1 Chronicles 1:1--3:24
Context1:1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, 1:2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jered, 1:3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 1
1:5 The sons of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
1:6 The sons of Gomer:
Ashkenaz, Riphath, 2 and Togarmah.
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites. 4
1:8 The sons of Ham:
Cush, Mizraim, 5 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. 6
1:11 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 1:12 Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines descended 7 ), 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.
1:17 The sons of Shem:
Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
The sons of Aram: 8
Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 9
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; 10 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, 11 Abimael, Sheba, 1:23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 12 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.
1:29 These were their descendants:
Ishmael’s firstborn son was Nebaioth; the others were 13 Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 1:30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 1:31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
1:32 The sons to whom Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, 14 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.
1:34 Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac:
Esau and Israel.
1:35 The sons of Esau:
Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
1:36 The sons of Eliphaz:
Teman, Omar, Zephi, 15 Gatam, Kenaz, and (by Timna) Amalek. 16
1:37 The sons of Reuel:
Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
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.) 17
1:40 The sons of Shobal:
Alyan, 18 Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, 19 and Onam.
The sons of Zibeon:
Aiah and Anah.
Dishon.
The sons of Dishon:
Hamran, 21 Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.
1:42 The sons of Ezer:
Bilhan, Zaavan, Jaakan. 22
The sons of Dishan: 23
Uz and Aran.
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. 24
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 25 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. 26 His wife was Mehetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-Zahab.
1:51 Hadad died.
The tribal chiefs of Edom were:
Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 1:52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 1:53 Kenaz, Teman, 27 Mibzar, 1:54 Magdiel, Iram. 28 These were the tribal chiefs of Edom.
2:1 These were the sons of Israel: 29
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
Issachar and Zebulun;
2:2 Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin;
Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
2:3 The sons of Judah:
Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bathshua, 30 a Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, displeased the Lord, so the Lord killed him. 31
2:4 Tamar, Judah’s 32 daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.
2:5 The sons of Perez:
Hezron and Hamul.
2:6 The sons of Zerah:
Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol, Dara 33 – five in all.
Achan, 35 who brought the disaster on Israel when he stole what was devoted to God. 36
Azariah.
2:9 The sons born to Hezron:
Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb. 38
2:10 Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, the tribal chief of Judah. 2:11 Nahshon was the father of Salma, 39 and Salma was the father of Boaz. 2:12 Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse.
2:13 Jesse was the father of Eliab, his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third, 2:14 Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, 2:15 Ozem sixth, David seventh. 2:16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons were Abshai, 40 Joab, and Asahel. 2:17 Abigail bore Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
2:18 Caleb son of Hezron fathered sons by his wife Azubah (also known as Jerioth). 41 Her sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 2:19 When Azubah died, Caleb married 42 Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 2:20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezalel.
2:21 Later 43 Hezron had sexual relations with 44 the daughter of Makir, the father of Gilead. (He had married 45 her when he was sixty years old.) She bore him Segub. 2:22 Segub was the father of Jair, who owned twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 2:23 (Geshur and Aram captured the towns of Jair, 46 along with Kenath and its sixty surrounding towns.) All these were descendants of Makir, the father of Gilead.
2:24 After Hezron’s death, Caleb had sexual relations with Ephrath, his father Hezron’s widow, and she bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa. 47
2:25 The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron’s firstborn, were Ram, the firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 2:26 Jerahmeel had another wife named Atarah; she was Onam’s mother.
2:27 The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel’s firstborn, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
2:28 The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada.
The sons of Shammai:
Nadab and Abishur.
2:29 Abishur’s wife was Abihail, who bore him Ahban and Molid.
2:30 The sons of Nadab:
Seled and Appaim. (Seled died without having sons.)
Ishi.
The son of Ishi:
Sheshan.
The son of Sheshan:
Ahlai.
2:32 The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother:
Jether and Jonathan. (Jether died without having sons.)
2:33 The sons of Jonathan:
Peleth and Zaza.
These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.
2:34 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. Sheshan had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. 2:35 Sheshan gave his daughter to his servant Jarha as a wife; she bore him Attai.
2:36 Attai was the father of Nathan, and Nathan was the father of Zabad. 2:37 Zabad was the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal was the father of Obed. 2:38 Obed was the father of Jehu, and Jehu was the father of Azariah. 2:39 Azariah was the father of Helez, and Helez was the father of Eleasah. 2:40 Eleasah was the father of Sismai, and Sismai was the father of Shallum. 2:41 Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama.
2:42 The sons of Caleb, Jerahmeel’s brother:
His firstborn Mesha, the father of Ziph, and his second son Mareshah, 49 the father of Hebron.
2:43 The sons of Hebron:
Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
2:44 Shema was the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. 2:45 Shammai’s son was Maon, who was the father of Beth-Zur.
