UNROLL
Early dawn over the Beth-horon ridge in the hill country of Ephraim: two small walled stone towns, one high on the ridge and one lower down the slope, joined by a stony road that winds on down toward the hazy coastal plain, terraced olive slopes around them, under a calm, pale dawn sky.

The Book of

1 Chronicles 7

Six tribes in forty verses: mighty men, a father’s grief, a daughter who built towns, and the family of Joshua.

40 verses≈ 5 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–9GenealogiesAll Israel, from AdamChapter 7
  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

The Descendants of Issachar

Family line

Issachar’s sons

  1. Issachar
    • Tola
    • Puah
    • Jashub
    • Shimron

    The sons of Issachar:

    Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four in all.

  2. Tola
    • Uzzi
    • Rephaiah
    • Jeriel
    • Jahmai
    • Ibsam
    • Shemuel

    Heads of their families

    The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, the heads of their families.

  3. 22,600 in David’s day

    In the days of David, 22,600 descendants of Tola were numbered in their genealogies as mighty men of valor.

  4. Uzzi

    The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah.

  5. Izrahiah
    • Michael
    • Obadiah
    • Joel
    • Isshiah

    The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah.

  6. Five chiefs

    All five of them were chiefs.

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In addition to them, according to their genealogy, they had 36,000 troops for battle, for they had many wives and children.

Their kinsmen belonging to all the families of Issachar who were mighty men of valor totaled 87,000, as listed in their genealogies.

The Descendants of Benjamin

Family line

Benjamin’s sons

  1. Benjamin
    • Bela
    • Becher
    • Jediael

    The three sons of Benjamin:

    Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

  2. Bela
    • Ezbon
    • Uzzi
    • Uzziel
    • Jerimoth
    • Iri

    The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, heads of their families—five in all.

  3. 22,034 mighty men

    There were 22,034 mighty men of valor listed in their genealogies.

  4. Becher
    • Zemirah
    • Joash
    • Eliezer
    • Elioenai
    • Omri
    • Jeremoth
    • Abijah
    • Anathoth
    • Alemeth

    The sons of Becher:

    Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth; all these were Becher’s sons.

  5. 20,200 mighty men

    Their genealogies were recorded according to the heads of their families—20,200 mighty men of valor.

  6. Jediael

    The son of Jediael: Bilhan.

  7. Bilhan
    • Jeush
    • Benjamin
    • Ehud
    • Chenaanah
    • Zethan
    • Tarshish
    • Ahishahar

    The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

  8. 17,200 fit for battle

    All these sons of Jediael were heads of their families, mighty men of valor; there were 17,200 fit for battle.

  9. Clans of Ir and Aher

    The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher.

The Descendants of Naphtali

The sons of Naphtali:

Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum—the descendants of Bilhah.

Question

Quick question

The Chronicler drew on records kept long after the tribes settled.

In whose days were Tola’s descendants numbered?

The Descendants of Manasseh

At the camp at Gilgal in morning light, five grown sisters in plain wool dresses and head cloths stand together before Eleazar the high priest, old Joshua and the tribal leaders, the eldest speaking with an open hand.

Family line

Manasseh and Machir

  1. Manasseh

    An Aramean concubine

    The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel through his Aramean concubine.

  2. Machir

    Father of Gilead

    She also gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead.

  3. Machir’s wife and sister

    Machir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. The name of his sister was Maacah.

  4. Zelophehad

    only daughters

    Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters.

  5. Born to Machir and Maacah

    Machir’s wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and she named him Peresh.

  6. Sheresh
    • Ulam
    • Rekem

    Brother of Peresh

    His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.

  7. Ulam

    The son of Ulam: Bedan.

  8. Sons of Gilead

    These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

  9. Hammolecheth
    • Ishhod
    • Abiezer
    • Mahlah

    His sister

    His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

  10. Shemida
    • Ahian
    • Shechem
    • Likhi
    • Aniam

    And these were the sons of Shemida:

    Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

The Descendants of Ephraim

Evening in the courtyard of a plain mud-brick house: very old Ephraim, white-bearded, sits on a mat with his head bowed and his gray cloak drawn round him, his relatives sitting close in silence, a grown son with a hand on his shoulder, an older woman bringing bread and a cup, one clay lamp burning.

The descendants of Ephraim:

Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,

Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son.

Ezer and Elead were killed by the natives of Gath, because they went down to steal their livestock.

Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

And again he slept with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. So he named him Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house.

0:31

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon, as well as Uzzen-sheerah.

Reflect

Named in grief

“Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.” He gave his next son a name that remembered the loss, and his daughter Sheerah went on to build towns. God does not hurry us past grief, and He gives us people to sit with us in it. Who came to comfort you when it was hardest? Who could you sit with this week?

Old Joshua, white-bearded and weathered, sits on a stone at the door of a black goat-hair tent at Gilgal at evening, a staff across his knees, looking west toward the hills.

Additionally, Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son,

Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

Nun his son, and Joshua his son.

EphraimManassehBethelNaaran (site uncertain)GezerBeth-horonShechemBeth-sheanTaanachMegiddoDor

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Where Joseph’s sons lived

Ephraim held the hill country from Bethel and Naaran by the Jordan valley west to Gezer, with Shechem at its heart; Sheerah’s Beth-horon guarded the road down to the plain. Along Manasseh’s border lay Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, the strong towns of the valley and the coast. Issachar lived in the valley to the north, Asher on the coast beyond Carmel, Naphtali in the hills of Galilee and Benjamin to the south. (Naaran’s site is uncertain.)

The Descendants of Asher

In an olive grove on Asher's coastal hills, golden oil runs from a stone olive press into a clay vat; a bare foot rests beside the vat and baskets of black olives stand nearby.

Family line

Asher’s sons

  1. Asher
    • Imnah
    • Ishvah
    • Ishvi
    • Beriah

    Their sister Serah

    The children of Asher:

    Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

  2. Beriah
    • Heber
    • Malchiel

    The sons of Beriah:

    Heber, as well as Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

  3. Heber
    • Japhlet
    • Shomer
    • Hotham

    Their sister Shua

    Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, and of their sister Shua.

  4. Japhlet
    • Pasach
    • Bimhal
    • Ashvath

    The sons of Japhlet:

    Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet’s sons.

  5. Shemer
    • Ahi
    • Rohgah
    • Hubbah
    • Aram

    The sons of Shemer:

    Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.

  6. Helem
    • Zophah
    • Imna
    • Shelesh
    • Amal

    The sons of his brother Helem:

    Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

  7. Zophah
    • Suah
    • Harnepher
    • Shual
    • Beri
    • Imrah
    • Bezer
    • Hod
    • Shamma
    • Shilshah
    • Ithran
    • Beera

    The sons of Zophah:

    Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

    Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

  8. Jether
    • Jephunneh
    • Pispa
    • Ara

    The sons of Jether:

    Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

  9. Ulla
    • Arah
    • Hanniel
    • Rizia

    The sons of Ulla:

    Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

All these were the descendants of Asher—heads of their families, choice and mighty men of valor, and chiefs among the leaders. The number of men fit for battle, recorded in their genealogies, was 26,000.

Pray

Known by name

Six tribes, forty verses, and hardly a name skipped: the mighty men of Issachar, a grieving father, a daughter who built towns, and Joshua, who led Israel into the land. Thank God that He knows every family by name, the strong and the sorrowing alike. Pray for families who have lost a child, that they would be comforted as Ephraim was. And ask Him to use whatever strength He has given you in His service, as Sheerah built and Joshua led.

You’ve experienced

1 Chronicles 7

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A verse to carry with you

Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

1 Chronicles 7:22

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