At first light a small clay oil lamp burns with one steady flame on top of a rough fieldstone wall, the terraced hills of Judah blue with haze below it, under a calm, pale dawn sky.

The Book of

1 Chronicles 3

David’s sons, the kings of Judah, a captive king and the families after the exile: one family line, still unbroken when Chronicles was written.

24 verses≈ 3 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

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

The Descendants of David

A stone courtyard in Hebron in morning light: six young mothers, fully and modestly dressed in differently dyed head coverings, sit on mats and a low stone bench with six boys of different ages, from a baby in arms to a boy of about seven with a wooden toy, beside a fig tree and clay jars.

Family line

Sons born in Hebron

Married Ahinoam and Abigail
- Amnon
- Daniel
The first and second
These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron:
The firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
the second was Daniel by Abigail of Carmel;
- Absalom
- Adonijah
Sons of Maacah and Haggith
the third was Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
the fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith;
- Shephatiah
- Ithream
Sons of Abital and Eglah
the fifth was Shephatiah by Abital;
and the sixth was Ithream by his wife Eglah.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

1 Chronicles 3:4

Early morning: Hebron, a small walled hill town of flat-roofed stone houses on a rounded hill, seen from a terraced vineyard across the valley; cooking smoke rises, and on one roof a young mother hangs washing while two small boys play.

Late afternoon over the City of David seen across the Kidron valley: a small walled town on a narrow ridge, stone terraces climbing its eastern face to a stone citadel and a cedar-roofed palace, and on the higher hill to the north only an empty hilltop with a few olive trees.

And David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years,

and these sons were born to him in Jerusalem:

Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel.

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

David’s other sons were Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,

Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all.

These were all the sons of David, besides the sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.

Question

Quick question

Two of David’s sons by Bathsheba have a long future in the Bible.

Matthew and Luke trace Jesus’ family line through two sons of David and Bathsheba. Which two?

The Descendants of Solomon

Still life by a window in a cedar-paneled room: a plain narrow gold circlet resting on a folded royal blue-purple wool robe with a woven gold border, on a dark cedar chest, a dark wooden royal staff bound with gold leaning beside it in morning light.

Family line

Solomon’s line: the kings of Judah

Son after son
Solomon’s son was Rehoboam:
Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,
JoramAhaziahJoash
Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,
AmaziahAzariahJotham
Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
AhazHezekiahManasseh
Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,
AmonJosiah
Amon his son, and Josiah his son.

The sons of Josiah:

Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second, Zedekiah the third, and Shallum the fourth.

The successors of Jehoiakim:

Jeconiah his son, and Zedekiah.

Reflect

Son after son

Sixteen kings in five verses, father to son, from Solomon to Josiah: more than three hundred and fifty years of one family on one throne. This list doesn’t say which kings did right; Kings told that. Here the point is simpler: God kept His word to David through good sons and bad ones. Who handed faith on to you? What are you handing on, and to whom? Write their names.

The Royal Line After the Exile

Jehoiachin

Family line

Zerubbabel’s line

- Meshullam
- Hananiah
- Hashubah
- Ohel
- Berechiah
- Hasadiah
- Jushab-hesed
Their sister Shelomith
The children of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, their sister Shelomith,
and five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed.
Hananiah
- Pelatiah
- Jeshaiah
- Rephaiah
- Arnan
- Obadiah
- Shecaniah
The descendants of Hananiah:
Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah, and of Shecaniah.
ShecaniahShemaiah
- Hattush
- Igal
- Bariah
- Neariah
- Shaphat
Six descendants
The six descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah and his sons:
Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat.
Neariah
- Elioenai
- Hizkiah
- Azrikam
The sons of Neariah:
Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam—three in all.
Elioenai
- Hodaviah
- Eliashib
- Pelaiah
- Akkub
- Johanan
- Delaiah
- Anani
Seven in all
The sons of Elioenai:
Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.

Early morning in the Persian period, seen from the Mount of Olives: a small rebuilt Jerusalem on its ridge, its walls patched with reused stone and ruins still on the slopes, a plain, modest stone house on the old temple site with thin altar smoke rising, and a returned family walking up the path with a donkey.

The line goes on

Whiteboard

The promise to David did not die in Babylon. Chronicles traces his line from Hebron through every king of Judah, into exile with “Jeconiah the captive” and home again with Zerubbabel, and on for generations, perhaps to the Chronicler’s own day. Matthew picks up the same line at Jeconiah and Zerubbabel and follows it to Jesus, the Son of David.

Pray

A promise kept

Faithful God, You kept Your word to David through good kings and bad ones, through exile and silence, and named his sons’ sons long after the throne was gone. Thank You that no promise of Yours is ever cut off. Be near to families who feel their story has been broken. And help me trust Jesus, the Son of David, whose kingdom will never end. Amen.

You’ve experienced

1 Chronicles 3

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A verse to carry with you

These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months.

1 Chronicles 3:4

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