Text -- 1 Chronicles 1:4-54 (NET)

1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Japheth’s Descendants

1:5 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 1:6 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 1:7 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.

Ham’s Descendants

1:8 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 1:9 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 1:10 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who established himself as a mighty warrior on earth. 1:11 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 1:12 Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines descended), and the Caphtorites. 1:13 Canaan was the father of Sidon– his firstborn– and Heth, 1:14 as well as the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 1:15 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 1:16 Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.

Shem’s Descendants

1:17 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 1:18 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber. 1:19 Two sons were born to Eber: the first was named Peleg, for during his lifetime the earth was divided; his brother’s name was Joktan. 1:20 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 1:21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 1:22 Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 1:23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 1:25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 1:26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 1:27 Abram (that is, Abraham). 1:28 The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.

Ishmael’s Descendants

1:29 These were their descendants: Ishmael’s firstborn son was Nebaioth; the others were Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 1:30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 1:31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.

Keturah’s Descendants

1:32 The sons to whom Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, gave birth: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. 1:33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

Isaac’s Descendants

1:34 Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel.

Esau’s Descendants

1:35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 1:36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, and (by Timna) Amalek. 1:37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

The Descendants of Seir

1:38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 1:39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. (Timna was Lotan’s sister.) 1:40 The sons of Shobal: Alyan, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 1:41 The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. 1:42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

Kings of Edom

1:43 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: Bela son of Beor; the name of his city was Dinhabah. 1:44 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah, succeeded him. 1:45 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him. 1:46 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad succeeded him. He struck down the Midianites in the plains of Moab; the name of his city was Avith. 1:47 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him. 1:48 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him. 1:49 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Achbor succeeded him. 1:50 When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad succeeded him; the name of his city was Pai. His wife was Mehetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-Zahab.

Tribal Chiefs of Edom

1:51 Hadad died. The tribal chiefs of Edom were: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 1:52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 1:53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 1:54 Magdiel, Iram. These were the tribal chiefs of Edom.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:4

¹ tc The LXX reads “Noah; the sons of Noah [were] Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Several English translations (e.g., NIV, NLT) follow the LXX.

sn Shem, Ham, and Japheth were Noah’s three sons (Gen 6:10).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:6

¹ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss, along with the LXX and Vulgate, read “Riphath” (see Gen 10:3). This is followed by several English translations (e.g., NAB, NIV, NLT), while others (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) follow the MT reading (“Diphath”).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:7

¹ tn Or in this case, “descendants.”

² tc The Kethiv has “Rodanim,” which probably refers to the island of Rhodes. The Qere has “Dodanim,” which refers to one of the most ancient and revered locations in ancient Greece. The MT and most medieval Hebrew mss of the parallel list in Gen 10:4 read “Dodanim,” but a few have “Rodanim.”

tn Heb “Kittim and Rodanim.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:8

¹ tn That is, “Egypt.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:10

¹ tn Heb “he began to be a mighty warrior in the earth.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:12

¹ tn Heb “came forth.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:17

¹ tc The words “the sons of Aram” do not appear in the Hebrew text. Apparently the phrase וּבְנֵי אֲרָם (uvÿney ’aram) has accidentally dropped out of the text by homoioteleuton (note the presence of אֲרָם just before this). The phrase is included in Gen 10:23.

² tc The MT of the parallel geneaology in Gen 10:23 reads “Mash,” but the LXX there reads “Meshech” in agreement with 1 Chr 1:17.

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:19

¹ sn Perhaps this refers to the scattering of the people at Babel (Gen 11:1-9).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:22

¹ tc Some medieval Hebrew mss and the Syriac read “Obal” (see Gen 10:28).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:24

¹ tc Some LXX mss read “Arphaxad, Cainan, Shelah” (see also the notes on Gen 10:24; 11:12-13).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:29

¹ tn The words “the others were” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:32

¹ sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:36

¹ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss, along with some LXX mss and the Syriac, read “Zepho” (see Gen 36:11).

² tn The Hebrew text has simply, “and Timna and Amalek,” but Gen 36:12 indicates that Timna, a concubine of Eliphaz, was the mother of Amalek. See also v. 39 below, which states that Timna was the sister of Lotan.

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:39

¹ tn Perhaps this is the Timna mentioned in v. 36.

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:40

¹ tc Some medieval Hebrew mss and a few LXX mss read “Alvan” (see Gen 36:23).

² tc A few medieval Hebrew mss read “Shepho” (see Gen 36:23).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:41

¹ tn Heb “sons.” The Hebrew text has the plural, but only one son is listed. For stylistic reasons the singular “son” was used in the translation.

² tn The parallel geneaology in Gen 36:26 has the variant spelling “Hemdan.” Some English versions follow the variant spelling here (e.g., NAB, NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:42

¹ tn The parallel geneaology in Gen 36:27 has the variant spelling “Akan.” Among English versions that use the variant spelling here are NIV, NCV, NLT.

² tc The MT reads “Dishon” here, but this should be emended to “Dishan.” See the list in v. 38 and Gen 36:28.

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:44

¹ tn Heb “ruled in his place,” here and in vv. 45-50.

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:48

¹ tn Or “near the river.”

sn The river may refer to the Euphrates River (cf. NRSV, CEV, NLT).

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:50

¹ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss, along with some LXX mss, the Syriac, and Vulgate, read “Pau.” See also Gen 36:39.

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:53

¹ tn The parallel genealogy in Gen 36:42 has the variant spelling “Temam.”

NET Notes: 1Ch 1:54

¹ tn Each of the names in this list is preceded by the word “chief” in the Hebrew text. This has not been included in the translation because it would appear very redundant to the modern reader.