Hadad died too. These were the clan chiefs of Edom: Timnah, Aliah, and Jetheth.

51Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,

Note"Duke" here is the KJV translating a Hebrew word (alluph) for the head of a clan or tribal division; it has nothing to do with European nobility, and the seventeenth-century English word simply meant a leader, from the Latin dux. Most of the names that follow are also known as place names, so this is probably a list of the districts of Edom and the clans attached to them rather than a list of successive rulers.

52Also Aholibamah, Elah, and Pinon.

52Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,

53Also Kenaz, Teman, and Mibzar.

53Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,

54Also Magdiel and Iram. These were the clan chiefs of Edom.

54Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom.