1 Chronicles 2

These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

1These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

Note"Israel" here is the man Jacob, who was given that second name in Genesis 32:28. His twelve sons are the ancestors of the twelve tribes, and the lists that follow work through their families tribe by tribe. Chronicles opens with nine chapters of such lists; they were a way of setting out who belonged to which family and which land, and of joining the writer's own generation to the past.

2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

2Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

3The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite woman. Er, Judah's oldest son, was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death.

3The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

NoteThe events are told in Genesis 38. "The LORD" printed in capitals stands for the personal name of Israel's God, four Hebrew consonants that readers by custom did not say aloud; English Bibles since 1611 have marked it this way to distinguish it from the ordinary word for "lord." A Canaanite was a member of the peoples living in the land before Israel settled there; marrying outside the family line is worth the writer's mention.

4Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, gave birth to his sons Pharez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

4And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

NoteTamar was Er's widow. Genesis 38 tells the story: by custom a dead man's brother was expected to father a child by the widow, and that child counted as the dead man's heir and kept his name alive. When Judah held back his third son, Tamar disguised herself and conceived by Judah himself. Pharez (Perez) is the ancestor of the royal line traced in verses 5–15.

5The sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

5The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul.

6The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara, five in all.

6And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all.

7The son of Carmi was Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by taking what had been set apart for destruction.

7And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.

Note"What had been set apart for destruction" translates a term for goods from a captured city that were placed under a ban: given over to God and therefore forbidden as plunder, on pain of death. The story is in Joshua 7, where the man is called Achan; the form used here, Achar, sounds like the Hebrew word for "trouble," so the name and the description are a play on each other.

8The son of Ethan was Azariah.

8And the sons of Ethan; Azariah.

9The sons born to Hezron were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.

9The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.

NoteChelubai and Caleb are two forms of the same name; the chapter uses both for this son of Hezron (see verses 18, 42). He is a different man from the better-known Caleb son of Jephunneh, one of the scouts sent into Canaan in Numbers 13.

10Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the people of Judah.

10And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;

NoteIn lists like this, "the father of" does not always mean the immediate parent; it can mean an ancestor several generations back, with intervening names left out. The line from Pharez to David in verses 5–15 covers many centuries in a handful of names. Nahshon appears in Numbers 1:7 as the head of the tribe of Judah during the years in the wilderness.

11Nahshon was the father of Salma, and Salma was the father of Boaz.

11And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,

12Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse.

12And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse,

NoteBoaz and Obed are the men of the book of Ruth: Obed was born to Boaz and Ruth, a woman of Moab. Jesse is David's father.

13Jesse was the father of Eliab, his oldest son, then Abinadab was born second, and Shimma third,

13And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,

Note1 Samuel 16 says Jesse had eight sons and that David was the youngest of them; here he is seventh. One brother may have died without descendants and so dropped out of a list whose purpose is to record surviving lines.

14Nethaneel was born fourth, and Raddai fifth,

14Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

15Ozem was born sixth, and David seventh.

15Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:

16Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three of them.

16Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

NoteZeruiah and Abigail are David's sisters, so their sons are his nephews. Throughout the books of Samuel these three men are named after their mother rather than their father, which is unusual; Joab commanded David's army, and Abishai and Asahel were among his leading fighters.

17Abigail was the mother of Amasa, and Amasa's father was Jether the Ishmaelite.

17And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite.

NoteAn Ishmaelite was a descendant of Ishmael, Abraham's son by Hagar, whose people lived on the desert margins east and south of Israel. 2 Samuel 17:25 calls the same man an Israelite, a difference the ancient texts never resolved. Amasa later commanded the army of Absalom against David.

18Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. Azubah's sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.

18And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.

NoteThe Hebrew is unclear about who Jerioth is: a second wife alongside Azubah, another name for Azubah herself, or a daughter. Translations differ, and the sentence cannot be settled from the words alone.

19When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, and she gave birth to his son Hur.

19And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur.

20Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezaleel.

20And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel.

NoteBezaleel (Bezalel) is the craftsman chosen in Exodus 31 to make the tent-sanctuary and its furnishings; the note of his descent is what makes this short line worth recording.

21Later, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir, who was the father of Gilead. Hezron had married her when he was sixty years old, and she gave birth to his son Segub.

21And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.

NoteGilead is the hill country east of the Jordan river. "Father of Gilead" uses a common idiom of these lists: a man is called the father of a place when the people living there traced their descent from him, or when he was remembered as its founder. The same idiom runs through verses 24 and 42–55. Machir belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, so this marriage links Judah's family to the tribes settled east of the Jordan.

22Segub was the father of Jair, who held twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead.

22And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.

NoteElsewhere these are called the "tent-villages of Jair" (Numbers 32:41): small unwalled settlements rather than fortified cities.

23But Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair away from them, along with Kenath and the villages around it, sixty towns in all. All of these belonged to the descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead.

23And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

NoteGeshur and Aram were small Aramean kingdoms to the north and northeast of Israel. The Hebrew does not make clear who takes the towns from whom, and translations divide over whether it is a capture by these kingdoms or an acquisition by Jair's family.

