1 Chronicles — Chapter 3

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1These 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;

2the third was Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith;

3the fifth was Shephatiah by Abital; and the sixth was Ithream by his wife Eglah.

4These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months. And David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years,

5and these sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel.

6David’s other sons were Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,

7Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

8Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all.

9These were all the sons of David, besides the sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.

10Solomon’s son was Rehoboam: Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,

11Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,

12Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,

13Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,

14Amon his son, and Josiah his son.

15The sons of Josiah: Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second, Zedekiah the third, and Shallum the fourth.

16The successors of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, and Zedekiah.

17The descendants of Jeconiah the captive: Shealtiel his son,

18Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

19The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The children of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, their sister Shelomith,

20and five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed.

21The descendants of Hananiah: Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah, and of Shecaniah.

22The six descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat.

23The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam—three in all.

24The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.

1Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:

2The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith:

3The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife.

4These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.

5And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel:

6Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,

7And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

8And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.

9These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.

10And Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,

11Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,

12Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,

13Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,

14Amon his son, Josiah his son.

15And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.

16And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.

17And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son,

18Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

19And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister:

20And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed, five.

21And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah.

22And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah; and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.

23And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three.

24And the sons of Elioenai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Dalaiah, and Anani, seven.

1Now these were the sons of David, that were born unto him in Hebron: the first-born, Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess;

2the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;

3the fifth, Shephatiah of Abital; the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife:

4six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years;

5and these were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel;

6and Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,

7and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

8and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.

9All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister.

10And Solomon`s son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,

11Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,

12Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,

13Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,

14Amon his son, Josiah his son.

15And the sons of Josiah: the first-born Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.

16And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.

17And the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son,

18and Malchiram, and Pedaiah, and Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

19And the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel, and Shimei. And the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, and Hananiah; and Shelomith was their sister;

20and Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed, five.

21And the sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah, and Jeshaiah; the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shecaniah.

22And the sons of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. And the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, and Igal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.

23And the sons of Neariah: Elioenai, and Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three.

24And the sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Delaiah, and Anani, seven.

1These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel; the second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel;

2the third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;the fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith;

3the fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital;the sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David’s wife.

4These six were born to David in Hebron, where he ruled for seven years and six months.He ruled thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

5These were the sons born to him in Jerusalem:Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon—the mother of these four was Bathsheba the daughter of Ammiel.

6The other nine were Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

7Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

8Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

9These were all the sons of David, not counting the sons of his concubines. Tamar was their sister.

10Solomon’s son was Rehoboam,followed by Abijah his son,Asa his son,Jehoshaphat his son,

11Joram his son,Ahaziah his son,Joash his son,

12Amaziah his son,Azariah his son,Jotham his son,

13Ahaz his son,Hezekiah his son,Manasseh his son,

14Amon his son,Josiah his son.

15The sons of Josiah: Johanan was the firstborn; Jehoiakim was born second; Zedekiah third, and Shallum fourth.

16The sons of Jehoiakim: his son Jehoiachin and his son Zedekiah.

17The sons of Jehoiachin the exile: Shealtiel his son,

18Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

19The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei.The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister.

20The five others were Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab Hesed.

21The descendants of Hananiah: Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah, and of Shecaniah.

22The descendants of Shecaniah: Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all.

23The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam—three in all.

24The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.

1Now these were the sons of David, who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess;

2the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;

3the fifth, Shephatiah of Abital; the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife:

4six were born to him in Hebron; and he reigned there seven years and six months. He reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem;

5and these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel;

6and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet,

7Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

8Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.

9All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister.

10Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,

11Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,

12Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,

13Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,

14Amon his son, and Josiah his son.

15The sons of Josiah: the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum.

16The sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, and Zedekiah his son.

17The sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son,

18Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

19The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah; and Shelomith was their sister;

20and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab Hesed, five.

21The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah; the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shecaniah.

22The son of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six.

23The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three.

24The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven.

Summary

Authorship & Background

Map & Geography

Commentary

Videos

Articles

Reflection

Summary

The chapter lists David's sons born in Hebron, including Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah, along with the length of his reigns there and in Jerusalem (vv. 1-4), then names his Jerusalem-born sons, including Solomon (vv. 5-9). The royal line is then traced in unbroken succession from Solomon through Rehoboam, Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah (vv. 10-14), whose own sons include Jehoiakim and Zedekiah (v. 15). The chapter closes by following the line through the exile to Jeconiah and Zerubbabel (vv. 17-19) and on through several more post-exilic generations (vv. 20-24), preserving the Davidic, messianic line even after the monarchy's collapse.

Authorship & Background

Author: Traditionally attributed to Ezra the scribe. Originally one book with 2 Chronicles. Written post-exile (approximately 450-400 BC) for the returned remnant. The Chronicler retells Israel's history from a priestly/worship perspective, emphasizing the Davidic covenant, Temple worship, and God's faithfulness.

