Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, please study this chapter and then answer all 54 questions at the end of this chapter.

1 Chronicles Chapter 2

From 2:1 – 7:40: These genealogies reflect the lineage of Jacob/Israel through his 12 sons. The tribe of Judah leads the list, indicating its importance, no doubt because of the Davidic heritage. After Judah, Levi receives the most attention, indicating the importance of their priestly role. Joseph (2:2), is later enumerated in terms of his sons Manasseh and Ephraim. Dan and Zebulun are not mentioned here, although they both are identified in the millennial distribution of land (Ezek. 48:1-2, 26-17). The exact reason for these omissions is unknown. Benjamin is given additional attention (in 8:1-40). The tribes are mentioned as follows:

1. Judah (2:3 – 4:23);
2. Simeon (4:24 – 43);
3. Reuben (5:1 – 10);
4. Gad 5:11 – 22);
5. Manasseh – East (5:23 – 26);
6. Levi (6:1 – 81);
7. Issachar (7:1 – 5);
8. Benjamin (7:6 – 12);
9. Naphtali (7:13);
10. Manasseh – West (7:14 – 19);
11. Ephraim (7:20 – 29);
12. Asher (7:30 – 40).

Verses 1-3: The story of “the sons of Israel” is found (in Genesis 29:32 – 50:26). The tribe of Judah (the kingly line of David), is discussed first, then Levi (the priestly line), and then Benjamin (the line from which Israel’s first king would come). This order focuses on the kingly and priestly roles of Israel. Historically, these three tribes remained more faithful to God than the other tribes.

1 Chronicles 2:1 “These [are] the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,”

Or Jacob, the other son of Isaac, who had the name of Israel given him, because of his power with God (Genesis 32:28), whose twelve sons are here mentioned by name. The first four according to their birth of Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Then the two sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, Issachar and Zebulun. And between Dan and Naphtali, the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, are placed Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel.

1 Chronicles 2:2 “Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.”

Dan’s undue prominence may, perhaps, be accounted for by his occupying the seventh place in the “blessing of Jacob” (Genesis 49:16).

When these twelve sons were born, their father was using the name Jacob, instead of Israel. Jacob is the name generally used when speaking of the family. Israel is the name used when he and his family became a nation. “Jacob” means trickster. “Israel” means having power with God, or God’s fighter. Jacob tricked his brother out of his birthright and received the right hand blessing. Israel fathered the twelve tribes which Moses led out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were all sons of Abraham by Leah. I do not know why Dan is mentioned by himself and before Rachel’s children, Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel’s maid, Bilhah, was the mother of Dan. Naphtali was the second son of Bilhah. Gad and Asher were sons of Leah’s maid, Zilpah. These twelve sons of Jacob were the twelve tribes of Israel. God will have Moses lead them out of Egypt and give them their inheritance in the Promised Land. It was this group of people that God entrusted his law to. They were classified as God’s people.

1 Chronicles 2:3″The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: [which] three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.”

Judah’s line will eventually lead to David; hence, among the listings of Jacob’s sons, Judah’s descendants are specially treated. For “Er,” Judah’s firstborn son (see Gen. 38:7).

“Er” (Gen. 38:2-10), will forever be labeled with a one-word epitaph: “wicked.” If the Lord were to write a one-word epitaph for each of us, what would He say?

Perhaps Judah is mentioned first because it will be through this tribe that God will bring the Messiah. He will be the Lion of the tribe of Judah. “Er” means watchful. The mistake that Judah made here, was marrying a Canaanitish woman. Er was killed by God for his sins, probably the worship of the false gods of his mother. Onan refused to marry Tamar, his brother’s widow, and raise a child for him. God killed him also. Shelah was the young son which Judah refused to give Tamar to wife.

1 Chronicles 2:4 “And Tamar his daughter in law bare him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah [were] five.”

See (Genesis 38:13-30), for the full story of how “Tamar” gave birth to the children of her father-in-law.

