1 Chronicles 7
Introduction
First Chronicles 7 surveys the genealogies of six northern and central tribes: Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher. They receive less space than Judah and Levi in the preceding chapters, yet each entry serves the Chronicler's purpose of showing that all Israel, not Judah alone, belongs to the people of God. The chapter repeatedly notes military numbers, reinforcing the Chronicler's picture of a united people prepared for the service of God and king.
The genealogy of Ephraim (vv. 20-29) breaks the usual pattern with a brief narrative of death, mourning, and renewed life. The account of Ezer and Elead's death at the hands of the men of Gath, Ephraim's grief, and the birth of Beriah appears nowhere else in Scripture. The same genealogy also leads to Joshua son of Nun, a detail that would have carried weight for the post-exilic community. The mention of Sheerah, a woman credited with building cities (v. 24), is likewise unusual. The detailed genealogy of Asher at the end of the chapter suggests that records for that tribe were well preserved.
The Descendants of Issachar (vv. 1-5)
1 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron -- four in all. 2 The 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. 3 The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs. 4 In addition to them, according to their genealogy, they had 36,000 troops for battle, for they had many wives and children. 5 Their kinsmen belonging to all the families of Issachar who were mighty men of valor totaled 87,000, as listed in their genealogies.
1 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron -- four in all. 2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel -- heads of their ancestral houses. By the time of David, the descendants of Tola numbered 22,600, enrolled in their genealogies as mighty warriors. 3 The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah -- all five of them were leaders. 4 Together with them, according to their family records, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and sons. 5 Their relatives throughout all the clans of Issachar, mighty warriors in all, totaled 87,000 enrolled in their genealogies.
Notes
The genealogy of Issachar opens the chapter with a list that partly parallels Genesis 46:13 and Numbers 26:23-25. The Masoretic Text reads פּוּאָה ("Puah"), while Genesis 46:13 has פוּוָה ("Puvah"); the forms are simply variant spellings of the same name. Likewise, "Jashub" appears as "Iob" or "Job" in some manuscripts of Genesis 46:13, and some translations treat these as alternate forms of one name.
The phrase גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל ("mighty men of valor" or "mighty warriors") recurs throughout the chapter and is part of the Chronicler's characteristic vocabulary. It suggests more than physical strength; it can also imply status, capacity, and social standing. The large military totals in this section -- 22,600 for Tola's line and 87,000 for the tribe as a whole -- fit the Chronicler's concern to show that all Israel contributed to the strength of the united kingdom under David.
Verse 3 is slightly puzzling: "all five of them were chiefs," though only four sons of Izrahiah are named. The Hebrew reads רָאשִׁים ("heads" or "chiefs"), and most commentators take the fifth to be Izrahiah himself, counted together with his four sons.
The explanation in v. 4 that these families had 36,000 troops "for they had many wives and sons" is a rare editorial aside in the genealogies. Large households produced larger clans, and larger clans yielded greater military strength. The Chronicler reports the fact without comment.
The Descendants of Benjamin (vv. 6-12)
6 The three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael. 7 The 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. 8 The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth; all these were Becher's sons. 9 Their genealogies were recorded according to the heads of their families -- 20,200 mighty men of valor. 10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All these sons of Jediael were heads of their families, mighty men of valor; there were 17,200 fit for battle. 12 The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher.
6 The sons of Benjamin were three: Bela, Becher, and Jediael. 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri -- heads of their ancestral houses, five in all. Enrolled in their genealogies were 22,034 mighty warriors. 8 The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth -- all these were sons of Becher. 9 Their enrollment by genealogy, according to the heads of their ancestral houses, numbered 20,200 mighty warriors. 10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All these were sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their ancestral houses -- 17,200 mighty warriors ready for military service. 12 The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher.
Notes
The Benjamin genealogy is difficult to reconcile with other biblical lists. Genesis 46:21 names ten sons of Benjamin, Numbers 26:38-41 gives five, and 1 Chronicles 8:1-2 preserves yet another version. The three names here -- Bela, Becher, and Jediael -- overlap only partly with those lists. "Jediael" appears nowhere else in Benjaminite genealogies and may refer to a later clan leader rather than to an original son of the patriarch. Some scholars suggest that "Becher" was drawn in from Ephraimite material (see Numbers 26:35), though the evidence is not decisive.
