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Chapter 2

These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,[a] Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Judah. The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. They were born to him by Shuah the Canaanite. Er, the firstborn of Judah, did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and he slew him. Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah, so Judah had five sons in all.

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda. There were five of them in all.

The son of Carmi was Achar who troubled Israel when he violated the ban.

The son of Ethan was Azariah.

The sons of Hezron were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.

10 Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, the leader of the Judahites.

11 Nahshon was the father of Salma, and Salma was the father of Boaz.

12 Boaz[b] was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse.

13 Jesse was the father of Eliab, his firstborn, and then Abinadab, his second, Shimea, his third, 14 Nethanel, his fourth, Raddai, his fifth, 15 Ozem, his sixth, and David, his seventh.

16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

17 Abigail bore Amasa, and Amasa’s father was Jether the Ishmaelite.

18 Caleb, the son of Hezron, had sons through Azubah, his wife, and through Jerioth. These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur.

20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezalel.

21 Afterwards, Hezron went to the daughter of Machir, the father of Gilead. He married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore him Segub.

22 Segub was the father of Jair who ruled twenty-three cities in Gilead.

23 Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth-jair as well as Kenath with the towns dependent upon it, sixty towns in all. All of these were the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.

24 After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa.

25 The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were Ram, the firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife whose name was Atarah. She was the mother of Onam.

27 The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.

28 The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada.

The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur.

29 The name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid.

30 The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim. Seled died without having any children.

31 The son of Appaim was Ishi, and the son of Ishi was Sheshan, and the son of Sheshan was Ahlai.

32 The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother, were Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without having any children.

33 The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.

34 Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. He had an Egyptian slave whose name was Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his slave as a wife, and she bore him Attai.

36 Attai was the father of Nathan, and Nathan was the father of Zabad.

37 Zabad was the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal was the father of Obed.

38 Obed was the father of Jehu, and Jehu was the father of Azariah.

39 Azariah was the father of Helez, and Helez was the father of Eleasah.

40 Eleasah was the father of Sismai, and Sismai was the father of Shallum.

41 Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama.

42 The son of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, was Mesha, his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph. His son Mareshah was the father of Hebron.

43 The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.

44 Shema was the father of Raham, and Raham was the father of Jorkeam.

Rekem was the father of Shammai.

45 Maon was the son of Shammai, and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.

46 Caleb’s concubine, Ephah, bore him Haran, Moza, and Gazez.

Haran was the father of Gazez.

47 The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.

48 Caleb’s concubine, Maacah, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also bore Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, and Sheva, the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Achsah.

50 These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, were Shobal, the father of Kiriath-jearim, 51 Salma, the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph, the father of Beth-gader.

52 The descendants of Shobal, the father of Kiriath-jearim were Haroeh, half the Manahathites, 53 and the clans of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.

54 The descendants of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the clans of the scribes who dwelt in Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, who was the father of the house of Rechab.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:1 The chosen people emerge against the preceding background of human history. The chapters that follow are interested solely in the twelve tribes that are the origin of this people. The books of the Bible provide a number of lists of the tribes; there are differences, sometimes considerable, from list to list; the differences can be explained by reference to the various periods in which the documents were composed. Why these lists? In the unceasing effort to paint a picture of the people, a list represents a new awareness of the people’s vocation. Here the author is recalling the past, not so much out of a concern for history as in the name of a hope: in a period in which no glory attaches to the people, he looks ahead to the rebuilding of the Israel of God.
  2. 1 Chronicles 2:12 Boaz: a kinsman of Naomi who married her daughter-in-law Ruth by exercising his rights under the levirate law (see Ru 2–4). Their son Obed was the grandfather of David.

Israel’s Sons(A)

These were the sons of Israel:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Judah(B)

To Hezron’s Sons

The sons of Judah:(C)

Er, Onan and Shelah.(D) These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua.(E) Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.(F) Judah’s daughter-in-law(G) Tamar(H) bore Perez(I) and Zerah to Judah. He had five sons in all.

The sons of Perez:(J)

Hezron(K) and Hamul.

The sons of Zerah:

Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda[a]—five in all.