We must remember how this happened. Tamar’s husband died, and his brothers should have married her and given her a son by their brother. It was really the father, Judah’s place, to see that they did what they were supposed to. When they did not, she disguised herself as a harlot and slept with Judah. These two sons are from that union. The lineage to David goes through her son, Pharez. Pharez’s twin was Zerah. Zerah’s descendants were called Zarhites, Ezrahites, and Izrahites.

1 Chronicles 2:5 “The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul.”

One of the above twins, born to Judah: Hezron and Hamul (see Genesis 46:12).

The lineage leads through Hezron, known also as Esrom. “Hamul” means pitied, or spared. Very little is known of him.

1 Chronicles 2:6 “And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all.”

Here for the first time, the writer of Chronicles draws from sources not otherwise known to us, recording facts not mentioned in the earlier Scriptures. Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara, sons of Zerah, are only known to us from this passage, since there are no sufficient grounds for identifying them with the “sons of Mahol” (marginal reference).

There is little known in the Bible of these five sons of Zerah.

1 Chronicles 2:7 “And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.”

“Achar”, like Er, was known for the evil he perpetuated. Achar (known as Achan elsewhere in the Old Testament), means “One Who Brings disaster”. He disobeyed God at the battle of Jericho by taking spoil, a sin that resulted in Israel’s defeat at Ai (Joshua Chapter 7).

It is assumed from the trouble that came on the sons and daughters of Achar that this line died out.

Joshua 7:24-25 “And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.” “And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.”

1 Chronicles 2:8 “And the sons of Ethan; Azariah.”

Including his posterity (see Gen. 46:23), the posterity of the other three sons of Zerah are not mentioned, either because the writer could not find the genealogy of them, as Kimchi. Or rather, as he thinks, he cuts short the genealogy of Zerah, because the kingdom did not proceed from him, and returns to the genealogy of Hezron, from whence it did, or perhaps they had no children.

This line ends with Azariah, because there is no further mention of him.

1 Chronicles 2:9 “The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.”

The Hezronites, who were sons of Pharez (1 Chron. 2:5), and their three lines of descent, Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.

“Jerahmeel”: God pitieth.

“Ram”: Called Aram in our Lord’s genealogy (Matt. 1:3). The two names are synonyms, both meaning high, and are used interchangeably (in Job 32:2; Ram), and (Genesis 22:21; Aram).

“Chelubai”: Strictly, the Chelubite or Calebite, a gentilic term formed from Caleb (1 Chron. 2:18). This seems to show that we are concerned here not so much with individual sons of Hezron as with families or clans of Hezronites.

Hezron was the father of the Hezronites. He was also called Esrom. The lineage that leads to David goes through his son, Ram. “Jerahmeel” means whom God loves, or God will be compassionate. His descendants are called Jerahmeelites. Chelubai is elsewhere called Caleb. “Ram” means high. In the New Testament, he is called Aram.

1 Chronicles 2:10 “And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;”

Ram is the same with Aram (Matt. 1:3), the genealogy is carried down from him to Jesse in the same order as there, and in (Ruth 4:19). Only here Nahshon the son of Amminadab is called the prince of the children of Judah. Which Kimchi and Jarchi say is written for the honor of David, who descended from him; and Salmon his son is here called Salma.

Sometimes Amminadab is spelled with just one m. The lineage continues through Amminadab. “Amminadab” means people of liberality. His daughter Elisheba, was married to Aaron. Nahshon is sometimes spelled Naasson. He was called captain. He was a prince of Judah since God was King.

Verses 11-12: The inclusion of “Boaz” would have reminded ancient audiences of David (Ruth 4:21). It recalls his descendant, Jesus (Matt. 1:5-6), for contemporary readers.

1 Chronicles 2:11 “And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,”

Boaz is a major figure in the Book of Ruth in the Bible. The term is found 24 times in the Scriptures, being two in Greek. The root בעז, just used in the Bible in relation to “Boaz”, perhaps expresses “quick”.

