1 Chronicles 1:5-54

2. THE DESCENDANTS OF NOAH'S SONS AND THE SONS OF ESAU (1 Chronicles 1:5-54)

TEXT

5. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 6. And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Diphath, and Togarmah. 7. And the sons of Javen: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.
8. The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9. And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raama, and Sabteca. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan. 10. And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 11. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 12. and Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whence came the Philistines), and Caphtorim. 13. And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth, 14. and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, 15. and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Smite, 16. and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, an the Hamathite.
17. The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. 18. And Arpachshad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. 19. And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; for 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. and Hadoram, 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, Arpachshad, 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 first-born 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. And 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 Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were 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 Jalam, 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 Ezer, and Dishan. 39. And the sons of Lotan: Hori, and HOrnan; 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: Hamran, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. 42. The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
43. Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 44. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 45. And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. 46. And Husham died, and Hadad the sons of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Avith. 47. And Hadad died, and Samlah of Marekah reigned in his stead. 48. And Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead. 49. And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. 50. And Baal-hanan died, and 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 Me-zahab. 51. And Hadad died. And the chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, 52. chief Oholibamab, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 53. chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 54. chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom.

PARAPHRASE,

1 Chronicles 1:5-9. The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras, The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah, The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

8. The sons of Ham: Cush, Misream, Canaan, and Put. The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabteca, The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. 10. Another of the sons of Cush was Nimrod, who became a great hero. 11, 12. The clans named after the sons of Misream were: the Ludim, the Anamin, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim, the Pathrusim, the Caphtorim, and the Casluhim (the ancestors of the Philistines). 13-16. Among Canaan's sons were: Sidon (his first-born) and Heth. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathitee.
17. The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 18. Arpachshad's son was Shelah, and Shelah's son was Eber. 19. Eber had two sons: Peleg (which means Divided, for it was during his lifetime that the people of the earth were divided into different language groups), and Joktan. 20-23. The sons of Joktan: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abima-el, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Joab. 24-27. So the son of Shem was Arpachshad, the son of Arpachshad was Shelah, the son of Shelah was Eber, the son of Eber was Peleg, The son of Peleg was Reu, the son of Reu was Serug, the son of Serug was Nahor, the son of Nahor was Terah, the son of Terah was Abram (later known as Abraham.)
28-31. Abraham's sons were Isaac and Ishmael. The sons of Ishmael: Nabaioth (the oldest), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 32. Abraham also had sons by his concubine Keturah: Zimram, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan's sons were Sheba and Dedan. 33. The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were the descendants of Abraham by his concubine Keturah. 34. Abraham's son Isaac had two sons, Esau and Israel. 35. The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 36. The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek. 37. The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. 38-39. The sons of Esau also included Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; and Esau's daughter was named Timna. Lotan's sons: Hori and HOrnan. 40. The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam, Zibeon's sons were Aiah and Anah. 41. Ahan's son was Dishon: The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42. The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. Dishan's sons were Uz and Aran.
43. Here is a list of the names of the kings of Edom who reigned before the kingdom of Israel began: Bela (the son of Beor), who lived in the city of Dinhabah. 44. When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah became the new king. 45. When Jobab died, Husham from the country of the Temanites became the king. 46. When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedadthe one who destroyed the army of Midian in the fields of Moabbecame king and ruled from the city of Avith. 47. When Hadad died, Samlah from the city of Masrekah came to the throne. 48. When Samlah died, Shaul from the river town of Rehoboth became the new king. 49. When Shaul died, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king. 50. When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king and ruled from the city of Pai (his wife was Mehetable, the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Mezahab). 51-54. At the time of Hadad's death, the kings of Edom were: Chief Timna, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth, Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, Chief Kenza, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, Chief Magdi-el, Chief Iram.

COMMENTARY

Japheth's descendants are listed in verses five through seven. He was the father of seven sons. Their names are Gomer, Magog, Madai, javan, Tubal, Meschech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer and Javan are also listed. The initial record is in Genesis 10:2-5. The descendants of Gomer settled in the coastlands of the Black and Caspian Seas and spread westward across Europe. Magog was the father of ferocious warriors identified with the Scythians who lived in the regions beyond the Caspian Sea to the north, Madai is the father of Medes who lived near the south-west shore of the Caspian Sea. Javan was the father of the Greeks who settled near the Aegean Sea. The descendants of Tubal found their place in Asia Minor, while Meschech settled on the south-east shores of the Black Sea in northern Armenia. Tiras is believed to have been the founder of the Thracian people on the west coast of the Black Sea.

