1 Chronicles — Chapter 7

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1The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four in all.

2The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, the heads of their families. In the days of David, 22,600 descendants of Tola were numbered in their genealogies as mighty men of valor.

3The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs.

4In addition to them, according to their genealogy, they had 36,000 troops for battle, for they had many wives and children.

5Their kinsmen belonging to all the families of Issachar who were mighty men of valor totaled 87,000, as listed in their genealogies.

6The three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

7The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, heads of their families—five in all. There were 22,034 mighty men of valor listed in their genealogies.

8The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth; all these were Becher’s sons.

9Their genealogies were recorded according to the heads of their families—20,200 mighty men of valor.

10The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

11All these sons of Jediael were heads of their families, mighty men of valor; there were 17,200 fit for battle.

12The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher.

13The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum—the descendants of Bilhah.

14The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel through his Aramean concubine. She also gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead.

15Machir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. The name of his sister was Maacah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters.

16Machir’s wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and she named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.

17The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

18His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

19And these were the sons of Shemida: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

20The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,

21Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the natives of Gath, because they went down to steal their livestock.

22Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

23And 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.

24His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon, as well as Uzzen-sheerah.

25Additionally, Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son,

26Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

27Nun his son, and Joshua his son.

28Their holdings and settlements included Bethel and its villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages as far as Ayyah and its villages.

29And along the borders of Manasseh were Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

30The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

31The sons of Beriah: Heber, as well as Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

32Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, and of their sister Shua.

33The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet’s sons.

34The sons of Shemer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.

35The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

36The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

37Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

38The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

39The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

40All 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.

1Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimrom, four.

2And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father’s house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.

3And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.

4And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.

5And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.

6The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.

7And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.

8And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.

9And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of the fathers, mighty men of valour, was twenty thousand and two hundred.

10The sons also of Jediael; Bilhan: and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.

11All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.

12Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim, the sons of Aher.

13The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

14The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:

15And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.

16And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

17And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

18And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.

19And the sons of Shemidah were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.

20And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,

21And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

22And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.

23And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.

24(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)

25And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,

26Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

27Non his son, Jehoshuah his son.

28And their possessions and habitations were, Bethel and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:

29And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth-shean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.

30The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.

31And the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzavith.

32And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.

33And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.

34And the sons of Shamer; Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

35And the sons of his brother Helem; Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.

36The sons of Zophah; Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,

37Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.

38And the sons of Jether; Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.

39And the sons of Ulla; Arah, and Haniel, and Rezia.

40All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men.

1And of the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.

2And the sons of Tola: Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers` houses, [to wit], of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations: their number in the days of David was two and twenty thousand and six hundred.

3And the sons of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Isshiah, five; all of them chief men.

4And with them, by their generations, after their fathers` houses, were bands of the host for war, six and thirty thousand; for they had many wives and sons.

5And their brethren among all the families of Issachar, mighty men of valor, reckoned in all by genealogy, were fourscore and seven thousand.

6[The sons of] Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.

7And the sons of Bela: Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of fathers` houses, mighty men of valor; and they were reckoned by genealogy twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.

8And the sons of Becher: Zemirah, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jeremoth, and Abijah, and Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher.

9And they were reckoned by genealogy, after their generations, heads of their fathers` houses, mighty men of valor, twenty thousand and two hundred.

10And the sons of Jediael: Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan: Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

11All these were sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers` [houses], mighty men of valor, seventeen thousand and two hundred, that were able to go forth in the host for war.

12Shuppim also, and Huppim, the sons of Ir, Hushim, the sons of Aher.

13The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

14The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bare: she bare Machir the father of Gilead:

15and Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister`s name was Maacah; and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.

16And Maacah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

17And the sons of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

18And his sister Hammolecheth bare Ishhod, and Abiezer, and Mahlah.

19And the sons of Shemida were Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.

20And the sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eleadah his son, and Tahath his son,

21and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in the land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

22And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.

23And he went in to his wife, and she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.

24And his daughter was Sheerah, who built Beth-horon the nether and the upper, and Uzzen-sheerah.

25And Rephah was his son, and Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,

26Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

27Nun his son, Joshua his son.

28And their possessions and habitations were Beth-el and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Azzah and the towns thereof;

29and by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth-shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.

30The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.

31And the sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

32And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.

33And the sons of Japhlet: Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.

34And the sons of Shemer: Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

35And the sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.

36The sons of Zophah: Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,

37Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.