Salma is the same as Salmon. He married Rahab and had a son named Boaz. “Boaz” means fleetness. He is, also, called Booz of Rachab. He marries Ruth the Moabitess. They are the great-grandparents of David.

1 Chronicles 2:12 “And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse.”

In the canon of the Hebrew Bible, Obed was a son of Boaz and Ruth, the father of Jesse, and the grandfather of David. He is one of Jesus’ ancestors in the genealogies found in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.

The name “Obed” means worshipper. The neighbors of Naomi gave Obed his name. Jesse is called a Bethlehemite, and an Ephrathite. Jesse had eight sons. His youngest was David.

1 Chronicles 2:13-15″And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,” “Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,” “Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:”

“And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nathanael the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh”. But Jesse had eight sons (1 Sam. 16:10), one of them therefore is not reckoned, either because he was by another woman, and the writer only mentions those that were of the same mother with David. This is the opinion of Aben Ezra and Kimchi; some say he was dead before David came to the kingdom. Kimchi mentions a Midrash, or exposition of theirs, according to which his name was Elihu, and was younger than David, who is mentioned in (1 Chron. 27:18). And Jarchi observes, that the writer, having found the pearl (David), reckons not the eighth son Elihu. Though the Syriac and Arabic versions have inserted him in this order, “Elihu the seventh, David the eighth”. Some take the eighth to be a grandson of Jesse, Jonathan the son of Shimea (2 Sam. 21:21), the third son of Jesse, here called Shimma, as he is Shammah (1 Sam. 16:9).

In (1 Samuel 16:10), Jesse had eight sons, so one of them is left out here. It is possibly because one of the sons had died early. Or he was left out, because he never married or had children. Eliab was the first son shown to Samuel to choose a king from among Jesse’s sons. He was also one of the brothers at the front line when David killed Goliath. His daughter, Abihail, married Rehoboam and they had three children. Abinadab was also at the front line. He too, had been shown to Samuel, and turned down by the prophet. In fact, all of the sons of Jesse were turned down by Samuel until David. David was anointed king. Shimma was also at the battlefront. He was known as Shimeah, Shammah, and Shimea. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is directly descended from him. There is very little known of the others. David of course, is the eighth, and he is in the direct lineage of Jesus. “David” means beloved of God. David was the second king of the united twelve tribes of Israel.

David’s sister “Zeruiah” is remembered as the mother of David’s most capable supporters (compare 2 Sam. 2:18-32).

“Abigail” (the daughter of Nahash, the sister of Zeruiah), gave birth to Absalom’s commander, “Amasa” (2 Sam. 17:25).

Verses 16-17: The sons of “Zeruiah” were not known by their father’s name but by their mother’s. The unusual inclusion of women like her and “Abigail” in this genealogy shows that God preserved His people in unexpected ways. For more about “Joab” (see 1 Kings 2:28-34).

1 Chronicles 2:16 “Whose sisters [were] Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.”

Because David trusted the Lord to give him the throne, he would not let “Abishai” kill the sleeping King Saul (1 Sam. Chapter 26). Exercising patience and trust allows the Lord to fulfill His purposes on His timetable unhindered.

1 Chronicles 2:17 “And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa [was] Jether the Ishmeelite.”

Who was Absalom’s general, afterwards reconciled to David, and designed to be made general of his army, but was slain by Joab (see 2 Sam. 17:25), and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. He is called an Israelite, and so in the Targum here, he being either a proselyte, or else he was an Israelite by birth, but called an Ishmaelite, because he had dwelt among the Ishmaelites some time, as Obed-edom is called the Gittite for the like reason; so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it.

These were probably step-sisters of David. They probably had the same mother and different fathers. They were daughters of Nahash, and not Jesse. Zeruiah was the mother of three of David’s generals, Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. Abigail is not the same Abigail who married David after David killed her husband, Nabal, who had insulted him. Amasa is David’s nephew. Amasa joined Absalom in the rebellion against David. Joab killed Amasa.

Verses 18-24: Caleb’s line is the second significant line listed (2:18-24). This is not the “Caleb” mentioned (in Numbers 13).

