1 Chronicles 4

The descendants of Judah were Pharez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

1The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.

NoteIn Hebrew family lists, "son of" can mean any descendant, not only a direct child. These five are not brothers: Pharez was Judah's own son, Hezron was Pharez's son, and the others come further down the same line. (Pharez is the same name spelled Perez in most modern Bibles; Chronicles' older spellings often differ from those used elsewhere.) Lists like this one were compiled after the Judeans returned from exile in Babylon, when proving which clan and which town a family belonged to was how people established who they were and what land they could claim.

2Reaiah the son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the family groups of the Zorathites, the people of the town of Zorah.

2And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.

Note"Families" here translates a word meaning clan, a group of related households larger than a family but smaller than a tribe. Israel's social structure ran tribe, then clan, then household, and clans were usually tied to a particular town or district.

3These were the sons of the man who founded Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazelelponi.

3And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi:

NoteThroughout this chapter, calling a man "the father of" a place means he was regarded as the town's founder, or as the ancestor of the people who lived there. The Hebrew uses the ordinary word for father in both senses, so many of the names in these lists are at once persons and settlements.

4Penuel founded Gedor, and Ezer founded Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the oldest son of Ephratah, who founded Bethlehem.

4And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem.

NoteEphratah (also spelled Ephrath) is used in the Bible both as a woman's name and as an old name for the district around Bethlehem, and it is not always possible to tell which is meant. The firstborn son held a recognized legal position: a double share of the inheritance and leadership of the family after the father's death.

5Ashur, who founded Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

5And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

6Naarah gave birth to his sons Ahuzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were Naarah's sons.

6And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

7The sons of Helah were Zereth, Jezoar, and Ethnan.

7And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.

8Coz was the father of Anub and Zobebah, and of the family groups of Aharhel son of Harum.

8And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

9Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain."

9And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

NoteThe name Jabez sounds in Hebrew like the word for pain or sorrow (the same consonants, with two of them swapped). The comment about his mother is a play on that sound, which is why the sentence about pain follows the name.

10Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: "I wish you would truly bless me and make my land larger. Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that it will not bring me pain." And God gave him what he asked for.

10And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

Note"Enlarge my coast" is 1611 English: coast then meant border or boundary, not seashore. He is asking for more territory. "Keep me from evil" translates a Hebrew word that covers harm, misfortune and disaster as well as moral wrongdoing; the request may mean protection from suffering, from doing wrong, or both.

11Chelub, the brother of Shuah, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

11And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.

12Eshton was the father of Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who founded Irnahash. These were the men of Rechah.

12And Eshton begat Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Rechah.

13The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. The son of Othniel was Hathath.

13And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath.

NoteOthniel appears elsewhere in the Bible as the first of the leaders called judges, who delivered Israel from a foreign king. The Hebrew text as the King James translators had it names only Hathath here, but some ancient copies add "and Meonothai", which would explain why Meonothai turns up without introduction at the start of the next verse.

14Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, who founded the Valley of Charashim. It got that name because the people there were skilled workers.

14And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen.

NoteCharashim is simply the Hebrew word for craftsmen or metalworkers, so the place name means "Valley of Craftsmen." That is the connection the verse is making between the name and the trade of the people there.

15The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz.

15And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz.

NoteThis is the Caleb who, in the account of the exodus, was one of the two scouts sent into Canaan who urged Israel to go in; the tribe of Judah's southern territory around Hebron was reckoned as his.

16The sons of Jehaleleel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.

16And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.

17The sons of Ezra were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And she gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, who founded Eshtemoa.

17And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

Note"And she bare" arrives with no woman named beforehand. The Hebrew of verses 17 and 18 appears to have become disordered at some point in copying; most modern translations move the clause about Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah up to this point, making her the mother of these three.

18And his Judean wife gave birth to Jered, who founded Gedor, Heber, who founded Socho, and Jekuthiel, who founded Zanoah. These were the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married.

18And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took.

Note"Jehudijah" is not really a name but a Hebrew description, "the Judean woman", that is, Mered's Jewish wife, set in contrast with Bithiah, his Egyptian one. "Daughter of Pharaoh" may mean a member of the Egyptian royal house, or simply an Egyptian woman, since Egyptian kings were called Pharaoh generally.

19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

19And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

20The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Benzoheth.

20And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth.

21The sons of Shelah son of Judah were Er, who founded Lecah, Laadah, who founded Mareshah, and the family groups of the workers who made fine linen at Beth Ashbea,

21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,

NoteShelah was Judah's third son. The "house of Ashbea" linen workers were a guild: in the ancient Near East a craft such as fine-linen weaving or pottery was passed down within particular families, so a trade and a bloodline named the same group of people.

