1 Chronicles 2 in Hebrew & English

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Tenakh Study · Read 1 Chronicles in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link. Our Messianic Jewish notes appear below each passage; tap Commentary above to hide them. The full commentary on this chapter is on our 1 Chronicles commentary page.

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Tenakh Study · 1 Chronicles 2:1–55

1 Chronicles, Chapter 2

דברי הימים א ב

The sons of Israel, the line of Yehudah through Peretz and Chetzron, the family line from Ram to David with his brothers and sisters, and the descendants of Yerachme’el and of Kalev, with the clans of Kiryat Ye’arim, Beit Lechem and the families of the scribes.

2:1These are the sons of Israel; Re’uven (Reuben), Shim’on (Simeon), Levi, and Yehudah (Judah), Yissachar (Issachar), and Zevulun (Zebulun),

אאֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל רְאוּבֵ֤ן שִׁמְעוֹן֙ לֵוִ֣י וִיהוּדָ֔ה יִשָׂשכָ֖ר וּזְבֻלֽוּן׃

2:2Dan, Yosef (Joseph), and Binyamin (Benjamin), Naftali (Naphtali), Gad, and Asher.

בדָּ֚ן יוֹסֵ֣ף וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן נַפְתָּלִ֖י גָּ֥ד וְאָשֵֽׁר׃

Commentary · 2:1–2

The twelve sons of Israel

Twelve names in an order found nowhere else: Leah’s six, then Dan, whom Rachel named and claimed (Genesis 30:6), then Rachel’s own two, then Naftali, Gad and Asher. The Chronicler keeps all twelve, including the ten tribes exiled by Assyria more than two centuries before he wrote. He has not given up on them.

FFOZ’s End of Days builds its hope for the lost tribes on this kind of record-keeping. It quotes Rambam: in the days of the King Messiah, “the ancestry of each one of them will be confirmed by Messiah through the Holy Spirit which will rest upon him… he will announce that this one is from such and such a tribe” (Hilchot Melachim 12:3, in End of Days, Lessons 22–23, “The Ten Tribes–Shechinah”). Revelation 7 counts twelve thousand from each tribe it names, and FFOZ explains that “the point of designating the 144,000 is to ensure that a remnant from each of the tribes of Israel survives to receive the promises of the redemption” (Lesson 49, “Day of Harvest”). Chronicles is a down payment on that promise: every tribe written down, so that every tribe can be found.

Read more in the full commentary →

The sons of Yehudah

2:3The sons of Yehudah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Kena’anit (Canaanitess). And Er, the firstborn of Yehudah, was evil in the sight of Hashem; and He slew him.

גבְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֗ה עֵ֤ר וְאוֹנָן֙ וְשֵׁלָ֔ה שְׁלוֹשָׁה֙ נ֣וֹלַד ל֔וֹ מִבַּת־שׁ֖וּעַ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑ית וַיְהִ֞י עֵ֣ר ׀ בְּכ֣וֹר יְהוּדָ֗ה רַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וַיְמִיתֵֽהוּ׃

2:4And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Peretz (Pharez) and Zerach (Zerah). All the sons of Yehudah were five.

דוְתָמָר֙ כַּלָּת֔וֹ יָ֥לְדָה לּ֖וֹ אֶת־פֶּ֣רֶץ וְאֶת־זָ֑רַח כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה חֲמִשָּֽׁה׃

2:5The sons of Peretz; Chetzron (Hezron), and Chamul (Hamul).

הבְּנֵי־פֶ֖רֶץ חֶצְר֥וֹן וְחָמֽוּל׃

2:6And the sons of Zerach; Zimri, and Etan (Ethan), and Heman, and Kalkol (Calcol), and Dara: five of them in all.

ווּבְנֵ֣י זֶ֗רַח זִ֠מְרִי וְאֵיתָ֧ן וְהֵימָ֛ן וְכַלְכֹּ֥ל וָדָ֖רַע כֻּלָּ֥ם חֲמִשָּֽׁה׃

2:7And the sons of Karmi (Carmi); Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.

זוּבְנֵ֖י כַּרְמִ֑י עָכָר֙ עוֹכֵ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מָעַ֖ל בַּחֵֽרֶם׃

2:8And the sons of Etan; Azaryah (Azariah).