1 Chronicles 2:18″And Caleb the son of Hezron begat [children] of Azubah [his] wife, and of Jerioth: her sons [are] these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.”

This is not “Caleb” the son of Jephunneh, who was Joshua’s assistant (Josh. 14:6; 1 Chron. 45).

This is returning back earlier to Caleb, or Chelubai. It appears that Jerioth and Azubah are the same person. Nothing much is known of these sons.

1 Chronicles 2:19 “And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur.” Ephrathites were people who lived in Bethlehem.

The Targum is, “Miriam, who was called Ephrath”. But, according to Josephus, it was his son Hur that was the husband of Miriam the sister of Moses: which bare him Hur (see Exodus 17:10).

The notices concerning this person appear confused in our version. In (1 Chron. 2:19), he is said to be the father of Hur, whereas in (1 Chron. 2:50), he is called “the son of Hur.” The words in this latter passage have been transposed in the copying, and should be read thus, “Hur the son of Caleb.”

1 Chronicles 2:20 “And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel.”

See (Exodus 31:2), which states that: “Bezaleel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,” was divinely qualified for building the Tent of Meeting. Bezaleel is no doubt a person, but Hur is probably a Calebite clan, established at “Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem” (Gen. 35:19).

Hur was grand-father, and Uri was the father of Bezaleel. The Bible tells us that God empowered Bezaleel to do the work in the construction of the tabernacle and all of its beautiful work. Aholiab was his assistant. In (Exodus chapter 31 through chapter 37), we read more about all that he did. Here is just a little about that.

Exodus 31:2-5 “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:” “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,” “To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,” “And in cutting of stones, to set [them], and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.”

1 Chronicles 2:21″And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he [was] threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.”

Which Machir was the son of Manasseh, and Gilead was his grandson (Num. 26:29), the Targum is, “but he enticed a virgin, the daughter of Machir”; suggesting that he committed fornication with her, though he afterwards married her. Her name is not mentioned, but to me it seems to be Abiah, (1 Chron. 2:24), and whom the Targum there calls the daughter of Machir.

Whom he married when he was sixty years old; this seems to be his last wife.

“And she bare him Segub”: The same name with the youngest son of Hiel, who rebuilt Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).

This reverts back again to Hezron. This is speaking of Abiah, the sister of Gilead. Machir, her father, was Manasseh’s oldest son. At the age of 60 years, Hezron and Abiah had a son named Segub.

1 Chronicles 2:22 “And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.”

Which according to Kimchi, he inherited in right of his wife, which he says he took out of the land of Gilead. But they seem to be rather what he took by force of arms from the former inhabitants (see Num. 32:41).

Moses counts Jair as being from the tribe of Manasseh. He settled in Argob bordering on Gilead. It appears that he was involved in taking 60 of the towns, but he is allotted 23 for his family.

1 Chronicles 2:23 “And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, [even] threescore cities. All these [belonged to] the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.”

Cities or countries which the Geshurites and Aramaeans, or Syrians, before inhabited. And which he took from them, together with other towns, which, being taken by him, were called after his name. The Targum is, the Geshurites and Aramaeans took the villages of Jair from them; that is, from the sons of Jair in later times (see Joshua 12:5).

“With Kenath, and the towns thereof”: Which Jair took by Nobah his general, and called it after his name (Num. 32:42), even sixty cities (see Deut. 3:4).

“All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead”: Being given him by Moses (Num. 32:40).

It appears, that Jair took these cities from Machir, who was his relative. Machir was his great-grandfather. The cities were actually Machir’s sons’.

1 Chronicles 2:24 “And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-ephratah, then Abiah Hezron’s wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa.”

Supposed to be the same with Bethlehem; and was so called, both from Caleb the son of Hezron, and Ephrath his wife (1 Chron. 2:19).

“Then Abiah, Hezron’s wife, bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa”: Being left with child by him at his death; the whole verse is paraphrased thus in the Targum, “and after Hezron died in the house of Caleb his son in Ephrath, the wife of Hezron the daughter of Machir was left with child, and she bare to him after his death Ashur the prince of the Tekoites”. Whose son gave name very probably to the city of Tekoa (2 Sam. 14:2).

