The First Book of the Chronicles

Chapter 4

The posterity of Judah by Caleb, the son of Hur, 1-4. Of Ashur, the posthumous son of Hezron, 5-8. Of Jabez and his prayer, 9, 10. The other families of the same stock, 11-20. The sons of Shelah, 21-23. The posterity and cities of Simeon, 24-38. Their conquest of Gedor and of the Amalekites in mount Seir, 39-43.

1 The sons of Judah: Pharez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2 And Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath, and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites. 3 And these were of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi, 4 And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephratah, the father of Beth-lehem. 5 And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives: Helah and Naarah. 6 And Naarah bore him Ahuzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7 And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Jezoar, and Ethnan. 8 And Coz begot Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. 9 And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him with sorrow." 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil so that it may not grieve me!" And God granted him that which he requested.

11 And Chelub the brother of Shuah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 And Eshton begot Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Rechah.

13 And the sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel: Hathath, 14 Meonothai who begot Ophrah, and Seraiah who begot Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim, for they were craftsmen. 15 And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. And the son of Elah: Kenaz. 16 And the sons of Jehaleleel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel. 17 And the sons of Ezra were Jethur, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered took a wife and she bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18 And his wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh whom Mered took. 19 And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite. 20 And the sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Benzoheth. 21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the families of the house of those who wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea, 22 Jokim, the men of Chozeba, Joash, Saraph who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. And these are ancient things. 23 These were the potters and those who dwelt among plants and hedges. There they dwelt with the king for his work.

24 The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; 25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. 26 And the sons of Mishma: Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, and Shimei his son. 27 And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, neither did all their family multiply like the children of Judah. 28 And they dwelt at Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 At Bilhah, at Ezem, at Tolad, 30 At Bethuel, at Hormah, at Ziklag, 31 At Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, at Beth-birei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities to the reign of David. 32 And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities, 33 And also all their villages that were around the same cities to Baal. These were their habitations and their genealogy.

34 And Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, 35 Joel, Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah— 38 These mentioned by their names were princes in their families, and the house of their fathers increased greatly. 39 And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. 40 And they found rich and good pasture. And the land was wide, quiet, and peaceable, for those of Ham had dwelt there of old. 41 And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and smote their tents and the habitations that were found there, destroyed them utterly to this day, and dwelt in their stead, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. 43 And they smote the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped and have dwelt there to this day.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - 1st Chronicles, Chapter 4[➚]

Notes

Top