The sons of Gomer are named in 1 Chronicles 1:6. Ashkenaz settled between the Black and the Caspian Seas. There is a possibility that the Germans may have come from him. Diphath, called Riphath in Genesis 10:3, probably settled on the north shores of the Caspian Sea. The Armenians most likely can trace their ancestry to Togarmah. Javan's sons named in 1 Chronicles 1:7 settled in the region of the Mediterranean Sea. Elishah is associated with the islands of the Aegean Sea. Tarshish is usually identified with Tartessus in Spain far to the west. The island of Cyprus is identified with Kittim. Rodanim, called Dodanim in Genesis 10:4, settled at the south-west shore of the Black sea and was probably the father of the Trojans.

The sons of Ham are named in verses eight through sixteen. He was the father of four sons, namely, Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. Cush is identified with Ethiopia. Egypt is often called Mizraim. Put was the father of the Libyan people. Canaan settled in the tract of land between Sidon and the Philistine country at the eastern extremity of the Mediterranean Sea. Cush's sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabteca. These would have settled in the regions of Ethiopia and Africa. The sons of Raama, namely, Sheba and Dedan located in Arabia on the shore of the Persian Gulf. Nimrod, descendant of Cush, is named in Genesis 10:8. His name means rebel. He is identified as a mighty warrior and hunter. He may have been one of earth's earliest kings ruling over many people in the Tigris-Euphrates valleys. The descendants of Mizraim were Ludim, Anamin, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim. We would expect to locate most of these in the environs of Egypt and the Delta country. Pathros usually refers to Upper Egypt. The name Philistine, according to an Ethiopic root, means emigrants. Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7 relate the Philistines to Caphtorum. The Philistines may have come partly from Egypt and partly from the Mediterranean region.

Canaan's descendants were Sidon, Heth, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The Canaanite people all settled at the eastern extremity of the Mediterranean Sea. The personal name Sidon is immortalized in the famed Phoenician city. Heth's people were called Hittites and were one of the seven nations which had to be overcome in the conquest of Canaan. The Jebusites very early settled in Jerusalem and had to be displaced in David's day. The Amorites were mountain people and were located east and west of the Jordan River. The Girgashites were one of the seven nations occupying Canaan in Joshua's day. The Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites settled in the regions of Phoenicia and the Lebanon mountains.

The sons of Shem are of greatest interest to the Chronicler. According to the record in Genesis 10:22, Shem was the father of five sons: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. Elam settled beyond the Tigris River to the east near the Persian Gulf. Asshur is recognized as the ancestor of Assyria and settled in the upper region of the Tigris River. Terah and Abram were Arpachshadites. They lived in ancient Ur, about one hundred and fifty miles north of the Persian Gulf. Lud probably settled in the Euphrates River valley. Later his people moved westward into the regions of Asia Minor. The Syrian people trace their beginnings to Aram. Their ancient capital was Damascus which was located about one hundred and thirty miles NNE of Jerusalem. Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meschech are identified as the sons of Aram.

Of all the sons of Shem (Semites) the writer of this record is most concerned with Arpachshad. The godly line of descent is located in 1 Chronicles 1:24-27. Shelah was Arpachshad's son. Eber was Shelah's son. Eber had two sons, Peleg and Joktan. The sons of descendants of Joktan were Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of these most likely settled in Arabia. Sheba settled at the south-west extremity of Arabia near the Red Sea. From this place the queen came to visit Solomon. Ophir and Havilah were the names of places in the same general area as Sheba. Both of these were renowned as places which provided the finest gold.[14]

[14] Pfeiffer, Charles F., Baker's Bible Atlas, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1961, pp. 37-44.

In one brief statement the chronicler moves from Shem to Abram. All the persons named in 1 Chronicles 1:24-27 are Shem's direct descendants. The original genealogy is recorded in Genesis 11:10-26. These people are all Semites. Eber is regarded by some as the founder of the Hebrews. The name Eber means regions beyond or to pass over. The Hebrews passed over the Euphrates River. Abraham is the first person in Bible record who is called a Hebrew (Genesis 14:13).

