CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
1 Chronicles 2
Chapter 2 of 29
Chapter Overview
What happens in 1 Chronicles 2
This chapter lists the twelve sons of Israel (Jacob) and then focuses on the family line of Judah, the most important tribe because it leads to King David. The genealogy traces from Judah through several branches of his family.
Scripture
1 Chronicles 2
The Sons of Israel
Study note
Israel (also called Jacob) had twelve sons who became the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. The order here differs slightly from other lists because Chronicles arranges them to highlight Judah's line, which leads to David and eventually to the Messiah.
1 Israel had these sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,
2 He also had Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
The Family of Judah Through Jesse
Study note
Judah's family line is given special attention because the future kings of Israel would come from this tribe. The line traces through Perez to Hezron to Ram, and then through several generations to Jesse, the father of King David. David is listed as Jesse's seventh son. Boaz, the hero of the book of Ruth, appears in this line.
3 Judah's sons were Er, Onan, and Shelah. A Canaanite woman named Bathshua was their mother. But Er, Judah's oldest son, did wicked things, and the Lord took his life. 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.
4 Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar gave him two sons: Perez and Zerah. So Judah had five sons altogether. And Tamar his daughter in law bare him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
5 Perez had two sons: Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul.
6 Zerah had five sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara. And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all.
7 Carmi had a son named Achar. He brought trouble on Israel by taking things that had been set apart for God alone. And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.
8 Ethan had a son named Azariah. And the sons of Ethan; Azariah.
9 Hezron's sons were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.
10 Ram had a son named Amminadab. Amminadab had a son named Nahshon. Nahshon became a well-known leader in the tribe of Judah. And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;
11 Nahshon had a son named Salma, and Salma had a son named Boaz. And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,
12 Boaz had a son named Obed, and Obed had a son named Jesse. And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse,
13 Jesse's oldest son was Eliab, his second son was Abinadab, and his third was Shimma. And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,
14 His fourth son was Nethanel, and his fifth was Raddai. Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,
15 His sixth son was Ozem, and his seventh was David. Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:
16 Jesse also had two daughters: Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.
17 Abigail married Jether the Ishmaelite, and they had a son named Amasa. And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite.
The Descendants of Caleb and Hezron
Study note
Caleb (also called Chelubai) was another son of Hezron. His descendants settled in important towns in Judah. Hezron married a daughter of Machir when he was sixty years old. These family connections show how the tribe of Judah spread across the land.
18 Caleb son of Hezron had children with his wife Azubah and also with Jerioth. Azubah's sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
19 After Azubah died, Caleb married a woman named Ephrath, and she gave birth to Hur. And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur.
20 Hur had a son named Uri, and Uri had a son named Bezalel. And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel.
21 When Hezron was sixty years old, he married the daughter of Machir, who founded the region of Gilead. She gave birth to Segub. 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.
22 Segub had a son named Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead. And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.
23 But the kingdoms of Geshur and Aram took over the towns of Jair, along with Kenath and the sixty small villages around it. All these had once belonged to the family of Machir, the founder of Gilead. 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.
24 After Hezron died in Caleb-Ephrathah, his wife Abiah gave birth to Ashur, who founded the town of Tekoa. And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-ephratah, then Abiah Hezron's wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa.
The Descendants of Jerahmeel
Study note
Jerahmeel was Hezron's firstborn son. His descendants formed an important clan within Judah. The detailed record includes an interesting story: Sheshan had no sons, so he gave his daughter in marriage to his Egyptian servant Jarha to continue the family line. This shows that outsiders could be included in Israel's families.
25 Jerahmeel, Hezron's oldest son, had these sons: Ram (the firstborn), then Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah.
26 Jerahmeel had a second wife named Atarah. She was the mother of Onam. Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.
27 Ram, Jerahmeel's oldest son, had three sons: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.
28 Onam's sons were Shammai and Jada. Shammai's sons were Nadab and Abishur. And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur.
