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1 Chronicles Chapter 2

Old Testament Historical 55 Verses

What is 1 Chronicles 2 about?

A priestly perspective on David's reign, his gathering of Temple materials, and preparations for Solomon's building project. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
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 Shua`s daughter the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah`s first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah; and he slew him.
4And Tamar his daughter-in-law bare him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
5The sons of Perez: 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 committed a trespass in the devoted thing.
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 first-born Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimea the third,
14Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,
15Ozem the sixth, David the seventh;
16and their 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 Ishmaelite.
18And Caleb the son of Hezron begat [children] of Azubah [his] wife, and of Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
19And Azubah died, and Caleb took unto him Ephrath, who bare him Hur.
20And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezalel.
21And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he took [to wife] 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 Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath, and the villages thereof, even threescore cities. All these were the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-ephrathah, then Abijah Hezron`s wife bare him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
25And the sons of Jerahmeel the first-born of Hezron were Ram the first-born, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, Ahijah.
26And Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.
27And the sons of Ram the first-born 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 sons 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 Sismai, and Sismai begat Shallum,
41and Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.
42And the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha his first-born, who 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 Jorkeam; and Rekem begat Shammai.
45And the son of Shammai was Maon; and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.
46And Ephah, Caleb`s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez; and Haran begat Gazez.
47And the sons of Jahdai: Regem, and Jothan, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.
48Maacah, Caleb`s concubine, bare Sheber and Tirhanah.
49She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbena, and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.
50These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the first-born of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim,
51Salma the father of Beth-lehem, Hareph the father of Beth-gader.
52And Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had sons: Haroeh, half of the Menuhoth.
53And the families of Kiriath-jearim: The Ithrites, and the Puthites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.
54The sons of Salma: Beth-lehem, and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites.
55And the families of scribes that dwelt at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.
← 1 Chronicles 11 Chronicles 3 →

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 3
“The sons of Judah, etc.] The genealogy begins with him, though the fourth son of Jacob; because, as Kimchi says, this book treats chiefly of the kings of Judah; but rather not only because Jesse and David sprang from him, but also the King Messiah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess; (see <013802>Genesis 38:2,12), and Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord; because he did that which was evil: and he slew him; he died by the immediate hand of God, and so his brother Onan, being wicked also, (<013807>Genesis 38:7,10).”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“POSTERITY OF JUDAH. (Ch1 2:3-12) The sons of Judah--His descendants are enumerated first, because the right and privileges of the primogeniture had been transferred to him (Gen 49:8), and because from his tribe the Messiah was to spring.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“The sons of Israel - The order of the names here approximates to an order determined by legitimacy of birth. A single change - the removal of Dan to the place after Benjamin - would give the following result: (1) The six sons of the first wife, Leah. (2) the two sons of the second wife, Rachel. (3) the two sons of the first concubine, Bilhah. (4) the two sons of the second concubine, Zilpah. Dan’s undue prominency may, perhaps, be accounted for by his occupying the seventh place in the “blessing of Jacob” Genesis 49:16. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 3
“Judah - Whom he puts first, because the best part of the right of the firstborn, namely, the dominion, was conferred upon him, Gen 49:8, and because the Messiah was to come out of his loins. 1 Chronicles 2:6”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 3
“2:3–4:23 While the genealogies present the entire people of Israel (2:1-2), David’s ancestors in the tribe of Judah receive priority. 2:3-8 The genealogy of Judah is as comprehensive as possible, recording peripheral material as the background to the main line of David’s ancestors. Cp. Gen 46:12. 2:3 Er and Onan, the first two sons of Judah, were destroyed because of their sin (Gen 38:6-10). The descendants of Shelah are listed as an appendix at the end of the genealogies of Judah (1 Chr 4:21-23).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“am 2252, etc. bc 1752, etc Israel: or, Jacob, Gen 32:28, Gen 49:2 Reuben: Gen 29:32-35, 30:5-24, Gen 35:18, Gen 35:22-26, 46:8-27, 49:4-28; Exo 1:2-4; Num 1:5-15, Num 13:4-15, 26:5-65; Rev 7:5-8 1 Chronicles 2:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“The twelve sons of Israel, arranged as follows: first, the six sons of Leah; then Dan, the son of Rachel's handmaid; next, the sons of Rachel; and finally, the remaining sons of the handmaids. That a different place is assigned to Dan, viz., before the sons of Rachel, from that which he holds in the list in Gen 35:23., is perhaps to be accounted for by Rachel's wishing the son of her maid Bilhah to be accounted her own (vide Gen 30:3-6). 1 Chronicles 2:3”
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