This is two different statements. Hezron died in Caleb-ephratah. His last son by Abiah was Ashur, the father of Tekoa. Ashur was born after the death of his father. Tekoa is probably not a person, but a town in Judah.

Verses 25-41: “Jerahmeel” is the final tribal line emphasized in this chapter. Hezron, Caleb, and Jerahmeel were chosen to show the line of Judah’s descendants that culminated in the birth of David.

1 Chronicles 2:25″And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, [and] Ahijah.”

The descendants of “Jerahmeel” were associated with David during his flight from Saul (1 Sam. 27:10; 30:29).

Ram above is the nephew of Ram through whom the lineage to David flows. Very little is known of these sons.

1 Chronicles 2:26 “Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name [was] Atarah; she [was] the mother of Onam.”

Distinct from his wife before named; or “another woman”, which is a phrase for a harlot or concubine (Judges 11:2), which she might be, as Kimchi observes; though the former seems best.

“She was the mother of Onam”: And perhaps was the only son she bore to Jerahmeel, of whose sons (see 1 Chron. 2:28).

“Atarah” means crown. Very little else is known of her or Onan.

1 Chronicles 2:27 “And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.”

“By his first wife”: were Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker; of whom no other notice is taken; perhaps they left no children.

1 Chronicles 2:28 And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur.

“The son of Jerahmeel by his other wife”: were Shammai and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur; whose posterity are mentioned in the two following verses.

We are showing the genealogy from Adam to King David in these lessons. This Ram is the nephew of the one who the genealogy goes through. Some scholars group all of these sons under Ram.

1 Chronicles 2:29 “And the name of the wife of Abishur [was] Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid.”

Of the same name was a wife of Rehoboam, a daughter of his grandfather David’s eldest brother, Eliab (2 Chron. 11:18).

“And she bare him Ahban, and Molid”: Which are no more mentioned, they perhaps leaving no posterity.

The name “Abihail” means father of might, or mighty. “Ahban” means brother of the wise. “Molid” means begetter.

1 Chronicles 2:30 “And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children.”

The eldest son of Shammai (1 Chron. 2:28).

“Seled and Appaim”: but Seled died without children”: And therefore, we hear no more of him.

1 Chronicles 2:31 “And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.”

Though they had each of them but one son, yet the plural number is used, their posterity being included, as (in 1 Chron. 2:8) and so in the next clause.

“And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai”: Who, (from 1 Chron. 2:34), appears to be a daughter.

1 Chronicles 2:32 And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.

“Jether and Jonathan: and Jether died without children”: The posterity of Jonathan is given the next verse (1 Chronicles 2:28).

Ahlai was a daughter who married Jarha, an Egyptian slave.

1 Chronicles 2:33 “And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.”

Subscription of the list contained in (1 Chron. 2:25-33). It is noteworthy that the total of the names from Judah to Zaza again amounts to about seventy. (Compare 1 Chronicles 1; see also Genesis 46:27).

“Jonathan” means Jehovah has given. Jonathan will carry on the family of Jada, because his brother had no children. Very little is known of Peleth and Zaza.

1 Chronicles 2:34 “Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name [was] Jarha.”

And but one of that sort, whose name was Ahlai (1 Chron. 2:31), the plural being put here for the singular. Or, if that is the name of a son, as some think, he died in his father’s lifetime, and left no issue; so that there only remained daughters, and it seems but one by the next verse.

“And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha”: One born in his house, and brought up by him, and a proselyte, such as Eliezer in Abraham’s family.

1 Chronicles 2:35 “And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai.”

Having first given him his freedom, as the Targum premises. This daughter seems to be Ahlai (1 Chron. 2:31), which receives confirmation from Zabad, one of the descendants of this man (1 Chron. 2:36). Being said to be the son of Ahlai (1 Chron. 11:41), that is, great-grandson.

