18 Hezron's son Caleb had sons by his wife, Azubah, and by Jerioth. Jerioth's sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who gave birth to Hur. 20 Hur fathered Uri, and Uri's son was Bezalel.
21 After that Hezron married the daughter of Machir (the father of Gilead) when he was 60 years old. She gave birth to Segub. 22 Segub fathered Jair, who had 23 cities in the land of Gilead. 23 But Geshur and Aram conquered the 23 cities of Jair and the villages of Kenath—60 cities total. The conquerors were the sons of Machir (the father of Gilead). 24 After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah (Hezron's wife) gave birth to Ashhur, the leader of Tekoa.
25 Jerahmeel (the firstborn of Hezron) had five sons: Ram (the firstborn), Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife, Atarah, who gave birth to Onam. 27 Ram fathered Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. 28 Onam fathered Shammai and Jada. Shammai's sons were Nadab and Abishur. 29 Abishur's wife was Abihail, and she gave birth to Ahban and Molid. 30 Nadab's sons were Seled and Appaim. Seled died without sons, 31 but Appaim fathered Ishi. The son of Ishi was Sheshan, who fathered Ahlai. 32 Shammai's brother, Jada, fathered Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without sons, but 33 Jonathan fathered Peleth and Zaza. They were the generation of Jerahmeel. 34 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, and he had a servant named Jarha, who was Egyptian.
Although many of the Jews' female ancestors are influential in the development of the nation of Israel—women such as Rahab, Jael, and Deborah who perform feats even men are too faint of heart to accomplish—the men are the ones who build wealth and power over the generations. Because of the way inheritances work, only a son can continue his family's lineage. When a father dies, his property is divided among his sons, with the first son inheriting a double portion of the assets. Daughters are typically married off and take on the identities of their husbands' families; so when a man dies without any sons, his family line ends and his assets are disbursed to the nearest male relatives.
35 Sheshan married one daughter to Jarha (his Egyptian servant), and she gave birth to Attai. 36 Attai fathered Nathan, and here are the 11 generations that descended from Nathan: Zabad, 37 Ephlal, Obed, 38 Jehu, Azariah, 39 Helez, Eleasah, 40 Sismai, Shallum, 41 Jekamiah, and Elishama.
42 Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel and son of Hezron, fathered Mesha (his firstborn and the father of Ziph) and Mareshah (the father of Hebron). 43 Hebron fathered Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. 44 Shema's son, Raham, fathered Jorkeam, and his brother Rekem fathered Shammai. 45 The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon fathered Bethzur. 46 Ephah (Caleb's concubine) gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran fathered Gazez. 47 The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. 48 Maacah (another of Caleb's concubines) bore Sheber, Tirhanah, 49 Shaaph (the father of Madmannah), Sheva (the father of Machbena and Gibea), and a daughter, Achsah.
50 These were the generations of Caleb through Hur (the firstborn of Caleb's second wife Ephrathah) were Shobal (the father of Kiriath-jearim), 51 Salma (the father of Bethlehem), and Hareph (the father of Beth-gader). 52 Shobal, the father of Kiriath-jearim governed Haroeh (half of the Manahathites) 53 and the families of Kiriath-jearim (the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites). From these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. 54 Salma governed Bethlehem and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, and the Zorites (half of the Manahathites). 55 Families of scribes lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. Those are the Kenites who came from Hammath (the father of Rechab).
The tradition of firstborn rights in inheritance and genealogy is often the norm in the ancient world, but God sees fit to rearrange customs and alter expectations. In such an important listing of Israel like the book of Chronicles—which marks out in detail the Israelite people all the way to Adam—Jacob's firstborn Reuben is not mentioned until the third spot! The genealogy starts in chapter 4 with Judah and then moves to Simeon, Reuben, Gad, Manasseh, and Levi.
The prominence of David from Judah's line goes back to the Genesis stories that told of how Reuben, Simeon, and Levi all committed horrible sins that removed them from royal contention and headship over their brothers, who would later become twelve tribal groups. In a way, everything in Chronicles (from ancestry lists to temple building) is set around King David from Judah and his lineage up to the Babylonian exile, which concludes the book of Chronicles.
3 The great king David fathered 6 sons during his 7½ years reigning in Hebron. Ahinoam the Jezreelitess gave birth to his first son, Amnon. Abigail the Carmelitess birthed his second son, Daniel. 2 Maacah, the daughter of Talmai (king of Geshur) bore his third son, Absalom. His fourth son, Adonijah, was born to Haggith. 3 Abital bore his fifth son, Shephatiah. Ithream was his sixth son, and was born to his wife, Eglah.
4 These were the 6 sons born to him in Hebron during his 7½-year reign there. David then ruled from Jerusalem for 33 years. 5 There, Bath-shua (the daughter of Ammiel) gave him 4 sons: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon; 6-8 and 9 other sons also were born there: Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. 9 These were David's sons, in addition to their sister, Tamar, and his concubines' children.
10 David's son and successor, Solomon, had 15 generations of descendants: Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, 11 Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, 12 Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, 13 Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, 14 Amon, and Josiah.
15 Josiah's sons were, in order from the firstborn to the last: Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Shallum. 16 The sons of Jehoiakim were Jeconiah and Zedekiah. 17 The sons of Jeconiah (who was taken prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar) were Shealtiel, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. 19 The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. Zerubbabel fathered Meshullam and Hananiah, and their sister, Shelomith. 20 He had five other children, Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed. 21 Hananiah fathered Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shecaniah. 22 Shecaniah had six descendants: his son Shemaiah, and his grandsons Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat. 23 Neariah fathered three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam. 24 Elioenai fathered seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.
Each tribe is influential in the nation of Israel and has the honor of being descended from the Jews' ancestor Jacob, but the tribe of Judah has prominence and power. From this tribe comes Israel's monarchy, even though their forefather Judah was not the oldest son and therefore not the one who would have been expected to father kings. The selection of Judah as the progenitor of kings demonstrates that God is in control of His people even when tradition and convention are contrary to His ways.
4 Judah's lineage descended as so: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2 Shobal fathered Reaiah (the father of Jahath and grandfather of Ahumai and Lahad). They were the families of the Zorathites. 3 Etam fathered three sons, Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and their sister, Hazzelelponi. 4 Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, who was the firstborn of Ephrathah, who fathered Bethlehem.
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