1 Chronicles 1:28-31 tell about Isaac and Ishmael. God's promise is bound up in Isaac, the son of the promise. Ishmael, the child of worldly wisdom, became the father of twelve sons and a great desert chieftain. Kedar, Teman, and Dumah are mentioned on occasion in the Bible record. They lived on the edge of the desert adjacent to Palestine and Syria.

Late in life Abraham married another wife, Keturah. She was the mother of six of Abraham's sons. Like Ishmael, they took up their abode in the desert. Midian, Abraham's son, settled east of the Sinai penninsula beyond the Gulf of Aqaba. Moses married among these people.

Isaac's sons were Esau and Israel, or Jacob. God's purpose was to be worked out through Jacob and his seed. David came through Jacob's line. Nevertheless, Esau was Isaac's son and he was destined to have a place in history. The sons of Esau and the kings of Edom (Esau's country) are named in 1 Chronicles 1:35-54. Genesis 36:1-5 lists the five sons of Esau. Esau's country was Mount Seir and the land of Edom south of the Dead Sea. All of these persons named in 1 Chronicles 1:35-54 settled in that general region. The descendants of Seir are listed in 1 Chronicles 1:38-42. Seir means rough. He is to be identified as a person and he is known as the ancestor of the Horites who had lived in what became the Edomite country. These sons of Seir are not important from the Messianic viewpoint. They are listed here to underscore the fact that Esau was not completely disinherited. His people were numerous and they inhabited an important territory.

The kings and dukes, or chiefs, of Edom are listed in 1 Chronicles 1:43-54. This information is initially recorded in Genesis 36:31-43. The author of this account is not primarily interested in Esau and his people; but they were a people with whom Israel had to reckon. The genealogies of this chapter with their parallels in Genesis are notable for standing unique in all the world's writing and in rising far above all the world's mythology. They retrace the pedigree of the wide family of men and especially of the now scattered family of the Jew to its original.[15]

[15] Spence, H. D. M., The Pulpit Commentary., I Chronicles, Funk and Wagnalls, London, n.d., p. 6.

Chapter two proceeds to present the genealogy of Jacob and Judah. Verses one and two list the twelve sons of Jacob, here called Israel, the name Jacob received at Peniel (Genesis 32:28). First listed are Leah's six sons, namely Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Bilhah's elder son, Dan, then is named. The sons of Rachael, Joseph and Benjamin, follow. Bilhah's second son, Naphtali, is listed. Finally, Gad and Asher, Zilpah's sons complete the twelve names. It is of interest to note that the usual listing of Ephraim and Manasseh does not appear and that their father Joseph is listed in his own place.

The evident design of the chronicler here is to emphasize the importance of Judah. 1 Chronicles 1:3-54 give attention to Judah and his descendants. Jacob had said (Genesis 49:10) that the sceptre would not depart from Judah until Shiloh should come. Shiloh is a descriptive term signifying a prince of peace, a kingly seed. God's messianic purpose certainly involves the tribe of Judah. Judah's five sons are named in 1 Chronicles 1:3-6. They are named originally in Genesis, chapter 38. Sua was a Canaanite, Judah married his daughter who is not named. She bore him three sons, namely, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er and Onan were stricken down by God. Judah promised Shelah as a husband to Tamar who had been wife to Shelah's older brothers. Judah neglected to fulfil his promise. Tamar joined herself to a heathen temple and played the part of a religious prostitute. Judah visited this Temple and Tamar became the mother of Judah's last two sons, Perez and Zerah. The line of messianic descent came through Perez (Matthew 1:3).

The sons and descendants of Perez and Zerah are named in 1 Chronicles 1:5-8. Since the promised seed will come through Perez, his son Hezron is named in 1 Chronicles 1:5, then Hezron's line is continued in 1 Chronicles 1:9. The sons of Zerah are named in 1 Kings 4:31. In this connection Solomon's great wisdom is contrasted with the wisdom of these men. Achar (Achan, Joshua 7:1), is identified with the man who took the devoted things at the time of the overthrow of Jericho. The sons of Hezron are listed in 1 Chronicles 1:9-24. There are some persons of outstanding importance who are members of this family. Chelubai is identified with Caleb, the faithful spy and great warrior. Boaz became the husband of Ruth and father of Obed. Obed was Jesse's father and Jesse was the father of eight sons (1 Samuel 16:10-11), of whom David was the youngest. Probably one of David's brothers died in infancy (1 Chronicles 1:16). David's sister, Zeruiah, is renowned in the Bible record as the mother of Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, David's sister, Abigail, was the mother of Amasa who once was Absalom's captain and later was David's captain of the host (2 Samuel 17:25). Hur (1 Chronicles 1:20) was the man who along with Aaron supported Moses-' arms in the conflict with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:12). Bezalel, Hur's grandson, was a master craftsman in the construction of the tabernacle (Exodus 31:2). There was intermarriage between the tribes of Judah and Manasseh as Hezron married a daughter of Machir.