The name "Ehud" in v. 10 recalls the left-handed judge Ehud son of Gera, who was also a Benjaminite (Judges 3:15). Whether the text means the same figure or simply another man of the same name is unclear, but the association would have been obvious to the Chronicler's audience.
Two of Becher's sons also bear names known as place names. עֲנָתוֹת was the Benjaminite priestly town where Jeremiah was born (Jeremiah 1:1), and עָלֶמֶת (also spelled Almon) was another Benjaminite town (Joshua 21:18). This overlap between clan names and settlement names is common in biblical genealogies.
Verse 12 is especially obscure. The "Shuppites and Huppites" may correspond to "Shupham" and "Hupham" in Numbers 26:39, but "Ir" and "Aher" are otherwise unknown. Some scholars propose that "Aher" ("another") is an oblique reference to Dan, which is otherwise absent from this chapter's survey of the northern tribes. If that is correct, the Chronicler may be alluding to Dan only indirectly, perhaps because of the tribe's association with idolatry (Judges 18:30-31).
The Descendants of Naphtali (v. 13)
13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum -- the descendants of Bilhah.
13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum -- the sons of Bilhah.
Notes
Naphtali receives the briefest treatment of any tribe in the chapter: a single verse listing four sons, with no further descendants, no military figures, and no editorial comment. The list closely matches Genesis 46:24 and Numbers 26:48-49, though "Jahziel" is a variant spelling of "Jahzeel," and some manuscripts read "Shillem" instead of "Shallum."
The note that these are בְּנֵי בִלְהָה ("the sons of Bilhah") is significant because it identifies their mother. Bilhah was Rachel's servant, given to Jacob as a wife when Rachel could not bear children (Genesis 30:3-8). Dan and Naphtali were both her sons. Such maternal references are rare in these genealogies, so the mention ties Naphtali back to the patriarchal narratives in a deliberate way. Dan's absence from this chapter is therefore striking, and some scholars connect that omission with the possible allusion to Dan in v. 12 under the name "Aher."
The Descendants of Manasseh (vv. 14-19)
14 The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel through his Aramean concubine. She also gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead. 15 Machir 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. 16 Machir'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. 17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19 And these were the sons of Shemida: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
14 The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore. She also bore Machir the father of Gilead. 15 Machir took a wife for Huppim and for Shuppim. The name of his sister was Maacah. The name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had only daughters. 16 Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son and named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem. 17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, son of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19 The sons of Shemida: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
Notes
The genealogy of Manasseh is compressed and difficult in places, partly because the Hebrew syntax is ambiguous. Verse 14 says that Manasseh's Aramean concubine bore Asriel and Machir. The mention of an אֲרַמִּיָּה ("Aramean") concubine suggests intermarriage with Aramean populations. That detail also fits the geography of the half-tribe of Manasseh, which settled east of the Jordan near Aramean territory.
Machir is called אֲבִי גִלְעָד ("the father of Gilead"), a phrase that probably carries both genealogical and geographical force. Machir was not only an ancestor but also the forefather of the clans settled in the region of Gilead east of the Jordan (Numbers 32:39-40).
The brief mention of Zelophehad in v. 15, who "had only daughters," points back to an important legal episode in the Torah. When Zelophehad died without sons, his five daughters -- Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah -- appealed to Moses for the right to inherit their father's land (Numbers 27:1-11). God ruled in their favor, establishing that daughters could inherit in the absence of sons. Numbers 36:1-12 later adds the requirement that such daughters marry within their own tribe. The Chronicler's brief note assumes that the reader knows the story.
The name הַמּוֹלֶכֶת in v. 18 is unusual. It seems to mean "the queen" or "the reigning one," which makes it an arresting personal name in a genealogy of this kind. Whether it was a proper name or a title is uncertain.
Abiezer in v. 18 is also significant, since the clan of Abiezer in Manasseh was Gideon's clan (Judges 6:11). The connection would not have been lost on the Chronicler's readers.
The Descendants of Ephraim (vv. 20-29)
20 The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son. Ezer and Elead were killed by the natives of Gath, because they went down to steal their livestock. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 And 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. 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon, as well as Uzzen-sheerah.
25 Additionally, Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Nun his son, and Joshua his son.
28 Their 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. 29 And 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.
20 The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son. Now Ezer and Elead were killed by the men of Gath who had been born in the land, because they had gone down to seize their livestock. 22 Ephraim their father mourned for many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. 23 Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Beriah, because misfortune had befallen his house. 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and also Uzzen-sheerah.
25 Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 Nun his son, and Joshua his son.
