1 Chronicles 1 - Concise Bible - Commentary

1 Chronicles 1

Official ListsAdam's Descendants

¹ Adam, Sheth, Enosh,

² Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,

³ Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,

⁴ Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹³ And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,

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

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

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

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

¹⁸ And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.

¹⁹ And 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.

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

²¹ Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah,

²² and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

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

²⁴ Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,

²⁵ Eber, Peleg, Reu,

²⁶ Serug, Nahor, Terah,

²⁷ Abram; the same is Abraham.

²⁸ The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.

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

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

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

³² Now 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kings of Edom

⁴³ Now 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.

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

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

⁴⁶ And 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.

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

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

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

⁵⁰ And when Baal-hanan 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.

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

⁵² duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,

⁵³ duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,

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

1 Chronicles 1

GENEALOGIES AND PEDIGREES

INTRODUCTION

With this begins the study of those historical books of the Old Testament written shortly after the return from the Babylonian captivity, the remainder of the series including 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

“Chronicles” means “diaries” or “journal,” and the books recapitulate sacred history from the time of Adam, in which the earlier books of the Old Testament are drawn upon and occasionally supplemented. The Holy Spirit, who is the real Author, has a right to do this when the occasion calls for it.

The closest relation exists between the Chronicles and Kings. The last- named were written, it is thought, by Jeremiah, and the first-named by a priest or Levite. Kings must have been compiled shortly after the people went into exile, Chronicles after their return. Kings deal more with the inner spiritual condition of things, Chronicles with the external modes of worship.

There are differences in the two records here and there. Not only are genealogies differently grouped, but names and places are changed, speeches of persons are presented from dissimilar aspects, religious festivals have more than one description given them, and things of that kind; but there is no contradiction not explainable by the changes incident to time, the later writer’s point of view, the object in mind, negligent transcribing and the like.

Why Chronicles were written is difficult to say, but there must have been some good reason for going over the ground again, “some new aspect of the history to signalize, and some new lesson to convey to the people of

God on returning from the captivity.” What these things may be must appear as we proceed.

SUBDIVISIONS

The first nine chapters contain the genealogies of the patriarchs, the twelve tribes, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem till the beginning of the kingdom, the purpose being to connect David, the great forerunner of the Messiah, as well as the priests and Levites of his time with the antediluvian patriarchs. They have been subdivided as follows:

The Patriarchs from Adam to Jacob and Esau, with the descendants of the latter till the era of the Edomite Kings (chap. 1). At first these names may not seem of importance to us, but we remember that the Holy Spirit caused them to be written and that is enough. And when we know how to awaken them from their sleep, they do not remain so dead as they at first appear, but revive the most important traditions of the ancient nations and families, like the petrifactions and mountain strata of the earth, which rightly questioned, tell the history of long vanished ages.

The Sons of Jacob, or the Generations of Judah till David, with David’s Posterity till Elioenai and His Seven Sons (1Ch 2:1 to 1Ch 4:23). In this we discover a biographic gem in the story of Jabez and his prayer (1Ch 4:9-10) of whom we are told nothing further. Verse 10 has homiletic value in the three things for which Jabez prayed and which he received prosperity, power, and protection.

Another homiletic suggestion is in the words, “There they dwelt with the king for his work” (v. 23). These potters “that dwelt among plants and hedges,” may have been artistic craftsmen adjacent to the royal gardens at Jerusalem, not merely in the reign of one king but all of them. Remains of these potteries have been found in recent times.

The Descendants of Simeon and the Tribes East of the Jordan till the Assyrian Captivity (1Ch 4:24 to 1Ch 5:26). This division is interesting, as it records two conquests or migrations of the Simeonites (1Ch 4:38-43), and corroborates what we learned earlier about the small size of this tribe (compare 1 Chron. 5:27 with Numbers 1-4 and Jos 19:1-9). In the same way compare the reference to Reuben, Joseph and Judah, 1Ch 5:1-2, with the earlier account in Genesis 49. Nor should we permit such an inspired comment as chapter 5:20 to escape us.

The Levites and Their Locations (1Ch 6:1-81).

This division may be broken up, thus: The sons of Levi (1Ch 6:1-3); the priests down to the captivity (v. 4-15); the families of Gershom, Merari and Kohath (1Ch 6:16-48); the office of Aaron and his line unto Ahimaaz (v. 49-53); the cities of the priests and the Levites (1Ch 6:54-81).

The Remaining Tribes (1 Chronicles 7-8).

These tribes include Issachar (1Ch 7:1-5); Benjamin (1Ch 7:6-12) Naphtali (1Ch 7:13); Manasseh (1Ch 7:14-19); Ephraim (1Ch 7:20-29); Asher (1Ch 7:30-40); the chief men of Benjamin (1Ch 8:1-32); the house of Saul (1Ch 8:33-40). Dan and Zebulun are omitted, but why, no one knows. In the case of Dan, perhaps, it is judicial punishment because of their early and almost total fall into idolatry. They are omitted again in the list of Revelation 8. Zebulun’s omission is more difficult to explain. It was a small tribe, especially just before and after the exile, but it was the tribe whose territory included Nazareth where Jesus dwelt.

The Inhabitants of Jerusalem till the Times of the Kings (1 Chronicles 9).

QUESTIONS

1. Name the post-exilian historical books.

2. Give the scope and general contents of the books of Chronicles.

3. Contrast Kings and Chronicles as to their history and character.

4. What are some of the points of difference between Kings and Chronicles, and how are they explained?

5. Give the contents of 1 Chronicles 1-9 in outline.

6. What can you recall of the history of Jabez?

7. Which two tribes are altogether omitted from these genealogies?