2:46 Caleb’s concubine 50 Ephah bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.
2:47 The sons of Jahdai:
Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
2:48 Caleb’s concubine Maacah bore Sheber and Tirhanah. 2:49 She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Achsah.
2:50 These were the descendants of Caleb.
The sons 51 of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrath: 52
Shobal, the father of Kiriath Jearim, 2:51 Salma, the father of Bethlehem, Hareph, the father of Beth-Gader.
2:52 The sons of Shobal, the father of Kiriath Jearim, were Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, 53 2:53 the clans of Kiriath Jearim – the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. (The Zorathites and Eshtaolites descended from these groups.) 54
2:54 The sons of Salma:
Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth-Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, 2:55 and the clans of the scribes 55 who lived in Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who descended 56 from Hammath, the father of Beth-Rechab. 57
3:1 These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron:
The firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel;
the second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel;
3:2 the third was Absalom whose mother was Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
the fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith;
3:3 the fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital;
the sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah.
3:4 These six were born to David 58 in Hebron, where he ruled for seven years and six months.
He ruled thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 59 3:5 These were the sons born to him in Jerusalem:
Shimea, 60 Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon – the mother of these four was Bathsheba 61 the daughter of Ammiel. 62
3:6 The other nine were Ibhar, Elishua, 63 Elpelet, 64 3:7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 3:8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
3:9 These were all the sons of David, not counting the sons of his concubines. 65 Tamar was their sister.
3:10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam,
followed by Abijah his son,
Asa his son,
Jehoshaphat his son,
Ahaziah his son,
Joash his son,
3:12 Amaziah his son,
Azariah his son,
Jotham his son,
3:13 Ahaz his son,
Hezekiah his son,
Manasseh his son,
3:14 Amon his son,
Josiah his son.
3:15 The sons of Josiah:
Johanan was the firstborn; Jehoiakim was born second; Zedekiah third; and Shallum fourth.
3:16 The sons of Jehoiakim:
his son Jehoiachin 67 and his son Zedekiah.
3:17 The sons of Jehoiachin the exile: 68
Shealtiel his son, 3:18 Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
3:19 The sons of Pedaiah:
Zerubbabel and Shimei.
The sons of Zerubbabel:
Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister.
3:20 The five others were Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed.
3:21 The descendants of Hananiah:
Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah, and of Shecaniah.
3:22 The descendants of Shecaniah:
Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat – six in all.
3:23 The sons of Neariah:
Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam – three in all.
3:24 The sons of Elioenai:
Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani – seven in all.
[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.
[1:6] 2 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[1:7] 3 tn Or in this case, “descendants.”
[1:7] 4 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
[1:10] 6 tn Heb “he began to be a mighty warrior in the earth.”
[1:17] 8 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.
[1:17] 9 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.
[1:19] 10 sn Perhaps this refers to the scattering of the people at Babel (Gen 11:1-9).
[1:22] 11 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[1:24] 12 tc Some LXX
[1:29] 13 tn The words “the others were” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[1:32] 14 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).
[1:36] 15 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[1:36] 16 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.
[1:39] 17 tn Perhaps this is the Timna mentioned in v. 36.
[1:40] 18 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[1:40] 19 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[1:41] 20 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.
[1:41] 21 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).
[1:42] 22 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.
[1:42] 23 tc The MT reads “Dishon” here, but this should be emended to “Dishan.” See the list in v. 38 and Gen 36:28.
[1:44] 24 tn Heb “ruled in his place,” here and in vv. 45-50.
[1:48] 25 tn Or “near the river.”
[1:50] 26 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[1:53] 27 tn The parallel genealogy in Gen 36:42 has the variant spelling “Temam.”
[1:54] 28 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.
[2:1] 29 tn The groupings in the list that follows, as well as the conjunctions (vav-consecutives in Hebrew), reflect those of the Hebrew text.
[2:3] 30 tn The name means “daughter of Shua.” Shua is identified in Gen 38:2 as a “Canaanite man.”
[2:3] 31 tn Heb “was evil in the eyes of the
[2:4] 32 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:6] 33 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[2:7] 34 tn Heb “sons.” The Hebrew text has the plural, but only one son is listed.
[2:7] 35 tc The Hebrew text has “Achar,” which means “disaster,” but a few medieval Hebrew
[2:7] 36 tn Heb “the troubler of Israel who was unfaithful with respect to the devoted [things].”
[2:8] 37 tn Heb “sons.” The Hebrew text has the plural, but only one son is listed.
[2:9] 38 tn The Hebrew text has “Celubai,” but see v. 18, where Caleb is described as the son of Hezron.
