1 Chronicles 2:1-55
The Family of Israel
1These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
3The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death.
4Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.
5The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
6The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara—five in all.
7The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.
8The son of Ethan: Azariah.
9The sons who were born to Hezron: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.
10Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the descendants of Judah.
11Nahshon was the father of Salmon, and Salmon was the father of Boaz.
12Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse.
13Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third,
14Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth,
15Ozem sixth, and David seventh.
16Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
17Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
18Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were the sons of Azubah: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.
19When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore to him Hur.
20Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezalel.
21Later, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead. He had married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore to him Segub.
22Segub was the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.
23But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth-jair, along with Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages. All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gilead.
24After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
25The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron: Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.
26Jerahmeel had another wife named Atarah, who was the mother of Onam.
27The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur.
29Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, and she bore to him Ahban and Molid.
30The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.
31The son of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai.
32The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.
33The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.
34Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. He also had an Egyptian servant named Jarha.
35Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore to him Attai.
36Attai was the father of Nathan, Nathan was the father of Zabad,
37Zabad was the father of Ephlal, Ephlal was the father of Obed,
38Obed was the father of Jehu, Jehu was the father of Azariah,
39Azariah was the father of Helez, Helez was the father of Elasah,
40Elasah was the father of Sismai, Sismai was the father of Shallum,
41Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama.
42The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and Mareshah his second son, who was the father of Hebron.
43The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
44Shema was the father of Raham the father of Jorkeam, and Rekem was the father of Shammai.
45The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.
46Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.
47The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48Caleb’s concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah.
49She was also the mother of Shaaph father of Madmannah, and of Sheva father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Acsah.
50These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim,
51Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader.
52These were the descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim: Haroeh, half the Manahathites,
53and the clans of Kiriath-jearim—the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites.
54The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites,
55and the clans of the scribes who lived at Jabez—the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.
Berean Standard Bible
Israel's twelve sons are named first, and the record then follows Judah's family. The list includes sons, grandsons, kings, craftsmen, and people whose stories are otherwise only briefly known. Judah's line matters because David and the royal house will come from it, but the list is larger than the royal branch.
The genealogy does not hide family sorrow. Er is judged by the LORD, Tamar bears Perez and Zerah through a painful and complicated episode, and Achan is remembered in connection with trouble. The record carries both honor and shame rather than editing the family into a clean legend.
Caleb's descendants, the sons of Hezron, and the families connected to Jair and Bezalel widen the picture. A person may belong to a household through birth, marriage, work, or a place of service. The community's identity is made from many kinds of connection.
Reading names patiently can feel unlike reading a story, yet the list itself makes a claim. God's people are not an idea floating above real households. They have parents, children, losses, trades, and responsibilities, and God does not forget them when the narrative moves on.
Questions
1 Whose family receives the longest attention?
AnswerJudah's family receives extended attention because David and the royal line come through Judah.
2 Does the list hide painful family history?
AnswerNo. It remembers judgment, moral failure, complicated relationships, and family loss alongside honor and leadership.
3 Which kinds of people appear in the record?
AnswerKings, ordinary descendants, craftsmen, clan leaders, and people connected through marriage or service all appear.
4 What does the genealogy say about belonging?
AnswerBelonging involves real households and relationships, not merely an abstract national label or a famous royal line.
What This Means for Us
Families often tell their own history selectively, keeping the impressive names and softening the difficult ones. This record gives us permission to remember truthfully without believing that failure is the only thing a family can pass on.
Make room for the overlooked members of your household and community. A person's value is not measured by whether later generations remember the person's name.
Prayer
LORD, teach us to remember our families with truth and mercy. Heal what has been damaged, honor quiet faithfulness, and keep us from making pride or shame the center of our identity. Amen.