28 Their possessions and settlements were 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. 29 Along the border of the Manassites were Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, with their surrounding towns. In these lived the descendants of Joseph son of Israel.
Notes
This section breaks the genealogical pattern with a narrative of loss, grief, and renewal found nowhere else in Scripture. The death of Ezer and Elead at the hands of the men of Gath (v. 21) creates a chronological difficulty. If Ephraim himself mourned them (v. 22), then the story belongs to the period when Israel was still in Egypt, and the "men of Gath who had been born in the land" would be native inhabitants of Canaan. On that reading, some Ephraimites made a premature raid into the land and were killed. Jewish tradition, especially in the Targum and later midrash, often understands the episode this way and treats it as a warning against running ahead of God's appointed time.
The wordplay in v. 23 is central to the passage. The name בְּרִיעָה is linked to the phrase בְּרָעָה ("in misfortune" or "in calamity"). The sound resemblance explains the name: Ephraim called his son "Beriah" because disaster had come upon his house. This is a clear instance of Hebrew name-giving shaped by circumstance. The strict linguistic derivation of the name is debated, but the Chronicler's concern is the literary and theological point, not technical etymology.
Verse 24 preserves an unusual notice in biblical genealogy: Sheerah, Ephraim's daughter, וַתִּבֶן ("built") Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. When used of cities, בָּנָה ("to build") normally refers to founding, rebuilding, or fortifying. Beth-horon was a strategic site controlling the ascent from the coastal plain into the central hill country, and it appears elsewhere in Israel's military history (Joshua 10:10-11). The fact that a woman is credited with such work is unusual, and the town name Uzzen-sheerah seems to preserve the memory of her achievement.
The line in vv. 25-27 ends with יְהוֹשֻׁעַ ("Joshua") son of נוּן, the Joshua who succeeded Moses and led Israel into the promised land. By carrying Ephraim's genealogy forward to Joshua, the Chronicler links the tribe to one of Israel's central figures. For a post-exilic audience, the connection would have carried weight.
The territorial notice in vv. 28-29 lists settlements associated with Ephraim and the Joseph tribes more broadly. Bethel, Gezer, Shechem, Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor were all major sites in the land. The Chronicler closes by speaking of them collectively as "the descendants of Joseph son of Israel" (v. 29), using the patriarch's covenant name rather than "Jacob." Some translations note that "Ayyah" may reflect an LXX reading for Gaza.
The Descendants of Asher (vv. 30-40)
30 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber, as well as Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32 Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, and of their sister Shua. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet's sons. 34 The sons of Shemer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. 35 The sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. 38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. 40 All 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.
30 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32 Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet. 34 The sons of Shemer: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. 35 The sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. 38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. 40 All these were descendants of Asher -- heads of ancestral houses, choice men, mighty warriors, and foremost among the leaders. Their enrollment by genealogy for military service numbered 26,000 men.
Notes
The genealogy of Asher is unusually detailed, especially compared with the brief notices for Naphtali and Benjamin earlier in the chapter. The opening list in v. 30 closely matches Genesis 46:17 and includes the mention of שֶׂרַח ("Serah"), their sister. Serah is one of the few women named in these genealogical lists, appearing both here and in Numbers 26:46. Later Jewish tradition surrounded her with legends, including the claim that she lived to a great age and told Jacob that Joseph was still alive.
Some manuscripts suggest that "Shemer" in v. 34 may be a variant of "Shomer" from v. 32, and that the phrase could perhaps be read "sons of his brother Shemer." Likewise, "Helem" in v. 35 is likely another form of "Hotham" from v. 32. Such spelling variation is common in Hebrew genealogies, especially when material has been preserved through different records or oral forms.
Similarly, "Ithran" in v. 37 may be a variant of "Jether" in v. 38. If so, the genealogy reads more smoothly, with Ithran/Jether closing one list and then serving as the father named in the next verse.
The summary in v. 40 stacks several honorific expressions: רָאשֵׁי בֵית אָבוֹת ("heads of ancestral houses"), בְּרוּרִים ("choice" or "selected" men), גִּבּוֹרֵי חֲיָלִים ("mighty warriors"), and רָאשֵׁי הַנְּשִׂיאִים ("chiefs among the leaders"). It is the fullest commendation given to any tribe in the chapter and suggests that the Chronicler had substantial records for Asher. The final military total, 26,000, is smaller than Issachar's 87,000 but still marks Asher as a meaningful part of Israel's strength.