[2:11] 39 tc The LXX reads “Salmon” (cf. Ruth 4:21) and is followed by some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
[2:16] 40 tn In 2 Sam 2:18 this name appears as “Abishai,” a spelling followed by many English versions here.
[2:18] 41 tn Heb “and Caleb son of Hezron fathered [children] with Azubah, a wife, and with Jerioth.” Jerioth could be viewed as a second wife (so NLT; cf. also NASB, NIV, NRSV), but the following context mentions only “her [presumably Azubah’s] sons.” Another option, the one chosen in the translation, is that Jerioth is another name for Azubah.
[2:19] 42 tn Heb “took for himself.”
[2:21] 43 sn This means “later” in relation to the births of the three sons (Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb) mentioned in v. 9.
[2:21] 44 tn Heb “Hezron went to.”
[2:21] 45 tn Heb “he took,” referring to taking in marriage.
[2:23] 46 tn Or “Havvoth Jair” (NIV, NRSV). Some translations do not translate the phrase (“havvoth” = “the towns of”), but treat it as part of the place name.
[2:24] 47 tn Heb “And after the death of Hezron in Caleb Ephrathah, and the wife of Hezron, Abijah, and she bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.” Perhaps one could translate: “After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore to him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the text suggests that Abijah was born after his father’s death. Because of the awkward syntax and the odd appearance of “Caleb Ephrathah” as a place name, some prefer to emend the text. Some alter בְּכָלֵב אֶפְרָתָה (bÿkhalev ’efratah, “in Caleb Ephrathah”) to בָּא כָלֵב אֶפְרָתָה (bo’ khalev ’efratah, “Caleb had sexual relations with Ephrath”) and then change אֲבִיָּה (’aviyyah, “Abijah”) to אָבִיהוּ (’avihu, “his father”). This results in the following translation: “And after Hezron’s death, Caleb had sexual relations with Ephrath, his father Hezron’s wife, and she bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa” (cf. NAB). This would mean that Caleb’s second wife Ephrath had actually been his late father’s wife (probably Caleb’s stepmother). Perhaps the text was subsequently altered because Caleb’s actions appeared improper in light of the injunctions in Lev 18:8; 20:11; Deut 22:30; 27:20 (which probably refer, however, to a son having sexual relations with his stepmother while his father is still alive).
[2:31] 48 tn Heb “sons.” The Hebrew text has the plural “sons” in all three instances in this verse, even though the following lists have only one name each.
[2:42] 49 tc Heb “and the sons of Mareshah,” but this does not fit contextually. Perhaps the text originally had וּבְנוֹ מִשְׁנֶה מָרֵשָׁה (uvÿno mishneh mareshah, “and his second son, Mareshah”), with מִשְׁנֶה (“second”) later accidentally falling out by homoioteleuton (cf. the note in BHS here).
[2:46] 50 sn See the note on the word “concubine” in 1:32.
[2:50] 51 tn Heb “son.” The Hebrew text has the singular, but the following list contains more than one name.
[2:50] 52 tn The Hebrew text reads “Ephrathah” here, but see v. 19, which mentions “Ephrath” as the wife of Hur.
[2:52] 53 tn The Hebrew text has “Menuchites” here, but v. 54 has “Manachathites.”
[2:53] 54 tn Heb “from these went forth the Zorathites and Eshtaolites.”
[2:55] 55 tn Or perhaps “the Sopherim.” The NAB transliterates this term and treats it as a proper name.
[2:55] 57 tn Or (if בֵּית [beth] is translated as “house” rather than considered to be part of the name) “the father of the house [i.e., family] of Rechab.”
[3:4] 58 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:4] 59 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:5] 60 tn “Shimea” (שִׁמְעָא, shim’a’) is a variant spelling of “Shammua” (שַׁמּוּעַ, shammua’; see 2 Sam 5:14). Some English versions use the spelling “Shammua” here (e.g., NIV, NCV).
[3:5] 61 tn Most Hebrew
[3:5] 62 tn In 2 Sam 11:3 Bathsheba is called “the daughter of Eliam,” while here her father’s name is given as “Ammiel.”
[3:6] 63 tn All but two Hebrew
[3:6] 64 tn The MT reads “Eliphelet” here, but 1 Chr 14:5 lists the name as “Elpelet” and is followed by some English versions here (e.g., TEV, NLT). Another son named “Eliphelet” is listed in 3:8.
[3:9] 65 sn See the note on the word “concubine” in 1:32.
[3:11] 66 sn Joram is a variant spelling of the name “Jehoram.”
[3:16] 67 tn Heb “Jeconiah,” a variation of the name “Jehoiachin” (also in v. 17).
[3:17] 68 tn Heb “prisoner.” Jehoiachin was carried off to Babylon as a prisoner. See 2 Chr 36:10.