חוּבְנֵ֥י אֵיתָ֖ן עֲזַרְיָֽה׃

Commentary · 2:3–8

Er, Tamar’s twins, and the troubler of Israel

Yehudah is the fourth son, but the Chronicler takes him first and gives him three chapters. The reason is David: “The sceptre shall not depart from Yehudah” (Genesis 49:10). He does not clean the family up: “Tamar his daughter in law bore him Peretz and Zerach” (2:4). The Talmud says Tamar acted for the sake of Heaven, and kings and prophets descended from her (Nazir 23b). The Midrash says that while the brothers were busy selling Yosef and Yehudah was busy finding a wife, “the Holy One, blessed be He, was busy creating the light of the King Messiah” (Bereshit Rabbah 85:1). Rabbi Palvanov, in his class “Who is Mashiach?,” says what “our sages point out all the time: the whole lineage of Mashiach is full of strange relationships.”

Hebrew lesson: פֶּרֶץ (Peretz), “breach.” The midwife said, “How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee” (Genesis 38:29). The Midrash reads it as a title: from him comes the one of whom Micah says, “The breaker is come up before them… and their king shall pass before them” (Micah 2:13; Bereshit Rabbah 85:14). The Messiah is a Peretz: he breaks through the wall that holds the people in.

The Chronicler spells Achan’s name עָכָר (Achar), “trouble,” after Yehoshua’s words, “Hashem shall trouble thee this day” (Joshua 7:25). The Mishnah hears mercy in “this day”: troubled today, but not in the World to Come, because he confessed (Mishnah Sanhedrin 6:2).

Read more in the full commentary →

2:9The sons also of Chetzron, that were born unto him; Yerachme’el (Jerahmeel), and Ram, and Kelubai (Chelubai).

טוּבְנֵ֥י חֶצְר֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר נוֹלַד־ל֑וֹ אֶת־יְרַחְמְאֵ֥ל וְאֶת־רָ֖ם וְאֶת־כְּלוּבָֽי׃

From Ram to David

2:10And Ram begat Amminadav (Amminadab); and Amminadav begat Nachshon (Nahshon), prince of the children of Yehudah;

יוְרָ֖ם הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־עַמִּינָדָ֑ב וְעַמִּינָדָב֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־נַחְשׁ֔וֹן נְשִׂ֖יא בְּנֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

2:11And Nachshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,

יאוְנַחְשׁוֹן֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־שַׂלְמָ֔א וְשַׂלְמָ֖א הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־בֹּֽעַז׃

2:12And Boaz begat Oved (Obed), and Oved begat Yishai (Jesse),

יבוּבֹ֨עַז֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־עוֹבֵ֔ד וְעוֹבֵ֖ד הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־יִשָֽׁי׃

2:13And Ishai (Jesse) begat his firstborn Eli’av (Eliab), and Avinadav (Abinadab) the second, and Shim’a (Shimma) the third,

יגוְאִישַׁ֛י הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־בְּכֹר֖וֹ אֶת־אֱלִיאָ֑ב וַאֲבִינָדָב֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וְשִׁמְעָ֖א הַשְּׁלִישִֽׁי׃

2:14Netan’el (Nethaneel) the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

ידנְתַנְאֵל֙ הָֽרְבִיעִ֔י רַדַּ֖י הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃

2:15Otzem (Ozem) the sixth, David the seventh:

טואֹ֚צֶם הַשִּׁשִּׁ֔י דָּוִ֖יד הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃

2:16Whose sisters were Tzeruyah (Zeruiah), and Avigayil (Abigail). And the sons of Tzeruyah; Avshai (Abishai), and Yo’av (Joab), and Asah’el (Asahel), three.

טזוְאַחְיוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם (כתיב ואחיתיהם) צְרוּיָ֣ה וַאֲבִיגָ֑יִל וּבְנֵ֣י צְרוּיָ֗ה אַבְשַׁ֛י וְיוֹאָ֥ב וַעֲשָׂה־אֵ֖ל שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃

2:17And Avigayil bore Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Yeter (Jether) the Yishme’eli (Ishmeelite).

