History · Chapter 2 of 29

1 Chronicles 2

The genealogy narrows to the sons of Israel and settles on Judah, tracing the crucial line from Judah through Pharez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, and Boaz down to Jesse and David. Around this royal thread cluster the wider families of Judah, including the descendants of Hezron, Jerahmeel, and Caleb, filling out the tribe from which the king would come.

What happens in 1 Chronicles 2

The chapter lists the twelve sons of Israel, then turns to Judah. It recalls that Er was struck down for evil and that Tamar bore Pharez and Zerah. From Pharez the line runs Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon the prince of Judah, Salma, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and then David, named as the seventh son, with his sisters Zeruiah and Abigail. The record then spreads out into the many branches of Hezron's descendants: Jerahmeel and his sons, Caleb the son of Hezron and his families, and Segub, Jair, and their towns.

It follows Caleb's line to Hur, Uri, and Bezaleel, the craftsman of the tabernacle, and lists the founders of towns like Bethlehem and Kirjathjearim. The chapter closes with the families of scribes and the Kenites connected to the house of Rechab.

1 Chronicles 2 in context

Of all the tribes, the Chronicler gives Judah pride of place, because the king comes from Judah. Writing to a post-exilic community that no longer had a reigning king, he carefully preserves the royal genealogy, keeping the memory of David's house alive.

The line from Judah to David is the same one recited in later Scripture, tying this chapter directly to the hope of a restored throne.

Main themes of 1 Chronicles 2

1 Chronicles 2 (KJV)

1These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, 2Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 3The 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. 4And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five. 5The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul. 6And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all. 7And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed. 8And the sons of Ethan; Azariah. 9The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai. 10And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah; 11And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, 12And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, 13And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, 14Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: 16Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three. 17And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite. 18And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon. 19And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur. 20And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel. 21And 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. 22And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead. 23And 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. 24And after that Hezron was dead in Calebephratah, then Abiah Hezron’s wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa. 25And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah. 26Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 27And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker. 28And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur. 29And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid. 30And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children. 31And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai. 32And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children. 33And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. 34Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. 35And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai. 36And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad, 37And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed, 38And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah, 39And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah, 40And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum, 41And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama. 42Now 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. 43And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema. 44And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai. 45And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur. 46And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez. 47And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph. 48Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah. 49She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa. 50These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim, 51Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Bethgader. 52And Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites. 53And the families of Kirjathjearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites. 54The sons of Salma; Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites. 55And 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.

Verses to carry from 1 Chronicles 2

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

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

“Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:”1 Chronicles 2:15

Reflection

The line to the throne runs through struggle, scandal, and countless ordinary people. God's purposes are not carried only by the celebrated but by the overlooked and the redeemed. Wherever your story feels too flawed to matter, remember He writes His plan through exactly such lives.

A prayer from 1 Chronicles 2