UNROLL
Dawn over the hill country of Benjamin from a ridge near Gibeon: rounded limestone hills with terraced olive slopes and vines, mist lying in the deep valleys, a small walled hill town of stone and mud brick on a far ridge, under a calm, pale dawn sky.

The Book of

1 Chronicles 8

Benjamin’s families, from Gibeon to Jerusalem, and the house of Israel’s first king.

40 verses≈ 3 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–9GenealogiesAll Israel, from AdamChapter 8
  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

Genealogy from Benjamin to Saul

Family line

Benjamin and Bela

  1. Benjamin
    • Bela
    • Ashbel
    • Aharah
    • Nohah
    • Rapha

    Five sons

    Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

  2. Bela
    • Addar
    • Gera
    • Abihud

    His firstborn

    The sons of Bela:

    Addar, Gera, Abihud,

    • Abishua
    • Naaman
    • Ahoah
    • Gera
    • Shephuphan
    • Huram

    More sons of Bela

    Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,

    Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

These were the descendants of Ehud who were the heads of the families living in Geba and were exiled to Manahath:

Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, who carried them into exile and who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

Question

Quick question

A familiar name from the days of the judges turns up in Benjamin’s list.

Whose descendants were the heads of the families living in Geba?

Family line

Shaharaim’s sons

  1. Shaharaim

    Sons in Moab

    Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara.

  2. Hodesh
    • Jobab
    • Zibia
    • Mesha
    • Malcam
    • Jeuz
    • Sachia
    • Mirmah

    His wife

    His sons by his wife Hodesh:

    Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,

    Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families.

  3. Hushim
    • Abitub
    • Elpaal

    His wife

    He also had sons by Hushim:

    Abitub and Elpaal.

The sons of Elpaal:

Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its villages),

and Beriah and Shema (who were the heads of families living in Aijalon and who drove out the inhabitants of Gath).

Family line

Heads in Jerusalem

  1. Beriah
    • Ahio
    • Shashak
    • Jeremoth
    • Zebadiah
    • Arad
    • Eder
    • Michael
    • Ishpah
    • Joha

    Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth,

    Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

    Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah.

  2. Elpaal
    • Zebadiah
    • Meshullam
    • Hizki
    • Heber
    • Ishmerai
    • Izliah
    • Jobab

    Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber,

    Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal.

  3. Shimei
    • Jakim
    • Zichri
    • Zabdi
    • Elienai
    • Zillethai
    • Eliel
    • Adaiah
    • Beraiah
    • Shimrath

    Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi,

    Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel,

    Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei.

  4. Shashak
    • Ishpan
    • Eber
    • Eliel
    • Abdon
    • Zichri
    • Hanan
    • Hananiah
    • Elam
    • Anthothijah
    • Iphdeiah
    • Penuel

    A son of Beriah

    Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,

    Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,

    Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

    Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.

  5. Jeroham
    • Shamsherai
    • Shehariah
    • Athaliah
    • Jaareshiah
    • Elijah
    • Zichri

    Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

    Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham.

  6. Chiefs in Jerusalem

    All these were heads of families, the chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.

Reflect

Every name kept

“All these were heads of families, the chiefs according to their genealogies.” Most of these names appear nowhere else in the Bible, yet each one was a family, a home and a life that God kept on record. Where do you feel unseen right now? What does it mean to you that the Lord knows His people by name?

MoabGebaGibeonJerusalemManahath (site uncertain)AijalonOnoLodGath

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Where Benjamin’s families lived

Benjamin’s families spread out from their hill towns: Geba, Gibeon and Jerusalem on the ridges, Aijalon at the head of its valley, home of the families who drove out the inhabitants of Gath, and Ono and Lod out on the coastal plain. Some families were carried off to Manahath, and one man had sons in the country of Moab across the Dead Sea. (Manahath’s site is uncertain.)

The Family of Saul

Family line

The family of Saul

  1. NerKishSaul
    • Jonathan
    • Malchishua
    • Abinadab
    • Esh-baal

    Israel’s first king

    Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

    • Micah

    The son of Jonathan:

    Merib-baal, and Merib-baal was the father of Micah.

  3. Micah
    • Pithon
    • Melech
    • Tarea
    • Ahaz

    The sons of Micah:

    Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

  4. AhazJehoaddah
    • Alemeth
    • Azmaveth
    • Zimri

    Zimri, father of Moza

    Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri was the father of Moza.

  5. MozaBineaRaphahEleasahAzel

    Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.

  6. Azel
    • Azrikam
    • Bocheru
    • Ishmael
    • Sheariah
    • Obadiah
    • Hanan

    Six sons

    Azel had six sons, and these were their names:

    Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

  7. Eshek
    • Ulam
    • Jeush
    • Eliphelet

    Azel’s brother

    The sons of his brother Eshek:

    Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third.

Dawn on a bare hillside in Benjamin, seen from the side and a little behind: a few Benjamite archers in plain dark wool with bows of wood and horn drawn, quivers on their backs, aiming at a straw target on a stake far down the slope, under a calm, pale sky.

The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and they had many sons and grandsons—150 in all.

All these were the descendants of Benjamin.

0:10

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

On record

Forty verses of Benjamin’s families, from his firstborn to Ulam’s sons, the archers, some thirteen generations after Saul. Thank God that He keeps every name and every family on record, the famous and the forgotten. Thank Him for the kind of faithfulness David showed Jonathan, which kept Jonathan’s line alive for generations. And pray for the next generation in your own family, that they would know the LORD and serve Him.

You’ve experienced

1 Chronicles 8

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A verse to carry with you

The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and they had many sons and grandsons—150 in all.

1 Chronicles 8:40

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