יזוַאֲבִיגַ֕יִל יָלְדָ֖ה אֶת־עֲמָשָׂ֑א וַאֲבִ֣י עֲמָשָׂ֔א יֶ֖תֶר הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִֽי׃

Commentary · 2:9–17

The line to David

This is the spine of the book, and Matthew 1:3–6 and Luke 3:31–33 carry it into the Brit Hadashah. Nachshon, “prince of the children of Yehudah,” earned the title at the Red Sea: while the tribes argued over who would go first, he jumped in, and the sea split (Sotah 37a). The Chronicler writes “Boaz begat Oved” and says nothing of Ruth. The Talmud says she was called Ruth because from her came David, who saturated (rivvahu) the Holy One with songs and praises (Berakhot 7b). Our class “Shavuot: Torah, Ruth, and Return” put it simply: “From Ruth comes David. From David comes Mashiach.”

“David the seventh” (2:15): Samuel says Yishai had eight sons (1 Samuel 16:10–11), and Radak answers that one died without children. The Midrash is glad of the number: “all sevenths are beloved,” and among sons it names “David the seventh” (Vayikra Rabbah 29:11). Paul in Antioch preached from this line: “I have found David the son of Yishai… Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Yeshua” (Acts 13:22–23).

Avigayil’s husband is “Yeter the Yishme’eli” (2:17), whom Samuel calls “Yitra an Israelite” (2 Samuel 17:25). The Talmud explains that he was an Israelite who “girded his sword like an Ishmaelite” and declared that anyone who rejected the ruling “an Ammonite, but not an Ammonitess; a Moabite, but not a Moabitess” would be run through (Yevamot 77a). That ruling is what made Ruth’s marriage valid.

Read more in the full commentary →

Kalev son of Chetzron

2:18And Kalev (Caleb) the son of Chetzron begat children of Azuvah (Azubah) his wife, and of Yeri’ot (Jerioth): her sons are these; Yesher (Jesher), and Shovav (Shobab), and Ardon.

יחוְכָלֵ֣ב בֶּן־חֶצְר֗וֹן הוֹלִ֛יד אֶת־עֲזוּבָ֥ה אִשָּׁ֖ה וְאֶת־יְרִיע֑וֹת וְאֵ֣לֶּה בָנֶ֔יהָ יֵ֥שֶׁר וְשׁוֹבָ֖ב וְאַרְדּֽוֹן׃

2:19And when Azuvah was dead, Kalev took unto him Efrat (Ephrath), which bore him Chur (Hur).

יטוַתָּ֖מָת עֲזוּבָ֑ה וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֤וֹ כָלֵב֙ אֶת־אֶפְרָ֔ת וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ אֶת־חֽוּר׃

2:20And Chur begat Uri, and Uri begat Betzal’el (Bezaleel).

כוְחוּר֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־אוּרִ֔י וְאוּרִ֖י הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־בְּצַלְאֵֽל׃

2:21And afterward Chetzron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gil’ad (Gilead), whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Seguv (Segub).

כאוְאַחַ֗ר בָּ֤א חֶצְרוֹן֙ אֶל־בַּת־מָכִיר֙ אֲבִ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד וְה֣וּא לְקָחָ֔הּ וְה֖וּא בֶּן־שִׁשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ אֶת־שְׂגֽוּב׃

2:22And Seguv begat Ya’ir (Jair), who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gil’ad.

כבוּשְׂג֖וּב הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־יָאִ֑יר וַֽיְהִי־ל֗וֹ עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ֙ עָרִ֔ים בְּאֶ֖רֶץ הַגִּלְעָֽד׃

2:23And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Ya’ir, from them, with Kenat (Kenath), and the towns thereof, even sixty cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gil’ad.

כגוַיִּקַּ֣ח גְּשֽׁוּר־וַ֠אֲרָם אֶת־חַוֺּ֨ת יָאִ֧יר מֵאִתָּ֛ם אֶת־קְנָ֥ת וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶ֖יהָ שִׁשִּׁ֣ים עִ֑יר כָּל־אֵ֕לֶּה בְּנֵ֖י מָכִ֥יר אֲבִי־גִלְעָֽד׃

2:24And after that Chetzron was dead in Kalev Efratah (Caleb-ephratah), then Aviyah (Abiah) Chetzron’s wife bore him Ashchur (Ashur) the father of Tekoa.