“And she bare him Attai”: The genealogy of whose descendants is given to the end of (1 Chron. 2:41), of whom no mention is made elsewhere, but of Zabad, as before observed. And, according to the Jews, it is given for the sake of Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, the last person mentioned in this genealogy. Which Ishmael slew Gedaliah governor of Jerusalem, and is said to be of the seed royal (Jer. 41:1).

1 Chronicles 2:36 “And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad,

There is no “and” in the original. Hence, some would read: “the sons” were born “of” or “from Ahijah,” the first wife of Jerahmeel (see the next verse).

1 Chronicles 2:37-38 “And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed,” “And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah,”

In the Tanakh (the canon of the Hebrew Bible), Obed was a son of Boaz and Ruth, the father of Jesse, and the grandfather of David. He is one of Jesus’ ancestors in the genealogies found in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.

1 Chronicles 2:39 “And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah,”

Bertheau reckons up to “the concluding subscription” (in 1 Chronicles 2:33), the following descendants of Judah: “Judah’s sons equals 5; Hezron and Hamul equals 2; Zerah’s sons equals 5; Karmi, Akar, and Azariah equals 3; Ram and his descendants (including the two daughters of Jesse, and Jeter the father of Amasa), equals 21; Kaleb and his descendants equals 10; Jerahmeel and his descendants equals 24: together totals 70.” But this number also is obtained only by taking into account the father and mother of Amasa as two persons, contrary to the rule according to which only the father, without the mother, is to be counted. Or, in case the mother be more famous than the father, or be an heiress, only the mother.)

1 Chronicles 2:40 “And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum,”

Shallum was the name of several people of the Old Testament. Shallum of Israel, king of Israel.

1 Chronicles 2:41 “And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.”

Jekamiah (whom Jehovah gathers), son of Shallum, in the line of Ahlai.

This is a list of Sheshan’s family through his daughter and his Egyptian servant. This list of names brings this family down to about the time of David.

1 Chronicles 2:42 “Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel [were], Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.”

Called Chelubai (1 Chron. 2:9), and is the same Caleb spoken of (in 1 Chronicles 2:18), and his sons next reckoned were by a third wife, Azubah. Ephrath being dead (1 Chron. 2:19), and these sons were Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; who gave name to the city of Ziph. There were two of this name in the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:24), or this is the title of Mesha, governor of the city of Ziph; so the Targum calls him, prince of the Ziphites.

“And the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron”: According to Kimchi and Ben Melech, the words are to be supplied thus, “and the sons of Ziph were Mareshah the father of Hebron”. Which, though sometimes the name of a city in the tribe of Judah, is here the name of a man, from whom, perhaps, the city had its name, since Hebron is said to have sons in the next verse. Jarchi makes Mesha to be the prince of Ziph, and prince of the children of Mareshah, and prince of Hebron.

This reverts back to the family of Caleb. It is not connected with the verses we just read. You remember, that Caleb was brother to Jerahmeel and Ram. Caleb is the same as Chelubai. Caleb and his wife, Azubah, had two sons, Mesha, and Mareshah. Mesha had a son named Ziph, and Mareshah had Hebron.

1 Chronicles 2:43 “And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.”

One of these, Tappuah, is the name of a city in the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:34), and there is also Beth-tappuah in the same tribe (1 Chron. 2:53), which one, or both, might have their name from this man; and Shema also (1 Chron. 2:26).

1 Chronicles 2:44 “And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai.”

Which Hillerus takes to be the name of a city in the tribe of Judah; and Jarchi’s note is, that wherever the word “father” is here used, it is to be understood of the prince of a city that follows.

“And Rekem begat Shammai”: There is a descendant of Jerahmeel, the brother of Caleb, of this name (1 Chron. 2:28).

1 Chronicles 2:45 “And the son of Shammai [was] Maon: and Maon [was] the father of Beth-zur.”

Who gave name to a city in the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:55; see 1 Sam. 23:24).