Historical Context: Chapter 3 is the heart of the Chronicler's genealogical project — the royal line of David from his sons through the kings of Judah to the post-exilic descendants. This chapter answers the critical question for the returned exiles: "Does the house of David still exist?" The answer is a resounding yes. The line is traced through Solomon and the kings of Judah (vv.10-16), through the exile (v.17 — "Jeconiah, the captive"), and into the post-exilic period (vv.17-24). This is a chapter of messianic hope: despite exile, despite Jeconiah's curse (Jeremiah 22:30), the Davidic line survived and continued. The chapter divides into three sections: David's sons born in Hebron (vv.1-4a) and Jerusalem (vv.4b-9), the kings of Judah from Solomon to exile (vv.10-16), and the post-exilic descendants of David (vv.17-24). The first section shows David's growing house — political marriages (Maacah, daughter of a Geshurite king) alongside personal unions. The second section is the royal succession from Solomon through 21 kings to the exile. The third section — often overlooked — is the most theologically significant for the original audience: it proves that David's house survived Babylon. Zerubbabel, who led the return (Ezra 3:2), appears in verse 19 as a descendant of David. The line did not end. Hope lives.

Classification: Historical Narrative — Genealogy

Key Themes: David's sons divided by birthplace, Hebron and Jerusalem, with nothing recorded about what any of them did, fourteen reigns from Solomon to Josiah listed with no distinction made between the worst kings and the best, four sons of Josiah named in one place found nowhere else in scripture, Jeconiah labelled the captive as the throne effectively ends, and a line continued six generations past Zerubbabel to prove a documented heir survives even without a throne

The Sons of David (vv.1-9): The royal children are divided by where they were born, six at Hebron by six named mothers, and then the sons born at Jerusalem. Bathsheba is named as Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel, and Solomon is fourth in her list of four. The Chronicler adds a summary count and one clause that keeps the record honest, these were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister. Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah are all in this list and nothing about what they did is recorded here.

Solomon to Josiah (vv.10-14): The line of kings, and it is five verses of names with nothing else attached. Fourteen reigns, some of them the worst in Judah's history and some the best, and the register makes no distinction between them at all. Azariah appears where other books use Uzziah. What the list is doing is proving continuity: one unbroken succession from the temple builder to the last good king before the collapse.

Josiah to the Captivity (vv.15-16): Two verses covering the years the throne changed hands four times under Egyptian and then Babylonian pressure. Josiah's four sons are named, which no other book does in one place, and then Jeconiah. The register runs straight through the end of the kingdom without marking it, and the reader is left to notice that the names simply continue.

The Line of Jeconiah After the Exile (vv.17-24): Eight verses that only exist because the Chronicler is writing long after the throne is gone. Jeconiah is labelled Assir, the captive. Then Zerubbabel, who rebuilt the temple in Ezra, appears here as a name in a family list. The line continues for six more generations past him, ending with names that appear nowhere else in scripture. That is the point of the whole chapter: the house of David has no throne and still has a documented heir.

Map & Geography

Largely parallels 1-2 Samuel geographically. Jerusalem (Zion/City of David) is the theological and political center.
Key sites: Hebron (David's first capital, 7 years), the threshing floor of Ornan/Araunah (future Temple site, ch.21).
Chapters 1-9 (genealogies) contain tribal allotments but minimal narrative geography.

Places on this map

JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
HebronHebron, West BankThe highest town in the Judean hills at about 3,000 feet, 19 miles south of Jerusalem. Abraham bought a burial cave here, and David reigned from it for seven years before moving north, so it carries both the patriarchal and the royal claim to the land. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes the tension between Jeremiah's curse on Jeconiah and the continuation of the Davidic line. He emphasizes that the Chronicler's inclusion of post-exilic descendants (vv.17-24) was an act of theological hope — declaring that God's promise to David survived even the catastrophe of exile. The line endured, and hope for a future king remained alive.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

1 Chronicles 3 Explained: 5 Minute Bible Study
2BeLikeChrist

1 Chronicles 1:1-9:34 | The Priesthood at the Center | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Articles

GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 1 Chronicles -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

Grace That Covers, Not Just Records (v.5) — Bathsheba is listed here simply as David's wife and the mother of four sons, with no mention of the adultery that began their story. If God's grace lets a forgiven past be truly past, are you still holding yourself to an old verdict He's already overturned?
A Line Sustained Through Good Kings and Bad (vv.10-16) — Solomon's descendants range from faithful reformers to some of Judah's worst kings, yet the royal line holds together all the way to the exile. Can you trust God to keep His promises through a family, a church, or a season that looks far from faithful?
Hope Inside a Prison Cell (v.17) — Jeconiah is named here as "the captive," yet he still has sons recorded after his name. What feels like a dead end in your life right now that God might actually be using to prepare something for later?
The Promise Outlives the Exile (v.19) — Zerubbabel, the very man who led the return and rebuilt the Temple, appears here as David's own descendant. Where do you need proof, the way this verse offered it to the exiles, that God's covenant promises to you survive even your worst seasons?