כדוְאַחַ֥ר מוֹת־חֶצְר֖וֹן בְּכָלֵ֣ב אֶפְרָ֑תָה וְאֵ֤שֶׁת חֶצְרוֹן֙ אֲבִיָּ֔ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֔וֹ אֶת־אַשְׁח֖וּר אֲבִ֥י תְקֽוֹעַ׃

Commentary · 2:18–24

Kalev, Efrat, Chur and Betzal’el

Here is Betzal’el’s pedigree, “the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah” (Exodus 31:2). Before Yehudah gave Israel a king, it gave Israel the builder of the Mishkan. The Talmud says Betzal’el knew how to combine the letters with which heaven and earth were created, and that his name means what it says, בְּצַלְאֵל, “in the shadow of God” (Berakhot 55a). Craft for the sanctuary and the crown come from the same tribe, and the pattern returns at the end of this book, when David gathers the materials and Shlomo builds the House (22:5; 28:11–19).

This Kalev is “the son of Chetzron,” not “the son of Yefuneh” as the Torah calls the spy (Numbers 13:6). The Talmud reads the two as one man, and the wives as one woman: “Azuvah is Miriam. Why Azuvah, ‘forsaken’? Because at first everyone forsook her. Efrat is Miriam; why Efrat? Because Israel were fruitful (paru) through her” (Sotah 11b–12a). Whether or not we take it as history, the women in this list are not decoration. Efrat gives her name to Beit Lechem Efratah (2:50–51; Micah 5:2), where David and his greater son were born.

Chetzron’s late marriage to “the daughter of Machir the father of Gil’ad” (2:21) explains how Ya’ir, with his cities in Gil’ad, can be called “Ya’ir the son of Menashe” (Numbers 32:41): Yehudah’s by his grandfather, Menashe’s by his grandmother. The Chronicler, who hopes for all twelve tribes, likes to show their lines crossing.

Read more in the full commentary →

The sons of Yerachme’el

2:25And the sons of Yerachme’el the firstborn of Chetzron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Otzem, and Achiyah (Ahijah).

כהוַיִּהְי֧וּ בְנֵי־יְרַחְמְאֵ֛ל בְּכ֥וֹר חֶצְר֖וֹן הַבְּכ֣וֹר ׀ רָ֑ם וּבוּנָ֥ה וָאֹ֛רֶן וָאֹ֖צֶם אֲחִיָּֽה׃

2:26Yerachme’el had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

כווַתְּהִ֨י אִשָּׁ֥ה אַחֶ֛רֶת לִֽירַחְמְאֵ֖ל וּשְׁמָ֣הּ עֲטָרָ֑ה הִ֖יא אֵ֥ם אוֹנָֽם׃

2:27And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Yerachme’el were, Ma’atz (Maaz), and Yamin (Jamin), and Eker.

כזוַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵי־רָ֖ם בְּכ֣וֹר יְרַחְמְאֵ֑ל מַ֥עַץ וְיָמִ֖ין וָעֵֽקֶר׃

2:28And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Yada (Jada). And the sons of Shammai; Nadav (Nadab), and Avishur (Abishur).

כחוַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵי־אוֹנָ֖ם שַׁמַּ֣י וְיָדָ֑ע וּבְנֵ֣י שַׁמַּ֔י נָדָ֖ב וַאֲבִישֽׁוּר׃

2:29And the name of the wife of Avishur was Avihayil (Abihail), and she bore him Achban (Ahban), and Molid.

כטוְשֵׁ֛ם אֵ֥שֶׁת אֲבִישׁ֖וּר אֲבִיהָ֑יִל וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֔וֹ אֶת־אַחְבָּ֖ן וְאֶת־מוֹלִֽיד׃

2:30And the sons of Nadav; Seled, and Apayim (Appaim): but Seled died without children.

לוּבְנֵ֥י נָדָ֖ב סֶ֣לֶד וְאַפָּ֑יִם וַיָּ֥מָת סֶ֖לֶד לֹ֥א בָנִֽים׃

2:31And the sons of Apayim; Yish’i (Ishi). And the sons of Yish’i; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Achlai (Ahlai).