The son of Karmi:

Achar,[b](L) who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things.[c](M)

The son of Ethan:

Azariah.

The sons born to Hezron(N) were:

Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb.[d]

From Ram Son of Hezron

10 Ram(O) was the father of

Amminadab(P), and Amminadab the father of Nahshon,(Q) the leader of the people of Judah. 11 Nahshon was the father of Salmon,[e] Salmon the father of Boaz, 12 Boaz(R) the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse.(S)

13 Jesse(T) was the father of

Eliab(U) his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, 14 the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, 15 the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. 16 Their sisters were Zeruiah(V) and Abigail. Zeruiah’s(W) three sons were Abishai, Joab(X) and Asahel. 17 Abigail was the mother of Amasa,(Y) whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.

Caleb Son of Hezron

18 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah (and by Jerioth). These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb(Z) married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri the father of Bezalel.(AA)

21 Later, Hezron, when he was sixty years old, married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead.(AB) He made love to her, and she bore him Segub. 22 Segub was the father of Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in Gilead. 23 (But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair,[f](AC) as well as Kenath(AD) with its surrounding settlements—sixty towns.) All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead.

24 After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah the wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur(AE) the father[g] of Tekoa.

Jerahmeel Son of Hezron

25 The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron:

Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem and[h] Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

27 The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel:

Maaz, Jamin and Eker.

28 The sons of Onam:

Shammai and Jada.

The sons of Shammai:

Nadab and Abishur.

29 Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, who bore him Ahban and Molid.

30 The sons of Nadab:

Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.

31 The son of Appaim:

Ishi, who was the father of Sheshan.

Sheshan was the father of Ahlai.

32 The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother:

Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.

33 The sons of Jonathan:

Peleth and Zaza.

These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.

34 Sheshan had no sons—only daughters.

He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore him Attai.

36 Attai was the father of Nathan,

Nathan the father of Zabad,(AF)

37 Zabad the father of Ephlal,

Ephlal the father of Obed,

38 Obed the father of Jehu,

Jehu the father of Azariah,

39 Azariah the father of Helez,

Helez the father of Eleasah,

40 Eleasah the father of Sismai,

Sismai the father of Shallum,

41 Shallum the father of Jekamiah,

and Jekamiah the father of Elishama.

The Clans of Caleb

42 The sons of Caleb(AG) the brother of Jerahmeel:

Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah,[i] who was the father of Hebron.

43 The sons of Hebron:

Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. 44 Shema was the father of Raham, and Raham the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. 45 The son of Shammai was Maon(AH), and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.(AI)

46 Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.

47 The sons of Jahdai:

Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph.

48 Caleb’s concubine Maakah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also gave birth to Shaaph the father of Madmannah(AJ) and to Sheva the father of Makbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Aksah.(AK) 50 These were the descendants of Caleb.

The sons of Hur(AL) the firstborn of Ephrathah:

Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim,(AM) 51 Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.

52 The descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim were:

Haroeh, half the Manahathites, 53 and the clans of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites,(AN) Puthites, Shumathites and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites.

54 The descendants of Salma:

Bethlehem, the Netophathites,(AO) Atroth Beth Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the clans of scribes[j] who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites. These are the Kenites(AP) who came from Hammath,(AQ) the father of the Rekabites.[k](AR)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:6 Many Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Kings 4:31); most Hebrew manuscripts Dara
  2. 1 Chronicles 2:7 Achar means trouble; Achar is called Achan in Joshua.
  3. 1 Chronicles 2:7 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  4. 1 Chronicles 2:9 Hebrew Kelubai, a variant of Caleb
  5. 1 Chronicles 2:11 Septuagint (see also Ruth 4:21); Hebrew Salma
  6. 1 Chronicles 2:23 Or captured the settlements of Jair
  7. 1 Chronicles 2:24 Father may mean civic leader or military leader; also in verses 42, 45, 49-52 and possibly elsewhere.
  8. 1 Chronicles 2:25 Or Oren and Ozem, by
  9. 1 Chronicles 2:42 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  10. 1 Chronicles 2:55 Or of the Sopherites
  11. 1 Chronicles 2:55 Or father of Beth Rekab