24After Hezron died in Caleb-ephratah, his wife Abiah gave birth to his son Ashur, the father of Tekoa.

24And after that Hezron was dead in Calebephratah, then Abiah Hezron’s wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa.

NoteThis verse is one of the hardest in the chapter. "Caleb-ephratah" is a place named nowhere else, and the ancient Greek translation reads the line differently, as Caleb going in to Ephrath after his father Hezron's death. As the Hebrew stands, the child is born after his father has died.

25The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron's oldest son, were Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.

25And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah.

NoteThe lists keep marking who was firstborn because the position carried legal weight: the eldest son normally received a double share of the inheritance and became head of the family after his father.

26Jerahmeel also had another wife, whose name was Atarah. She was the mother of Onam.

26Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

27The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel's oldest son, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.

27And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.

28The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur.

28And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur.

29Abishur's wife was named Abihail, and she gave birth to his sons Ahban and Molid.

29And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid.

30The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim, but Seled died without children.

30And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children.

Note"Died without children" is not an aside but the point of the entry: the line stops there, and his share of family land and name passed to relatives. The same is said of Jether in verse 32.

31The son of Appaim was Ishi. The son of Ishi was Sheshan. The child of Sheshan was Ahlai.

31And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.

NoteThe Hebrew uses the plural "sons of" as a fixed formula even when only one name follows. Verse 34 says Sheshan had no sons, so Ahlai is usually taken to be a daughter, or else a descendant reached through the marriage described in verses 34–35.

32The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, were Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.

32And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.

33The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.

33And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.

34Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. But he had a servant from Egypt whose name was Jarha.

34Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha.

NoteThe servant is a slave, and an Egyptian, that is, a foreigner in the household rather than an Israelite.

35Sheshan gave his daughter to his servant Jarha as a wife, and she gave birth to his son Attai.

35And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai.

NoteA man with no sons could keep his family line and land in his own name by marrying a daughter to a household slave: the children were reckoned to the grandfather's line rather than the slave's, and the husband commonly gained free or adopted standing. The fourteen generations that follow are the result.

36Attai was the father of Nathan, and Nathan was the father of Zabad,

36And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad,

37Zabad was the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal was the father of Obed,

37And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed,

38Obed was the father of Jehu, and Jehu was the father of Azariah,

38And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah,

39Azariah was the father of Helez, and Helez was the father of Eleasah,

39And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah,

40Eleasah was the father of Sisamai, and Sisamai was the father of Shallum,

40And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum,

41Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama.

41And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.

42The sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, were Mesha his oldest son, who was the father of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron.

42Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.

NoteThe Hebrew of this verse is damaged or compressed; as written it says "the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron," which does not fit the pattern. Some translations read "Mareshah his second son." Ziph and Hebron are towns in the southern hill country of Judah.

43The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.

43And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.

44Shema was the father of Raham, who was the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem was the father of Shammai.

44And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai.

45The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Bethzur.

45And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur.

46Ephah, Caleb's concubine, gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.

46And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.

NoteA concubine was a secondary wife, usually a slave or a woman brought into the household without the property settlement that backed a full marriage. The relationship was recognized and her children were counted as the man's, though they ranked below the children of a chief wife.

47The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Gesham, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.

47And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.

48Maachah, Caleb's concubine, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah.

48Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.

49She also gave birth to Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, and Sheva, the father of Machbenah and of Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Achsa.

49She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa.

NoteA daughter of the same name, Achsah, belongs to the other Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, in Joshua 15:16.

50These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the oldest son of Ephratah: Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim,

50These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim,

NoteEphratah (Ephrath) is both a woman's name, in verse 19, and the older name for the district around Bethlehem, which is why the two are used interchangeably in the Bible. The Hebrew here can be punctuated either as closing the previous list or as opening this one, so translations differ over whether these are Caleb's sons or Hur's.

51Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Bethgader.

51Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Bethgader.

52Shobal, the father of Kirjathjearim, had these descendants: Haroeh and half of the Manahethites.

52And Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites.

NoteKirjath-jearim was a town west of Jerusalem. From here to the end of the chapter the lists shift from persons to communities: names ending in -ite are clan or settlement groups, usually named after the town they came from, so "the father of Kirjath-jearim" means the ancestor from whom its people reckoned their descent.

53The families of Kirjathjearim were the Ithrites, the Puhites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From them came the Zareathites and the Eshtaulites.

53And the families of Kirjathjearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites.

54The descendants of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Ataroth of the house of Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites.

54The sons of Salma; Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.

Note"Ataroth of the house of Joab" is a place name in the Hebrew, Atroth-beth-Joab, rather than a description of who lived there.

55There were also the families of the scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.

55And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.

NoteScribes were professional writers and record-keepers, a trade passed down within families. The Kenites were a non-Israelite people connected in Exodus with Moses' father-in-law; they lived among the tribe of Judah without merging into it. The house of Rechab appears in Jeremiah 35 as a family that refused wine, houses and farming and lived in tents. Jabez is a place here, though the same name belongs to a man in 1 Chronicles 4:9.