“And Maon was the father of Beth-zur”: Prince of a very strong fortified city of this name in the same tribe (Josh. 15:58), unless this was a son of Maon’s, from whom the city had its name.

We must continue to remember that these people are descendants of Caleb and his wife Azubah.

Verses 46-48: Surprisingly, “concubines” are mentioned within this genealogy. Although these women gave birth to children, they did not have the legal rights of a wife and were often treated essentially as slaves. Although this was a common cultural practice of the time, it was not what God desired for His people (Gen. 2:24; 1 Cor. Chapter 7).

1 Chronicles 2:46 “And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.”

A half-wife or secondary wife; for though this man seems not to have had more wives than one at a time, yet he had concubines with them. We read of another after this, if not a third.

“And Haran begat Gazez”: Whom he so named after his brother.

1 Chronicles 2:47 “And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.”

Who is not mentioned by this name before; perhaps the same with Moza, who might have two names. Though, according to Hillerus, he was the son of Moza. Some take it to be the name of another of Caleb’s concubines, by whom he had the six following sons.

“Regem, and Jotham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph”: One of these, Pelet perhaps, gave name to Beth-palet in the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:27).

1 Chronicles 2:48 “Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.”

Another concubine of his.

“Bare Sheber, and Tirhanah”: Or of whom Caleb begot those two; for the verb is masculine; so Kimchi.

1 Chronicles 2:49 She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb [was] Achsa.”

Prince of a place so called, in the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:31).

“Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibeah”: Prince of two cities of those names in the same tribe (of the latter see Joshua 15:57).

“And the daughter of Caleb was Achsa”: Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, had a daughter of this name, but neither he nor she are here meant (Joshua 15:16). But by whom Caleb, the son of Hezron, had this daughter, is not said. Perhaps by Maachah his concubine last mentioned.

The only distinction we can make here, is that these are sons and grandsons of Caleb, by his concubines. These particular people are not in the lineage that leads to David and ultimately to Jesus, so there is very little known of them.

1 Chronicles 2:50 “These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim,”

A colon belongs after the word “Caleb. Hur” was Caleb’s son by “Ephratah” (verse 19).

Ephratah was another wife of Caleb. Hur was her son. He was a companion of Moses and Aaron. His son was named Caleb, for his grandfather Caleb. Shobal was the founding father of Kirjath-jearim. This was a city of forests. It lay on the western border of Benjamin. This was once the place the Ark of the Covenant stayed.

Verses 51-52: Caleb’s “sons” were associated with important places in the life of David.

1 Chronicles 2:51 “Salma the father of Beth-lehem, Hareph the father of Beth-gader.”

Or prince of Beth-lehem, as the Targum. Not the same as in (1 Chron. 2:11), he was the son of Nahshon, this of the younger Caleb.

“Hareph, the father of Beth-gader”: Prince of a place of that name called Gedor (1 Chron. 4:4), and where this man’s name is Penuel. Gedor was in the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:58).

Salma was the founding father of Bethlehem approximately 1400 B.C. Hareph was the founding father of Beth-gader. “Beth-gader” means house of the wall, and is, probably, the same as Geder.

1 Chronicles 2:52 “And Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim had sons; Haroeh, [and] half of the Manahethites.”

Which shows that Kirjath-jearim is not the name of a man, or of any of Shobal’s sons, who are next mentioned, but of a place of which he was prince. The first is Haroeh, who is called Reaiah (1 Chron. 4:2), a word of the same signification.

“And half of the Manahethites”: Which Kimchi takes to be the proper name of a man called Chatzihamanaheth, another son of Shobal’s; but Jarchi interprets it of the name of a place or province called Manahath (1 Chron. 8:6), over half of which Haroeh was governor.

Half the Manahethites possibly, means that these descendants were from Shobal.

1 Chronicles 2:53 “And the families of Kirjath-jearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites.”

That dwelt there, of which Shobal was prince, and who sprung from him, are as follow.

“The Ithrite, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites”: Who had their names from Jether, Putha, Shumath, and Mishra, descendants of Shobal.

