1 Chronicles 1:17-27

Shem’s Descendants

1:17 The sons of Shem:

Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

The sons of Aram: 1 

Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 2 

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; 3  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, 4  Abimael, Sheba, 1:23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 5  1:25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 1:26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 1:27 Abram (that is, Abraham).

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.

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

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

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