22and Jokim, the men of Chozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These records come from long ago.

22And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.

NoteThese lines are among the most obscure in the Hebrew Bible. "Had the dominion in Moab" is a guess at a phrase whose sense is uncertain, and "Jashubilehem" may be a name or may be a short sentence meaning "and they returned to Bethlehem." The closing remark is the compiler's own note that he is quoting records already ancient in his day.

23These men were the potters, and they lived among the plants and the hedges. They lived there and did the king's work.

23These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

Note"Plants and hedges" is the King James translators reading two Hebrew words as ordinary nouns; they are more likely the town names Netaim and Gederah. Either way the men are royal potters, craftsmen working on contract to the crown, a recognized arrangement in which a village supplied the palace with goods instead of other taxes.

24The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

24The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:

NoteSimeon was one of the twelve tribes, but its allotted towns lay inside the territory of Judah in the dry south, so its history is told here as part of Judah's. That is why a chapter about Judah turns to Simeon halfway through.

25Shaul's son was Shallum, whose son was Mibsam, whose son was Mishma.

25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.

26The line of Mishma went on this way: Mishma's son was Hamuel, whose son was Zacchur, whose son was Shimei.

26And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.

27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many children, so their whole family did not grow as large as the people of Judah.

27And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.

NoteThe remark is a plain demographic observation. Simeon's numbers fell sharply between the two censuses recorded in the book of Numbers, and the tribe never regained its size or held land of its own apart from Judah.

28They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual,

28And they dwelt at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,

NoteThese are towns of the Negev, the semi-desert country in the far south of Israel, suited to herding rather than farming, which is why flocks and pasture dominate the rest of the chapter.

29Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

29And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

30And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

NoteZiklag was the border town given to David by a Philistine ruler while David was a fugitive from King Saul; after David became king it belonged to the royal house rather than to the tribe. That is the kind of change the next verse's "up until the time David became king" refers to.

31Bethmarcaboth, Hazarsusim, Bethbirei, and Shaaraim. These were their towns up until the time David became king.

31And at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.

32Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five towns in all,

32And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:

33along with all the villages around those towns, as far as Baal. These were the places where they lived, and they kept a written record of their families.

33And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.

NoteBaal here is a place name, not the god of that name. The Hebrew word means "lord" or "owner" and was commonly used in town names; this is probably the settlement called Baalath-beer elsewhere.

34The leaders were Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,

34And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah, the son of Amaziah,

35Joel, and Jehu son of Josibiah, who was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Asiel,

35And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

36and Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

36And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,

37and Ziza son of Shiphi, who was the son of Allon, who was the son of Jedaiah, who was the son of Shimri, who was the son of Shemaiah.

37And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah;

38The men named here were leaders of their family groups, and their families grew very large.

38These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly.

39They traveled to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, looking for pasture for their flocks.

39And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

NoteThe Hebrew reads Gedor, but the ancient Greek translation reads Gerar, a known town in the same southern region; translators are divided on which was original. The men are herders looking for grazing beyond their own overcrowded land.

40They found rich, good pasture. The land was wide, quiet, and calm, because people descended from Ham had lived there long before.

40And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

Note"They of Ham" means people counted as descendants of Ham, one of Noah's three sons, in the Bible's genealogy of the nations. Under that scheme Egyptians, Canaanites and various southern peoples were Hamites: that is, the previous occupants here were not Israelites.

41These men who are listed by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the tents and the homes of the people living there and destroyed them completely, as they remain to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks.

41And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.

Note"Destroyed them utterly" translates a term for placing a people or a place permanently under a ban, so that it could not be taken as ordinary plunder or resettled by its former owners. The word the King James renders "habitations" is spelled the same in Hebrew as Meunites, the name of a people; many translations read it that way. "Dwelt in their rooms" is 1611 English for took over their place.

42Five hundred of these men, from the descendants of Simeon, went to Mount Seir. Their leaders were Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

42And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

NoteMount Seir is the rugged highland country southeast of the Dead Sea, the homeland of the Edomites.

43They struck down the rest of the Amalekites, the ones who had escaped earlier, and they have lived there to this day.

43And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

NoteThe Amalekites were a nomadic people of the southern desert, remembered in Israel's traditions as its earliest enemy after the exodus and fought repeatedly by Saul and David. "The rest who had escaped" refers to survivors of those earlier campaigns.