לאוּבְנֵ֥י אַפַּ֖יִם יִשְׁעִ֑י וּבְנֵ֤י יִשְׁעִי֙ שֵׁשָׁ֔ן וּבְנֵ֥י שֵׁשָׁ֖ן אַחְלָֽי׃

2:32And the sons of Yada the brother of Shammai; Yeter and Yonatan (Jonathan): and Yeter died without children.

לבוּבְנֵ֤י יָדָע֙ אֲחִ֣י שַׁמַּ֔י יֶ֖תֶר וְיוֹנָתָ֑ן וַיָּ֥מָת יֶ֖תֶר לֹ֥א בָנִֽים׃

2:33And the sons of Yonatan; Pelet (Peleth), and Zaza. These were the sons of Yerachme’el.

לגוּבְנֵ֥י יוֹנָתָ֖ן פֶּ֣לֶת וְזָזָ֑א אֵ֥לֶּה הָי֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יְרַחְמְאֵֽל׃

2:34Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, a Mitzri (Egyptian), whose name was Yarcha (Jarha).

לדוְלֹֽא־הָיָ֧ה לְשֵׁשָׁ֛ן בָּנִ֖ים כִּ֣י אִם־בָּנ֑וֹת וּלְשֵׁשָׁ֛ן עֶ֥בֶד מִצְרִ֖י וּשְׁמ֥וֹ יַרְחָֽע׃

2:35And Sheshan gave his daughter to Yarcha his servant to wife; and she bore him Attai.

להוַיִּתֵּ֨ן שֵׁשָׁ֧ן אֶת־בִּתּ֛וֹ לְיַרְחָ֥ע עַבְדּ֖וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ אֶת־עַתָּֽי׃

2:36And Attai begat Natan (Nathan), and Natan begat Zavad (Zabad),

לווְעַתַּי֙ הֹלִ֣יד אֶת־נָתָ֔ן וְנָתָ֖ן הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־זָבָֽד׃

2:37And Zavad begat Eflal (Ephlal), and Eflal begat Oved,

לזוְזָבָד֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־אֶפְלָ֔ל וְאֶפְלָ֖ל הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־עוֹבֵֽד׃

2:38And Oved begat Yehu (Jehu), and Yehu begat Azaryah,

לחוְעוֹבֵד֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־יֵה֔וּא וְיֵה֖וּא הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־עֲזַרְיָֽה׃

2:39And Azaryah begat Cheletz (Helez), and Cheletz begat El’asah (Eleasah),

לטוַעֲזַרְיָה֙ הֹלִ֣יד אֶת־חָ֔לֶץ וְחֶ֖לֶץ הֹלִ֥יד אֶת־אֶלְעָשָֽׂה׃

2:40And El’asah begat Sismai (Sisamai), and Sismai begat Shallum,

מוְאֶלְעָשָׂה֙ הֹלִ֣יד אֶת־סִֽסְמָ֔י וְסִסְמַ֖י הֹלִ֥יד אֶת־שַׁלּֽוּם׃

2:41And Shallum begat Yekamyah (Jekamiah), and Yekamyah begat Elishama.

מאוְשַׁלּוּם֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־יְקַמְיָ֔ה וִֽיקַמְיָ֖ה הֹלִ֥יד אֶת־אֱלִישָׁמָֽע׃

Commentary · 2:25–41

Yerachme’el, and an Egyptian in the house of Yehudah

The Chronicler gives Chetzron’s firstborn, Yerachme’el, seventeen verses. His clan lived in the Negev, and David shared his spoil with them (1 Samuel 30:29). Hardly any of these names comes up again, and that is the point. A family that produced no one famous is still written in the book.

One story stands out: “Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, a Mitzri, whose name was Yarcha. And Sheshan gave his daughter to Yarcha his servant to wife” (2:34–35). The commentators assume Sheshan freed him first, since a freed slave enters Israel as a convert. Thirteen generations follow from an Egyptian slave (2:35–41), counted in Yehudah by name.

Isaiah promised “the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to Hashem” a “name better than of sons and of daughters” (Isaiah 56:5–6). Here is one, in the last book of the Tenakh.

Read more in the full commentary →

More sons of Kalev

2:42Now the sons of Kalev the brother of Yerachme’el were, Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Zif (Ziph); and the sons of Mareshah the father of Chevron (Hebron).

