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1 Chronicles Chapter 4

Old Testament Historical 43 Verses

What is 1 Chronicles 4 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.
1The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.
2And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.
3And these were [the sons of] the father of Etam: Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi;
4and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephrathah, the father of Beth-lehem.
5And Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6And Naarah bare him Ahuzzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.
7And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
8And Hakkoz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
9And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested.
11And Chelub the brother of Shuhah begat Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.
12And Eshton begat Beth-rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah.
13And the sons of Kenaz: Othniel, and Seraiah. And the sons of Othniel: Hathath.
14And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab the father of Ge-harashim; for they were craftsmen.
15And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the sons of Elah; and Kenaz.
16And the sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17And the sons of Ezrah: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18And his wife the Jewess bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.
19And the sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20And the sons of Shimon: Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben-zoheth.
21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;
22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And the records are ancient.
23These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah: there they dwelt with the king for his work.
24The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26And the sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.
27And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply like to the children of Judah.
28And they dwelt at Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,
29and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31and at Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susim, and at Beth-biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32And their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33and all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and they have their genealogy.
34And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,
35and Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36and Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,
37and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah-
38these mentioned by name were princes in their families: and their fathers` houses increased greatly.
39And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they that dwelt there aforetime were of Ham.
41And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the Meunim that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their stead; because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
43And they smote the remnant of the Amalekites that escaped, and have dwelt there unto this day.
← 1 Chronicles 31 Chronicles 5 →

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 1
“The sons of Judah: Pharez, etc.] The posterity of Judah in the line of Pharez, for he only is mentioned: Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. Hezron was the son of Pharez, and Carmi is supposed to be Chelubai, or Caleb, the son of Hezron; and Hur the son of Caleb; and Shobal was the son of the second Caleb the son of Hur; (see <130205>1 Chronicles 2:5,9,19,50).”
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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 BY CALEB THE SON OF HUR. (Ch1 4:1-8) the sons of Judah--that is, "the descendants," for with the exception of Pharez, none of those here mentioned were his immediate sons. Indeed, the others are mentioned solely to introduce the name of Shobal, whose genealogy the historian intended to trace (Ch1 2:52).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 3
“Read, “These are the sons of the father (i. e. chief) of Etam” 2 Chronicles 11:6, a city of Judah, not far from Bethlehem. 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 1
“The sons - The posterity: for only Pharez was his immediate son. But they are all mentioned here only to shew Shobal's descent from Judah. 1 Chronicles 4:9”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“4:1-7 The genealogy of Judah continues, with links back to 2:1-55. The connection to Hur, the ancestor of Bethlehem, is provided immediately (4:1-4; see 2:19-20, 51-55).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“am 2283, etc. bc 1721, etc Pharez: Ch1 2:5; Gen 38:29, Gen 46:12; Num 26:20, Num 26:21; Rut 4:18; Mat 1:3; Luk 3:33, Phares, Esrom Carmi: Ch1 2:9, Chelubai, Ch1 2:18, Caleb 1 Chronicles 4:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“Ch1 4:1 is evidently intended to be a superscription to the genealogical fragments which follow. Five names are mentioned as sons of Judah, of whom only Pharez was his son ( Ch1 2:4); the others are grandchildren or still more distant descendants. Nothing is said as to the genealogical relationship in which they stood to each other; that is supposed to be already known from the genealogies in 1 Chron 2. Hezron is the son of Pharez, and consequently grandson of Judah, Ch1 2:8. Carmi, a descendant of Zerah, the brother of Pharez, see on Ch1 2:6-7. Hur is a son of Caleb, the son of Hezron, by Ephratah (see on Ch1…”
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