Study Desk

The Sons of David^(a)(b)

These were the sons of David^(c) born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam^(d) of Jezreel;^(e) the second, Daniel the son of Abigail^(f) of Carmel;

the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah^(g) the son of Haggith;

the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah.

These six were born to David in Hebron,^(h) where he reigned seven years and six months.⁽ⁱ⁾ David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years,

and these were the children born to him there: Shammua,^[a] Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. These four were by Bathsheba^[b](j) daughter of Ammiel.

There were also Ibhar, Elishua,^[c] Eliphelet,

Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet—nine in all.

All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar^(k) was their sister.^(l)

The Kings of Judah

Solomon's son was Rehoboam,^(m) Abijah⁽ⁿ⁾ his son, Asa^(o) his son, Jehoshaphat^(p) his son,

Jehoram^[d](q) his son, Ahaziah^(r) his son, Joash^(s) his son,

Amaziah^(t) his son, Azariah^(u) his son, Jotham^(v) his son,

Ahaz^(w) his son, Hezekiah^(x) his son, Manasseh^(y) his son,

Amon^(z) his son, Josiah^(aa) his son.

The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, Jehoiakim^(ab) the second son, Zedekiah^(ac) the third, Shallum^(ad) the fourth.

The successors of Jehoiakim: Jehoiachin^[e](ae) his son, and Zedekiah.^(af)

The Royal Line After the Exile

The descendants of Jehoiachin the captive: Shealtiel^(ag) his son,

Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar,^(ah) Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah.^(ai)

The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel^(aj) and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister.

There were also five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-Hesed.

The descendants of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah and of Shekaniah.

The descendants of Shekaniah: Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush,^(ak) Igal, Bariah, Neariah and Shaphat—six in all.

The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam—three in all.

The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah and Anani—seven in all.

Other Clans of Judah

The descendants of Judah:^(a) Perez, Hezron,^(b) Karmi, Hur and Shobal.

Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

These were the sons^[a] of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi.

Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur,^(c) the firstborn of Ephrathah and father^[b] of Bethlehem.^(d)

Ashhur^(e) the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.

The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,

and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,^[c] saying, "I gave birth to him in pain."

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Kelub, Shuhah's brother, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash.^[d] These were the men of Rekah.

The sons of Kenaz: Othniel^(f) and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.^[e]

Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge Harashim.^[f] It was called this because its people were skilled workers.

The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.

The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.

The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered's wives gave birth to Miriam,^(g) Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

(His wife from the tribe of Judah gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soko, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.^(h)) These were the children of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.

The sons of Hodiah's wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah⁽ⁱ⁾ the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maakathite.^(j)

The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

The sons of Shelah^(k) son of Judah: Er the father of Lekah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea,

Jokim, the men of Kozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.)

They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king.

The descendants of Simeon:^(m) Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib,⁽ⁿ⁾ Zerah and Shaul;

Shallum was Shaul's son, Mibsam his son and Mishma his son.

The descendants of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zakkur his son and Shimei his son.

Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah.

They lived in Beersheba,^(o) Moladah,^(p) Hazar Shual,

Bilhah, Ezem,^(q) Tolad,

Bethuel, Hormah,^(r) Ziklag,^(s)

Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim.^(t) These were their towns until the reign of David.

Their surrounding villages were Etam, Ain,^(u) Rimmon, Token and Ashan^(v)—five towns—

and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath.^[g] These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record.

Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,

Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.

The men listed above by name were leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly,

and they went to the outskirts of Gedor^(w) to the east of the valley in search of pasture for their flocks.

They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet.^(x) Some Hamites had lived there formerly.

The men whose names were listed came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings and also the Meunites^(y) who were there and completely destroyed^[h] them, as is evident to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks.

And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir.^(z)

They killed the remaining Amalekites^(aa) who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

Reuben

The sons of Reuben^(a) the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father's marriage bed,^(b) his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph^(c) son of Israel;^(d) so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,^(e)

and though Judah^(f) was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler^(g) came from him, the rights of the firstborn^(h) belonged to Joseph)—

the sons of Reuben⁽ⁱ⁾ the firstborn of Israel: Hanok, Pallu,^(j) Hezron^(k) and Karmi.

The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,

and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser^[a](l) king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.

Their relatives by clans,^(m) listed according to their genealogical records: Jeiel the chief, Zechariah,

and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in the area from Aroer⁽ⁿ⁾ to Nebo^(o) and Baal Meon.^(p)

To the east they occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates^(q) River, because their livestock had increased in Gilead.^(r)

During Saul's reign they waged war against the Hagrites^(s), who were defeated at their hands; they occupied the dwellings of the Hagrites throughout the entire region east of Gilead.

The Gadites^(t) lived next to them in Bashan, as far as Salekah:^(u)

Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan.

Their relatives, by families, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jakan, Zia and Eber—seven in all.

These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz.

Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.

The Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages, and on all the pasturelands of Sharon as far as they extended.

All these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns of Jotham^(v) king of Judah and Jeroboam^(w) king of Israel.

The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service^(x)—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle.

They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur,^(y) Naphish and Nodab.

They were helped^(z) in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried^(aa) out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted^(ab) in him.

They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive,

and many others fell slain, because the battle^(ac) was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile.^(ad)

The people of the half-tribe of Manasseh^(ae) were numerous; they settled in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).^(af)

These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families.

But they were unfaithful^(ag) to the God of their ancestors and prostituted^(ah) themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit^(ai) of Pul^(aj) king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser^(ak) king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah,^(al) Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.