I Chronicles 1-2     Listen

What you need to know about Chronicles

The history contained in I and II Chronicles spans a period from Adam all the way down to around 500 B.C. It is therefore obvious that the author (perhaps Ezra) intended to recap Jewish history in one book for the sake of the exiles returning to Israel in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. When they returned back to their land after their forced retention in Babylon, they needed to know as much as possible about their roots. It appears that Chronicles (originally just one book) was written to that end. The first nine chapters of I Chronicles give a recap of genealogies. The presentation here is not dramatic or entertaining, but rather provides a concise record of Israel's history for the exiles. In the KJV, there are some spelling differences between here and other books of the Bible where certain of the names are referenced. Those are more standardized in the NKJV.

The whole Book of Genesis in one chapter...genealogically speaking (1:1-54)

From Adam to Jacob and Esau

1 ¶ Adam, Seth, Enosh,
2 Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared,
3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
5 ¶ The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
6 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah.
7 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshishah, Kittim, and Rodanim.
8 ¶ The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
9 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan.
10 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
11 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim).
13 Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth;
14 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite;
15 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite;
16 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
17 ¶ The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
18 Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.
19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.
20 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
22 Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,
23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
24 ¶ Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
25 Eber, Peleg, Reu,
26 Serug, Nahor, Terah,
27 and Abram, who is Abraham.
28 The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
29 ¶ These are their genealogies: The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,
31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
32 ¶ Now the sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan.
33 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
34 ¶ And Abraham begot Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.

Esau's descendants

35 The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.
36 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek.
37 The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
38 ¶ The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
39 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; Lotan’s sister was Timna.
40 The sons of Shobal were Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Ajah and Anah.
41 The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
42 The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.
43 ¶ Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
44 And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.
45 When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
46 And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith.
47 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
48 And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth–by–the–River reigned in his place.
49 When Saul died, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
50 And when Baal-hanan died, Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pai. His wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
51 Hadad died also. And the chiefs of Edom were Chief Timnah, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth,
52 Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,
53 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,
54 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

I know it's not captivating reading (unless you love to read genealogies), but chapter 1 encompasses the significant people in the Book of Genesis. Up through verse 34 we have the ancestors of the 12 Tribes of Israel (aka Jacob) and his brother, Esau. The remainder of chapter 1 (verses 35-54) gives us the descendants of Esau's people who became the Edomites. At the beginning of chapter 2 we resume with Israel once again.

More genealogies - chapter 2 leads on up to David (2:1-55)

The twelve sons of Jacob (Israel)

1 These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

From Judah to David

3 ¶ The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He killed him.
4 And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
5 ¶ The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
6 The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara—five of them in all.
7 ¶ The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the accursed thing.
8 ¶ The son of Ethan was Azariah.
9 ¶ Also the sons of Hezron who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.
10 Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, leader of the children of Judah;
11 Nahshon begot Salma, and Salma begot Boaz;
12 Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse;
13 Jesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third,
14 Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,
15 Ozem the sixth, and David the seventh.

David's sisters and nephews

16 ¶ Now their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three.
17 Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

Some miscellaneous lines from Judah's grandson, Hezron

18 ¶ Caleb the son of Hezron had children by Azubah, his wife, and by Jerioth. Now these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.
19 When Azubah died, Caleb took Ephrath as his wife, who bore him Hur.
20 And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezalel.
21 ¶ Now afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub.
22 Segub begot Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.
23 (Geshur and Syria took from them the towns of Jair, with Kenath and its towns—sixty towns.) All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24 After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Hezron’s wife Abijah bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
25 ¶ The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, were Ram, the firstborn, and Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.
26 Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.
27 The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28 The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur.
29 ¶ And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid.
30 The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim; Seled died without children.
31 The son of Appaim was Ishi, the son of Ishi was Sheshan, and Sheshan’s son was Ahlai.
32 The sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, were Jether and Jonathan; Jether died without children.
33 The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
34 ¶ Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha.
35 Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as wife, and she bore him Attai.
36 Attai begot Nathan, and Nathan begot Zabad;
37 Zabad begot Ephlal, and Ephlal begot Obed;
38 Obed begot Jehu, and Jehu begot Azariah;
39 Azariah begot Helez, and Helez begot Eleasah;
40 Eleasah begot Sismai, and Sismai begot Shallum;
41 Shallum begot Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begot Elishama.
42 ¶ The descendants of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha, his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.
43 The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
44 Shema begot Raham the father of Jorkoam, and Rekem begot Shammai.
45 And the son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
46 ¶ Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran begot Gazez.
47 And the sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48 ¶ Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah.
49 She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.
50 ¶ These were the descendants of Caleb: The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim,
51 Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.
52 ¶ And Shobal the father of Kirjath Jearim had descendants: Haroeh, and half of the families of Manuhoth.
53 The families of Kirjath Jearim were the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.
54 ¶ The sons of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites.
55 ¶ And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Now the Chronicles account concentrates on the history that specifically concerns Israel in chapter 2, as the genealogies for the 12 Tribes of Israel are listed. We begin with King David's ancestry from Jacob's son, Judah, through David in verses 1-15. David is listed as the seventh son of Jesse in verse 15, but according to I Samuel 16:10-11 (see notes), Jesse had eight sons. One must have died in childhood and, therefore, is not listed. There's David's Dad, Jesse in verse 13. Boaz and Ruth were his grandparents, and she wasn't even Jewish - a Moabitess of all things! In verse 16 we notice that David's military commander, Joab, was his sister's son (aka David's nephew). Later on, David appointed his other sister's son, Amasa (verse 17) to the position as a political compromise to take Joab's place in II Samuel 19:9-15 (see notes). Ironically, Amasa had been loyal to Absalom, David's son, in the attempted hijacking of David's throne. However, Amasa doesn't last very long in his new position before Joab disposes of cousin Amasa and again retains his position as military commander in II Samuel 20:4-12 (see notes).

For the balance of the chapter we follow some lines in which we're not particularly interested, but the returning exiles in the sixth and fifth centuries were. We pick David's lineage back up at the beginning of chapter 3.