מבוּבְנֵ֤י כָלֵב֙ אֲחִ֣י יְרַחְמְאֵ֔ל מֵישָׁ֥ע בְּכֹר֖וֹ ה֣וּא אֲבִי־זִ֑יף וּבְנֵ֥י מָרֵשָׁ֖ה אֲבִ֥י חֶבְרֽוֹן׃

2:43And the sons of Chevron; Korach (Korah), and Tapuach (Tappuah), and Rekem, and Shema.

מגוּבְנֵ֖י חֶבְר֑וֹן קֹ֥רַח וְתַפֻּ֖חַ וְרֶ֥קֶם וָשָֽׁמַע׃

2:44And Shema begat Racham (Raham), the father of Yorko’am (Jorkoam): and Rekem begat Shammai.

מדוְשֶׁ֣מַע הוֹלִ֔יד אֶת־רַ֖חַם אֲבִ֣י יָרְקֳעָ֑ם וְרֶ֖קֶם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־שַׁמָּֽי׃

2:45And the son of Shammai was Ma’on (Maon): and Ma’on was the father of Beit Tzur (Beth-zur).

מהוּבֶן־שַׁמַּ֖י מָע֑וֹן וּמָע֖וֹן אֲבִ֥י בֵֽית־צֽוּר׃

2:46And Efah (Ephah), Kalev’s concubine, bore Charan (Haran), and Motza (Moza), and Gazez: and Charan begat Gazez.

מווְעֵיפָה֙ פִּילֶ֣גֶשׁ כָּלֵ֔ב יָֽלְדָ֛ה אֶת־חָרָ֥ן וְאֶת־מוֹצָ֖א וְאֶת־גָּזֵ֑ז וְחָרָ֖ן הֹלִ֥יד אֶת־גָּזֵֽז׃

2:47And the sons of Yahdai (Jahdai); Regem, and Yotam (Jotham), and Geshan (Gesham), and Pelet, and Efah, and Sha’af (Shaaph).

מזוּבְנֵ֖י יָהְדָּ֑י רֶ֧גֶם וְיוֹתָ֛ם וְגֵישָׁ֥ן וָפֶ֖לֶט וְעֵיפָ֥ה וָשָֽׁעַף׃

2:48Ma’achah (Maachah), Kalev’s concubine, bore Shever (Sheber), and Tirchanah (Tirhanah).

מחפִּלֶ֤גֶשׁ כָּלֵב֙ מַעֲכָ֔ה יָ֥לַד שֶׁ֖בֶר וְאֶֽת־תִּרְחֲנָֽה׃

2:49She bore also Sha’af the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Giv’a (Gibea): and the daughter of Kalev was Achsah (Achsa).

מטוַתֵּ֗לֶד שַׁ֚עַף אֲבִ֣י מַדְמַנָּ֔ה אֶת־שְׁוָ֛א אֲבִ֥י מַכְבֵּנָ֖ה וַאֲבִ֣י גִבְעָ֑א וּבַת־כָּלֵ֖ב עַכְסָֽה׃

2:50These were the sons of Kalev the son of Chur, the firstborn of Efratah; Shoval (Shobal) the father of Kiryat Ye’arim (Kirjath-jearim),

נאֵ֤לֶּה הָיוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י כָלֵ֔ב בֶּן־ח֖וּר בְּכ֣וֹר אֶפְרָ֑תָה שׁוֹבָ֕ל אֲבִ֖י קִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִֽים׃

2:51Salma the father of Beit Lechem (Bethlehem), Charef (Hareph) the father of Beit Gader (Beth-gader).

נאשַׂלְמָא֙ אֲבִ֣י בֵֽית־לָ֔חֶם חָרֵ֖ף אֲבִ֥י בֵית־גָּדֵֽר׃

2:52And Shoval the father of Kiryat Ye’arim had sons; Haro’eh (Haroeh), and half of the Menuchot (Manahethites).