38And the sons of Jether: Jephunneh, and Pispa, and Ara.

39And the sons of Ulla: Arah, and Hanniel, and Rizia.

40All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers` houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number of them reckoned by genealogy for service in war was twenty and six thousand men.

1The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four in all.

2The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Samuel. They were leaders of their families. In the time of David there were 22,600 warriors listed in Tola’s genealogical records.

3The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah.The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five were leaders.

4According to the genealogical records of their families, they had 36,000 warriors available for battle, for they had numerous wives and sons.

5Altogether the genealogical records of the clans of Issachar listed 87,000 warriors.

6The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, and Jediael—three in all.

7The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. The five of them were leaders of their families. There were 22,034 warriors listed in their genealogical records.

8The sons of Beker: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Beker.

9There were 20,200 family leaders and warriors listed in their genealogical records.

10The son of Jediael: Bilhan.The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

11All these were the sons of Jediael. There were 17,200 family leaders and warriors who were capable of marching out to battle.

12The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir; the Hushites were descendants of Aher.

13The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum—sons of Bilhah.

14The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, who was born to Manasseh’s Aramean concubine. She also gave birth to Makir the father of Gilead.

15Now Makir married a wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. (His sister’s name was Maacah.)Zelophehad was Manasseh’s second son; he had only daughters.

16Maacah, Makir’s wife, gave birth to a son, whom she named Peresh. His brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.

17The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh.

18His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

19The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

20The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, his son Bered, his son Tahath, his son Eleadah, his son Tahath,

21his son Zabad, his son Shuthelah (Ezer and Elead were killed by the men of Gath, who were natives of the land, when they went down to steal their cattle.

22Their father Ephraim mourned for them many days and his brothers came to console him.

23He slept with his wife; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ephraim named him Beriah because tragedy had come to his family.

24His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon, as well as Uzzen Sheerah),

25his son Rephah, his son Resheph, his son Telah, his son Tahan,

26his son Ladan, his son Ammihud, his son Elishama,

27his son Nun, and his son Joshua.

28Their property and settlements included Bethel and its surrounding towns, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its surrounding towns to the west, and Shechem and its surrounding towns as far as Ayyah and its surrounding towns.

29On the border of Manasseh’s territory were Beth Shean and its surrounding towns, Taanach and its surrounding towns, Megiddo and its surrounding towns, and Dor and its surrounding towns. The descendants of Joseph, Israel’s son, lived here.

30The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Serah was their sister.

31The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

32Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.

33The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet’s sons.

34The sons of his brother Shemer: Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.

35The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

36The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

37Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

38The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara.

39The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

40All these were the descendants of Asher. They were the leaders of their families, the most capable men, who were warriors and served as head chiefs. There were 26,000 warriors listed in their genealogical records as capable of doing battle.

1Of the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.

2The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers’ houses, of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations. Their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.

3The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, five; all of them chief men.

4With them, by their generations, after their fathers’ houses, were bands of the army for war, thirty-six thousand; for they had many wives and sons.

5Their brothers among all the families of Issachar, mighty men of valor, listed in all by genealogy, were eighty-seven thousand.

6The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three.

7The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor; and they were listed by genealogy twenty-two thousand thirty-four.

8The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher.

9They were listed by genealogy, after their generations, heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty men of valor, twenty thousand two hundred.

10The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

11All these were sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers’ households, mighty men of valor, seventeen thousand two hundred, who were able to go out in the army for war.

12So were Shuppim, Huppim, the sons of Ir, Hushim, and the sons of Aher.

13The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, Shallum, and the sons of Bilhah.

14The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bore. She bore Machir the father of Gilead.

15Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah. The name of the second was Zelophehad; and Zelophehad had daughters.

16Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she named him Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

17The sons of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

18His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

19The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

20The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,

21Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock.

22Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him.

23He went in to his wife, and she conceived, and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because there was trouble with his house.

24His daughter was Sheerah, who built Beth Horon the lower and the upper, and Uzzen Sheerah.

25Rephah was his son, and Resheph, and Telah his son, Tahan his son,

26Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

27Nun his son, and Joshua his son.

28Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with its towns; Shechem also and its towns, to Azzah and its towns;

29and by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth Shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, and Dor and its towns. The children of Joseph the son of Israel lived in these.

30The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Serah was their sister.

31The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

32Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.

33The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.