29 Abishur married a woman named Abihail, and she gave birth to Ahban and Molid. And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid.
30 Nadab's sons were Seled and Appaim. But Seled died without ever having children. And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children.
31 Appaim had a son named Ishi. Ishi had a son named Sheshan. Sheshan had a son named Ahlai. And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.
32 Jada was Shammai's brother. Jada's sons were Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without ever having children. And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.
33 Jonathan's sons were Peleth and Zaza. These were all the descendants of Jerahmeel. And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
34 Sheshan had no sons -- only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha.
35 Sheshan let his daughter marry Jarha, and together they had a son named Attai. And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai.
36 Attai had a son named Nathan, and Nathan had a son named Zabad. And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad,
37 Zabad had a son named Ephlal, and Ephlal had a son named Obed. And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed,
38 Obed had a son named Jehu, and Jehu had a son named Azariah. And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah,
39 Azariah had a son named Helez, and Helez had a son named Eleasah. And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah,
40 Eleasah had a son named Sisamai, and Sisamai had a son named Shallum. And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum,
41 Shallum had a son named Jekamiah, and Jekamiah had a son named Elishama. And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.
More Descendants of Caleb and the Clans of Judah
Study note
Additional branches of Caleb's family are listed, including the founders of several important towns in Judah such as Hebron, Beth-lehem, and Kirjath-jearim. The chapter ends with families of scribes and the Kenites, showing how different groups became part of the tribe of Judah.
42 Caleb, Jerahmeel's brother, had a firstborn son named Mesha, who was the founder of the town of Ziph. Caleb also had a son named Mareshah, who founded the town of Hebron. 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.
43 Hebron's sons were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.
44 Shema had a son named Raham, who founded Jorkoam. Rekem had a son named Shammai. And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai.
45 Shammai had a son named Maon, and Maon founded the town of Beth-Zur. And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.
46 Caleb also had a wife named Ephah, who gave him three sons: Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran also had a son named Gazez. And Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.
47 Jahdai's sons were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.
48 Another of Caleb's wives, Maacah, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah. Maachah, Caleb's concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.
49 She also had Shaaph, who founded the town of Madmannah, and Sheva, who founded the towns of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb also had a daughter named Achsah. She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.
50 These were all descendants of Caleb. Hur, the firstborn son of Ephrathah, had these sons: Shobal, who founded Kiriath-Jearim, These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim,
51 Salma, who founded Bethlehem, and Hareph, who founded Beth-Gader. Salma the father of Beth-lehem, Hareph the father of Beth-gader.
52 Shobal started the town of Kiriath-Jearim. He was the ancestor of the Haroeh family and half the Manahethite people. And Shobal the father of Kirjath-jearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites.
53 The family groups living in Kiriath-Jearim were the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. The Zorathites and Eshtaolites came from these families. 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.
54 Salma's family line had the people of Bethlehem. It also had the Netophathites. It included Atroth-Beth-Joab's people, half the Manahethites, and the Zorites. The sons of Salma; Beth-lehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.
55 The groups of scribes living at Jabez included the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These were Kenites who descended from Hammath, the founder of the Rechab family. 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.
Key Themes
Themes in 1 Chronicles 2
The tribe of Judah as the royal lineGod's plan works through imperfect familiesInclusion of outsiders in God's peopleThe path from Judah to David
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
1 Chronicles 2:3-15 Matthew 1:3-6
The line from Judah through Perez, Boaz, and Jesse to David is repeated in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, confirming that Christ is the promised King from Judah's tribe.
1 Chronicles 2:11-12 Matthew 1:5-6
The genealogical line from Salmon through Boaz to Jesse and David traces the royal ancestry that Matthew's Gospel follows to establish Jesus as the rightful heir to David's throne.
Apply This Today
Living 1 Chronicles 2
God does not require a perfect family background to use you. This genealogy includes outsiders, broken families, and unexpected turns — yet it leads directly to King David and ultimately to Christ. Your flaws do not disqualify you from God's purposes.
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