1 CHRONICLES - CHAPTER 4
OTHER FAMILIES OF JUDAH – 1 Chronicles 4:1-23
v1 Judah’s descendants were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. v2 Reaiah was Shobal’s son. Reaiah was the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. They were called the Zorath clan. v3-4 Hur was the oldest son in Ephrathah’s family. Hur was the leader of Bethlehem. His three sons were Etam, Penuel, and Ezer. Etam’s sons were Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. They had a sister called Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.
v5 Tekoa’s father was Ashhur. Ashhur had two wives called Helah and Naarah. v6 The sons of Ashhur and Naarah were Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. They were the descendants of Naarah. v7-8 Helah’s sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz. Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the Aharhel clan. Aharhel was the son of Harum.
v9 There was a man called Jabez. People respected him more than they respected his brothers. His mother gave him the name Jabez. She said, ‘I had much pain at his birth.’ That is why she gave him that name. v10 Jabez prayed to Israel’s God. ‘Please do good things for me and extend my borders. Let your power be with me. Protect me from danger and let nothing hurt me.’ And God did what Jabez had asked.
v11 Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton. v12 Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the father of Ir Nahash. These people were from Recah.
v13 The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonothai. v14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab. Joab was the ancestor of the people from Ge Harashim. The valley had that name because the people there were skilled workers. v15 Caleb was Jephunneh’s son. Caleb’s sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah’s son was Kenaz. v16 Jehallelel’s sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. v17-18 Ezrah’s sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, the daughter of the king of Egypt. The children of Mered and Bithiah were Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah. Ishbah was the father of Eshtemoa. Mered also had a wife from Judah, who gave birth to Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered became the father of Gedor. Heber became the father of Soco. And Jekuthiel became the father of Zanoah.
v19 Hodiah’s wife was Naham’s sister. The sons of Hodiah’s wife were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. v20 Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. Ishi’s sons were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth. v21-22 Shelah was one of Judah’s sons. Shelah’s sons were Er, Laadah, Jokim, Joash and Saraph; and the men in Cozeba. Er was the father of Lecah. Laadah was the father of Mareshah whose family worked with linen at Bet Ashbea. Saraph ruled over Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These details are from ancient records.) v23 These sons of Shelah made pots. They lived in Netaim and Gederah. They worked for the king.
Commentary
VERSES 1-8
Hezron was a son of Perez (2:5). Carmi came from the family of Zerah. He was a son of Zimri and he was the father of Achar (2:7). Hur was a son of Caleb and Ephrathah (2:19). And Shobal was a son of Hur (2:50-51).
The list that follows is of the family from Shobal. They were called the Zorath clan.
VERSES 9-10
We do not know whose son Jabez was. His name is similar to the word for ‘pain’. His mother gave him that name because of the pain that she had at his birth. He was a good man and people respected him. Jewish tradition says that he was a famous expert in the law. He was a sincere man who trusted in Israel’s God.
We know nothing more about him but we do have this prayer. It shows us how he believed in God. He asked for God’s help. He needed God to act powerfully on his behalf. He asked God to protect him from all danger. God gave to him what he had asked. God answers the prayers of those people who trust him.
VERSES 11-12
Caleb (see verse 15) gave his daughter Achsah to be the wife of Othniel (Joshua 15:17). Later the LORD used Othniel to save Israel. He then became the leader of Israel. He was the first judge of Israel (Judges 3:9-10). (Although we call them ‘judges’, these men (and one woman) did not just have legal authority. The judges led Israel before the nation had a king.)
VERSE 14
There was a custom for people who had the same occupation to live in the same street or area. So, people with the same skills came together in the valley called Ge Harashim. They were probably workers in wood, iron and stone. The valley called Ge Harashim was near Jerusalem.
VERSE 15
Caleb was Kenaz’s brother but Caleb was much older. Caleb was one of the men that Moses sent into the country called Canaan. They went to see what that country was like. All except Caleb and Joshua were afraid and gave a bad report of the country (Numbers chapters 13 to 14).
VERSES 16-23
Mered’s wife Bithiah was a daughter of the king of Egypt. Her name means ‘daughter of Yahweh.’ ‘Yahweh’ is the same word as ‘the LORD’; it is the name of Israel’s God. This seems to show that she left the gods of Egypt in order to serve the real God.
This passage shows the custom for a family to continue the same occupation. The family of Mareshah made clothes from linen. And the family of Saraph made pots.
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