UNROLL
Evening in a small stone courtyard in rebuilt Jerusalem: an old father with a scroll across his knees beside a clay lamp, his family gathered close to listen, under a violet sky with the first stars.

The Book of

1 Chronicles 1

The book begins with one word, Adam. A small family home from exile hears where their story starts.

54 verses≈ 5 min5 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–9GenealogiesAll Israel, from AdamChapter 1
  2. 10Saul fallsThe kingdom turned to David
  3. 11–12David kingAll Israel gathers
  4. 13–16The arkBrought home with songs
  5. 17The covenantA house forever
  6. 18–20David's warsThe LORD gave victory
  7. 21The siteOrnan's threshing floor
  8. 22–27Preparing the templePriests, Levites and singers
  9. 28–29David's farewellBe strong, and do the work

From Adam to Abraham

Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah.

1 Chronicles 1:1–3

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

A rocky coast of headlands and small islands in morning light, with simple wooden plank boats drawn up on a pebble beach.

Family line

Noah’s sons: Japheth and Ham

    • Shem
    • Ham
    • Japheth

    The sons of Noah:

    Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

  2. Japheth
    • Gomer
    • Magog
    • Madai
    • Javan
    • Tubal
    • Meshech
    • Tiras

    The sons of Japheth:

    Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

  3. Gomer
    • Ashkenaz
    • Riphath
    • Togarmah

    The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

  4. Javan
    • Elishah
    • Tarshish
    • the Kittites
    • the Rodanites

    And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.

  5. Ham
    • Cush
    • Mizraim
    • Put
    • Canaan

    The sons of Ham:

    Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

  6. Cush
    • Seba
    • Havilah
    • Sabta
    • Raamah
    • Sabteca

    The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca.

  7. Raamah
    • Sheba
    • Dedan

    The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

Why the genealogies?

Adam1:1 · everypeople onearthNoah’ssons1:4–23 · thenationsAbraham1:27–34 · thepromiseTwelvesons2:1–2 · allIsraelDavid2:15 · thekingHome fromBabylon9:1–3 · thefirst readersThe Son ofDavidMatthew 1:1 · Luke3:38

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The Chronicler wrote for a small people home from exile. Nine chapters of names told them who they were: part of one story that runs from Adam through Abraham and David to them, and on to the Son of David.

Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth.

The Nile at morning between palms and green fields, a reed boat with a square sail on the water and desert hills beyond.

Family line

Mizraim and Canaan

  1. Mizraim
    • the Ludites
    • the Anamites
    • the Lehabites
    • the Naphtuhites
    • the Pathrusites
    • the Casluhites
    • the Caphtorites

    The Hebrew name for Egypt

    Philistines came from them

    Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites,

    the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites.

  2. Canaan
    • Sidon
    • the Hittites
    • the Jebusites
    • the Amorites
    • the Girgashites
    • the Hivites
    • the Arkites
    • the Sinites
    • the Arvadites
    • the Zemarites
    • the Hamathites

    Sidon his firstborn

    And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,

    the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,

    the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,

    the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

JavanGomerMediaEgyptCushPutCanaanShinarAssyriaElamAram

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

The nations

Noah’s sons spread out after the flood: Japheth’s line to the coastlands and the north (Javan, Gomer, Madai, that is, Media), Ham’s to Egypt, Put, Cush and Canaan (Shinar is where Genesis says Nimrod’s kingdom began), Shem’s to Elam, Asshur and Aram. Many names became the names of peoples and lands; several places are approximate.

A wide Mesopotamian plain at evening, a river winding through it, with flocks and black tents scattered along the bank.

Family line

The sons of Shem

  1. Shem
    • Elam
    • Asshur
    • Arphaxad
    • Lud
    • Aram

    The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.

  2. Aram
    • Uz
    • Hul
    • Gether
    • Meshech

    The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

  3. ArphaxadShelah

    Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.

  4. Eber
    • Peleg
    • Joktan

    Peleg means division

    Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.

  5. Joktan
    • Almodad
    • Sheleph
    • Hazarmaveth
    • Jerah
    • Hadoram
    • Uzal
    • Diklah
    • Obal
    • Abimael
    • Sheba
    • Ophir
    • Havilah
    • Jobab

    Thirteen sons

    And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

    Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

    Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

    Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

An old man seen from behind outside his black goat-hair tent at night near Hebron, head tilted back under a vast sky crowded with stars.

So from Shem came Arphaxad, Shelah,

Eber, Peleg, Reu,

Serug, Nahor, Terah,

and Abram (that is, Abraham).

0:09

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Reflect

Where your story starts

The Chronicler’s first readers were few, poor and home from exile, and he began their story with Adam and ran it to “Abram (that is, Abraham).” Where do you usually find your sense of who you are? What changes if you start with the God who has kept a family line since the beginning? Write it down.

The Descendants of Abraham

The Descendants of Esau

The sons of Esau:

Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek.

The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

The Descendants of Seir

Morning in the red sandstone highland of Seir: a small village of rough stone houses and goat pens on a shelf above a deep wadi, a herder driving goats up the path.

Family line

The sons of Seir

  1. Seir
    • Lotan
    • Shobal
    • Zibeon
    • Anah
    • Dishon
    • Ezer
    • Dishan

    The Horite

    The sons of Seir:

    Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.

  2. Lotan
    • Hori
    • Homam

    Timna was his sister

    The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan’s sister.

  3. Shobal
    • Alvan
    • Manahath
    • Ebal
    • Shepho
    • Onam

    The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

  4. Zibeon
    • Aiah
    • Anah

    The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah.

  5. Anah

    The son of Anah: Dishon.

  6. Dishon
    • Hemdan
    • Eshban
    • Ithran
    • Cheran

    The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

  7. Ezer
    • Bilhan
    • Zaavan
    • Akan

    The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

  8. Dishan
    • Uz
    • Aran

    The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

Pray

Every people by name

Genesis and Chronicles both write down the families of Ishmael, Keturah, Esau and the Horites of Seir, people outside Israel. The Chronicler could have skipped them; he kept them. Thank God that He knows every people by name, and pray today for a people or nation you rarely think about.

The Kings of Edom

Morning in Edom's northern highlands: Bozrah, a small walled town of reddish stone on a high spur, steep wadis falling away on three sides, terraced fields below.

Family line

Kings before Israel had a king

  1. Bela

    His city: Dinhabah

    These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:

    Bela son of Beor. His city was named Dinhabah.

  2. Jobab

    From Bozrah

    When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.

  3. Husham

    From the Temanites’ land

    When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.

  4. Hadad

    His city: Avith

    defeated Midian in Moab

    When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith.

  5. Samlah

    From Masrekah

    When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.

  6. Shaul

    From Rehoboth

    When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place.

  7. Baal-hanan

    Son of Achbor

    When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place.

  8. Hadad

    and he died

    Married Mehetabel

    His city: Pau

    When Baal-hanan died, Hadad reigned in his place. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.

    Then Hadad died.

before any king reigned over the Israelites

1 Chronicles 1:43

Now the chiefs of Edom were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,

Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

Question

Quick question

Chapter 1 ends Abraham’s family with two brothers, and then follows the elder’s line into Edom.

Whose two sons close the family of Abraham in 1 Chronicles 1?

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1 Chronicles 1

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A verse to carry with you

So from Shem came Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram (that is, Abraham).

1 Chronicles 1:24–27

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