34The sons of Shemer: Ahi, Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

35The sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

36The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

37Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

38The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

39The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

40All these were the children of Asher, heads of the fathers’ houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. The number of them listed by genealogy for service in war was twenty-six thousand men.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

The chapter surveys several of Israel's less-prominent tribes: Issachar's clans and their large fighting force (vv. 1-5), Benjamin's descendants and their mighty warriors (vv. 6-11), and a brief notice of Naphtali (v. 13). Manasseh's genealogy through Machir and Gilead includes Zelophehad's daughters (vv. 14-19), while Ephraim's line records the deaths of two sons killed by raiders from Gath, Ephraim's mourning, and the birth of Beriah in the aftermath, along with his daughter Sherah who built several towns (vv. 20-24). The chapter ends with Asher's descendants and fighting men, numbering 26,000 (vv. 30-40), rounding out the military strength of the tribes settled across the land.

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 7 covers the remaining northern tribes: Issachar (vv.1-5), Benjamin (vv.6-12), Naphtali (v.13), Manasseh (vv.14-19), Ephraim (vv.20-29), and Asher (vv.30-40). The treatment is notably uneven — some tribes get extensive genealogies while Naphtali receives only one verse. Dan and Zebulun are omitted entirely (though some scholars see Dan in the obscure "Aher" of v.12). This unevenness likely reflects the available records: the northern tribes were destroyed by Assyria in 722 BC, and many genealogical records were lost.
Classification: Historical Narrative — Genealogy
Key Themes: A chapter whose attention swings unevenly from one tribe to the next, Naphtali given a single verse while others receive whole genealogies, muster numbers embedded directly into a family tree as though compiling an army roster alongside a lineage, sons slain at Gath in a raid gone wrong recorded nowhere else, a child named Beriah because it went evil with his house, and eleven verses standing as the entire record Chronicles keeps of Asher
Issachar and Benjamin (vv.1-12): Two tribes handled briskly, and both entries are military. Issachar's men are counted as valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand. Benjamin's are given the same treatment with archers specified. The Chronicler is compiling a muster roll as much as a family tree, which is why the numbers appear where a genealogy would not usually carry them.
Naphtali and Manasseh (vv.13-19): Naphtali gets one verse, which is the shortest entry for any tribe in the book. Manasseh's is longer and less tidy, with a concubine named, an Aramean wife, and a daughter Hammoleketh recorded in her own right. The register keeps the irregularities rather than smoothing them, because its purpose is to establish descent and an awkward line is still a line.
Ephraim, and the Sons Slain at Gath (vv.20-29): The register stops in the middle of Ephraim's list to tell a story it tells nowhere else. His sons were slain by the men of Gath, because they came down to take away their cattle, and Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him. Then he had a son and called him Beriah, because it went evil with his house. A raid that went wrong, a funeral, and a child named after the grief. The section then continues into Joshua's line and the towns Ephraim held, Bethel, Gezer, Shechem.
The Sons of Asher (vv.30-40): Asher closes the chapter and the entry is conventional: sons, grandsons, and a count of twenty-six thousand men apt to the war. The description used of them is choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. Nothing else about the tribe is recorded anywhere in Chronicles, so these eleven verses are the whole of what the book has to say about it.

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 Chronicler's challenge: many northern tribal records were lost after the Assyrian conquest. What remains is fragmentary but precious — these are the last records of tribes that largely disappeared from history. He highlights the Sherah note (v.24) as evidence that women's accomplishments were valued and preserved in Israel's records.
  • 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 7 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

  • A Sparse Record Doesn't Mean a Small Life (v.13) — Naphtali receives only a single verse, its fuller history lost to time. Do you measure your significance by how much gets noticed and recorded, or by what God actually knows about your life?
  • New Life Born Out of Grief (vv.21-23) — Ephraim mourns sons killed in a raid, and out of that grief comes a new son, Beriah, whose name means "in trouble." If you're in a season of loss right now, can you trust that God isn't finished writing what comes next?
  • A Woman's Work Remembered by Name (v.24) — In a genealogy dominated by warriors and warrior counts, Sherah is singled out for building cities. Does it change how you view your own overlooked contributions, knowing God records what others might not notice?
  • Faithfulness Building Toward a Future You Won't See (v.27) — This line of largely unremarkable names quietly leads, generation by generation, to Joshua, the conqueror of the promised land. What are you faithfully building now that might only bear fruit long after you're gone?