The family of Jerahmeel, Hezron's son, is listed in 1 Chronicles 1:25-41. Several of the names in this table are familiar Hebrew names: Nadab, Jonathan, Nathan, Jehu, Azariah, and Shallum. Nothing more definitive is known concerning any of these beyond the fact that they are in the line of descent from Perez through Hezron and Jerahmeel.

Hezron's sons were Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai (Caleb1 Chronicles 2:9). 1 Chronicles 1:42-49 list the sons of Caleb.[16] This Caleb is the one we know as the faithful spy and the one who took his inheritance in Hebron in the tribe of Judah. We are told that his daughter was named Achsah (1 Chronicles 2:49). She was given as a wife to Caleb's nephew, Othniel (Judges 1:12-13). There were villages in Judah, such as Ziph and Maon, which probably were named after persons in Caleb's family. Hur, who was a son of Caleb, evidently had a son named Caleb. His people, also, lived in the Judah country. Ephrath was an old name for Bethlehem. Kiriath-jearim was in the environs of Jerusalem. Eshtaol (1 Chronicles 1:53) was the village near Samson's birthplace in the tribe of Dan. The Kenites[17] were a branch of the Midianite people and they lived in Judah toward the southern and western borders of the Dead Sea. Rechab was founder of a people called Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:2). They were a people whose moral standards were so high that they shamed the Hebrews.

[16] Spence, H. D. M., The Pulpit Commentary, I Chronicles, p. 22.

[17] Cook, F. C., The Bible Commentary, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich., I Samuel-Esther, 1967, p. 321.

David's sons and family are listed in 1 Chronicles 3:1-9. This third chapter is concerned only with the families of David and Solomon. All that has gone before in the record in Chronicles is preparatory for this account. 1 Chronicles 1:1-4 list David's wives and sons during the seven and one-half years he was in Hebron. David's wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel (there was a town in Judah by this nameJoshua 15:56); Abigail from Carmel (also a village in JudahJoshua 15:55); Maacah from Geshur (a district beyond the Jordan in the Bashan country); Haggith, Abital, and Eglah. Each of these six wives bore David a son. These were his sons born in Hebron: Amnon, Daniel (or Chileab2 Samuel 3:3), Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, and Ithream. Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah figure prominently in the history of David's reign as king of Israel.

The sons of David born in Jerusalem were Shimea (Shammua), Shobab, Nathan and Solomon.[18] These were David's sons by Bathsheba. In addition to these, Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Eliada, Elishama (Elishua - 1 Chronicles 14:5), and Eliphelet (Elpelet - 1 Chronicles 14:5) were born to David in Jerusalem. The mothers of these sons are not identified. A daugher, Tamar, was born in Jerusalem to Maacah. The record in 2 Samuel 3:2-5 and 2 Samuel 5:13-16 lists seventeen sons of David and states that he was also the father of daughters. The record here says that David had sons of the concubines. Of the children of David born in Jerusalem, Solomon and Tamar are the most important in the Bible records. Tamar was humiliated by her half-brother, Amnon (2 Samuel 13:14). Solomon succeeded David on Israel's throne.

[18] Spence, H. D. M., The Pulpit Commentary, I Chronicles, p. 33.

The descendants of Solomon are listed in 1 Chronicles 3:10-24. Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3). Only one son, Rehoboam, is identified in the Bible as Solomon's son. Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Ahaziah, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah make up the roll-call of the kings of Judah. Josiah's sons were Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Shallum. Jehoiakim's son was Jeconaiah. Redaiah, Jeconiah's son, was the father of Zerubbabel, the Davidic prince who led the Jewish refugees back from Babylonian captivity. Zerubbabel's descendants figured prominently in the history of the post-exilic period.