1 Chronicles 3:1-24
David's Line
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.
Berean Standard Bible
David's sons born in Hebron are listed first, followed by the sons born in Jerusalem. The record names the royal family through Solomon and then traces the kings and descendants who came after him. It is a genealogy, but it also preserves the line through which Israel's throne continued.
The names include children born to different mothers and descendants whose lives are not narrated. David's household was not a simple picture of harmony. Power, marriage, succession, and grief are all present beneath the orderly list.
After the kings, the genealogy moves through Jeconiah's descendants and the family of Shealtiel and Zerubbabel. The line continues through exile and beyond it. The return from Babylon did not make the people who came home strangers to their earlier history.
The closing names reach into later generations. The list does not promise that every descendant will lead well, but it shows that God's covenant story was not cancelled by the fall of Jerusalem. Memory becomes a form of hope when it keeps a people connected to what God has promised.
Questions
1 Whose descendants are recorded?
AnswerThe record follows David's sons, the kings who came from him, and later descendants connected to the royal line.
2 What happens to the line during exile?
AnswerThe genealogy continues through Jeconiah, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, and later generations instead of ending with Jerusalem's defeat.
3 Does royal ancestry guarantee good leadership?
AnswerNo. The genealogy preserves succession, but it does not claim that every king or descendant was faithful.
4 How can remembering a family line give hope?
AnswerIt can show that judgment and displacement did not erase God's continuing work through the generations.
What This Means for Us
An inheritance is more than a surname or a position. What we receive from the past includes promises, wounds, examples, and responsibilities that must be handled honestly.
Do not confuse a respected family history with personal faithfulness. Receive the good with gratitude, name the harm without denial, and decide what kind of ancestor you want to become.
Prayer
Faithful God, help us receive our inheritance wisely. Give us courage to face family wounds, gratitude for gifts we did not earn, and faithfulness that leaves a better path for those who follow. Amen.