נבוַיִּהְי֤וּ בָנִים֙ לְשׁוֹבָ֔ל אֲבִ֖י קִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֑ים הָרֹאֶ֖ה חֲצִ֥י הַמְּנֻחֽוֹת׃

2:53And the families of Kiryat Ye’arim; the Yitri (Ithrites), and the Puti (Puhites), and the Shumati (Shumathites), and the Mishra’i (Mishraites); of them came the Tzor’ati (Zareathites), and the Eshta’uli (Eshtaulites).

נגוּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת֙ קִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֔ים הַיִּתְרִי֙ וְהַפּוּתִ֔י וְהַשֻּׁמָתִ֖י וְהַמִּשְׁרָעִ֑י מֵאֵ֗לֶּה יָצְאוּ֙ הַצָּ֣רְעָתִ֔י וְהָאֶשְׁתָּ֖אֻֽלִֽי׃

2:54The sons of Salma; Beit Lechem, and the Netofati (Netophathites), Atrot (Ataroth), the house of Yo’av, and half of the Manachti (Manahethites), the Tzor’i (Zorites).

נדבְּנֵ֣י שַׂלְמָ֗א בֵּ֥ית לֶ֨חֶם֙ וּנְט֣וֹפָתִ֔י עַטְר֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית יוֹאָ֑ב וַחֲצִ֥י הַמָּנַחְתִּ֖י הַצָּרְעִֽי׃

2:55And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Ya’betz (Jabez); the Tir’atim (Tirathites), the Shim’atim (Shimeathites), and Suchatim (Suchathites). These are the Kinim (Kenites) that came of Chamat (Hemath), the father of the house of Rechav (Rechab).

נהוּמִשְׁפְּח֤וֹת סֹפְרִים֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י (כתיב ישבו) יַעְבֵּ֔ץ תִּרְעָתִ֥ים שִׁמְעָתִ֖ים שׂוּכָתִ֑ים הֵ֚מָּה הַקִּינִ֣ים הַבָּאִ֔ים מֵחַמַּ֖ת אֲבִ֥י בֵית־רֵכָֽב׃

Commentary · 2:42–55

Kalev’s towns, Beit Lechem and the scribes of Ya’betz

The chapter ends like a map of Yehudah. Kalev’s descendants are “fathers” of towns: Zif, Chevron, Ma’on, Beit Tzur, Kiryat Ye’arim, Beit Lechem. Zif and Ma’on are where David hid from Shaul (1 Samuel 23:14, 24); Chevron is where he was crowned; Kiryat Ye’arim is where the Ark waited until David fetched it (13:5–6). The land and the family are one record.

“Salma the father of Beit Lechem” (2:51) belongs to “Kalev the son of Chur, the firstborn of Efratah” (2:50). The elders blessed Boaz, “do thou worthily in Efratah, and be famous in Beit Lechem” (Ruth 4:11), and Micah knew the family tree: “thou, Beit Lechem Efratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Yehudah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). The scribes in Yerushalayim quoted that verse to Herod (Matthew 2:5–6). This list of town-fathers is where the prophecy of the Messiah’s birthplace gets its address.

The families of the scribes at Ya’betz were Kinim (2:55), Yitro’s people, who settled with Yehudah (Judges 1:16). The sages expound their three family names as titles of Torah scholars descended from Yitro (Sifrei Bamidbar 78). The chapter that began with Yehudah’s Canaanite wife ends with Gentile scribes teaching Torah in Yehudah’s towns.

Read more in the full commentary →

Sources & method

Hebrew text: The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation: The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers: Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Chronicles they differ from most English Bibles in chapters 5, 6 and 12; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Commentary: Written for our Wednesday Tenakh study from a Messianic Jewish perspective, in line with the Benei Avraham Statement of Faith. It reads the passage first in its Torah setting, then with the Sages, and then with the witness of the Brit Hadashah. Its sources include the Talmud and Midrash, Rashi, Radak, Rambam, the First Fruits of Zion End of Days lessons, and teachings of Rabbi Efraim Palvanov and Ariel Cohen Alloro. Numerical readings (gematria) are offered as hints, not proofs. The notes here are short versions of our full 1 Chronicles commentary, which is a draft for our teachers to review. They are shown by default; tap Commentary to hide them.
Quiz: Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the chapter on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
Hebrew font: SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.

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1 Chronicles 2 (Divrei HaYamim Alef) in Hebrew and English

1 Chronicles, Chapter 2

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