“Of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites”: That is, from the Mishraites sprung the inhabitants of Zeroth and Eshtaol, places in the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:33).

Kirjath-jearim is a place. This just means that these various people lived in that place. Ithrites were the descendants living at Kirjath-jearim. The Puhites were descended from Shobal. The Shumathites, the Mishraites, Zareathites, and Eshtaulites were family tribes that lived in Kirjath-jearim. Very little else is known of any of them. They later were probably absorbed by other tribes.

1 Chronicles 2:54 “The sons of Salma; Beth-lehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.”

Another son of the younger Caleb (1 Chron. 2:50), whose sons were Beth-lehem. The inhabitants of the place, at least many of them, of which he was prince (1 Chron. 2:51).

And the Netophathite”: The inhabitants of Netophah, a place in the tribe of Judah, mentioned along with Bethlehem (Neh. 7:26), these sprung from Salma.

“Ataroth, the house of Joab”: Ataroth seems to be the name of a place in the tribe of Judah, where the family of Joab lived, the inhabitants of which were the descendants of Salma.

“And half of the Manahethites”: The other half of the inhabitants of Manahath (see 1 Chron. 2:52).

“The Zorites”: Part also of them, called Zareathites (1 Chron. 2:53).

Salma was the prince of Beth-lehem. “Beth-lehem” means house of bread. This would be the city where the LORD Jesus would be born. The Netophathites lived around Beth-lehem, three and a half miles south. Two of David’s men are said to be of them. Ataroth was inhabited by the house of Joab. This Joab could be the same as the captain of the host for David. If he is the same, his mother was David’s sister. The Zorites are connected in some way with Joab.

1 Chronicles 2:55 “And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, [and] Suchathites. These [are] the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.”

A city in Judah, the founder of which perhaps, was Jabez (mentioned in 1 Chron. 4:9), in which learned men dwelt.

“The Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites”: Who sprung from men whose names were Tira, Shimea, and Sucha; and if they were not the posterity of Salma, yet dwelt among his, and so are reckoned with them. Perhaps the latter might have their name from dwelling in tents; the former clause may be rendered, “that dwelt with Jabez”, who was their master, and they his scholars. In the Vulgate Latin version, the words are rendered as appellatives, “singing and resounding, and dwelling in tents”. Conrad Pellican on the place, goes a middle way, and interprets these families as dwelling with Jabez their master, and they his scholars. And that they were called by their progenitors Tirathites, because learned and ingenious, and preceptors of the divine oracles. Shimeathites, because they diligently hearkened to the sacred songs, and the doctrines of the law of God; and Suchathites, because they dwelt not in cities, but in tents. Despisers of all worldly things, which they might freely attend to learn.

“These are the Kenites”: That is, the Suchathites are the Kenites, who, it is well known, dwelt in tents, and not in cities. Though Jarchi takes these Kenites to be the inhabitants of Cain, a city in the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:57). But they seem rather to be the Kenites that sprung from Jethro, here made mention of, because some of them dwelt in the tribe of Judah, and among the posterity of Salma (see Judges 1:16).

“That came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab”: The prince of that family, and who from Rechab were called Rechabites (Jer. 35:2).

For “Rechab” (see Jeremiah 35 and the note on 2 Kings 10:15).

The Tirathites, Shimeathites, and the Suchathites were families of scribes. Ezra who is thought to have compiled the Chronicles, was also a well-known scribe. We discussed before how well the records were kept. Perhaps these scribes were also interested in keeping God’s Word pure. They were very careful to have each word exact when copying the Law of Moses. We all have a lot to thank the scribes for. There would be nothing to study of the Word had they not been dedicated to that task. The Kenites were a Nomadic tribe that lived near Bethlehem, mostly in the rocky country. The house of the Rechabites were part of the Kenites. David kept friendly relations with them. The Kenites were heavily intermarried with the Israelites. The Rechabites would not drink wine. These Nomadic people were people of high principles.

1 Chronicles 2: Questions