Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
1 Chronicles 1:31

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

1:1-9:34 GENEALOGIES OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

The long lists of names that characterize Chronicles may not make interesting reading for us today, but they were important to the original readers. First, these genealogies proved to those who returned that they were a true continuation of the former kingdom. Second, they indicated who among the people had to carry out various religious duties and who among them were of the royal family of David. The lists recorded the origin and development of each tribe in some detail, so that people would know the tribe to which they belonged.

All the tribes came from a common ancestor, Jacob, and through him from Abraham. Abraham was the true father of the nation and a key figure in God’s purposes for the human race (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 13:14-17; Matthew 1:2-16).

The origins of Israel (1:1-54)

As in many of the genealogies of the Bible, the genealogy here is simplified. That is, it does not list the name of every person descended from one ancestor, but selects certain people and certain generations according to the purpose of the writer. In this genealogy the writer is concerned mainly with only one line of descent from Adam.
To begin with, the writer records the line of descent from Adam to Noah (1:1-4). Although he records the descendants of Noah’s three sons (5-23), he is particularly concerned with the line through Shem that produced Abraham (24-27). The nation Israel was descended from Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob, but before dealing with Israel, the writer lists people descended from Abraham’s other children (28-33) and from Isaac’s other son (34-54).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“The sons of Abraham: Isaac, and Ishmael. These are their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbael, and Mibsam, Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.”

Smith's Bible Commentary

Shall we turn now to First Chronicles, chapter one, and let's see what. You know, we used to say to our kids they could get juice out of anything when they ate. They could make a cracker so juicy that when they were through it was all over the place. But we'll pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to draw some juice out of First Chronicles and the listing of all of these genealogies.

Now the list begins where it should, of course, with,

Adam [And then his sons], Sheth and Enosh ( 1 Chronicles 1:1 ).

And gives the names of the sons, the descendants down to Japheth who was one of Noah's sons. And then it's interesting as you watch it, it will take off and give you just a few descendants of Japheth and it drops Japheth. It will give you a few descendants of Ham, but it's going to drop Ham. And then it centers in on the descendants of Seth, because it is from the descendants of Seth that Abraham came. From Abraham whom David came. From David who Christ came. And that's the genealogy really that the Scripture is interested in and really following. And so we get a few of the sons of Japheth, and as we read the names of the sons of Japheth, immediately we're aware of the fact that the descendants of Japheth were actually the Europeans and the Russians. And so Gomer, Magog and so forth, those that went north and west were the descendants of Japheth.

As we read the descendants of Ham, beginning with verse eight, we realize that they are those who went south from Israel down into the African continent, and they populated the area of the African continent. And so that leaves Shem with the children of Israel and those towards the east from Israel.

Now in verse nineteen of chapter one, it mentions this fellow

Peleg; and it was in his days that the earth was divided: and his brother's name was Joktan ( 1 Chronicles 1:19 ).

Now just what is meant by "the earth is divided" is a matter of speculation. It could be that it is a reference to the time of the tower of Babel when the people were separated and went out from there with the confusion of tongues and really the beginning of nationality groups. Or there are some who believe that this is a reference to some great cataclysmic event in which the continents were divided. They are talking now of the continental drifts and that the possibility at one time they were all together, and so, if that indeed be so, who knows? But an interesting phrase at least.

Now we take in verse twenty-four to twenty-eight, you have a direct line now from Shem to Abraham. And as we read these in the book of Genesis, we find that Abraham actually was still alive, or was born when Shem was still alive. And then we move to Ishmael's sons in verse twenty-nine. And then, of course, to the sons of Abraham by Keturah, his concubine. And then we come to Isaac and Esau and Israel in verse thirty-four.

Then we follow for a little while the sons of Esau, who became the Edomites. And then when we get into chapter two, we take Esau's twin brother Jacob. "

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      28 The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.   29 These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,   30 Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,   31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.   32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.   33 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah.   34 And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.   35 The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.   36 The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.   37 The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.   38 And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan.   39 And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan's sister.   40 The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah.   41 The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.   42 The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran.   43 Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.   44 And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.   45 And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.   46 And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.   47 And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.   48 And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.   49 And when Shaul was dead, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.   50 And when Baal-hanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.   51 Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,   52 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,   53 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,   54 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom.

      All nations but the seed of Abraham are already shaken off from this genealogy: they have no part nor lot in this matter. The Lord's portion is his people. Of them he keeps an account, knows them by name; but those who are strangers to him he beholds afar off. Not that we are to conclude that therefore no particular persons of any other nation but the seed of Abraham found favour with God. It was a truth, before Peter perceived it, that in every nation he that feared God and wrought righteousness was accepted of him. Multitudes will be brought to heaven out of all nations (Revelation 7:9), and we are willing to hope there were many, very many, good people in the world, that lay out of the pale of God's covenant of peculiarity with Abraham, whose names were in the book of life, though not descended from any of the following families written in this book. The Lord knows those that are his. But Israel was a chosen nation, elect in type; and no other nation, in its national capacity, was so dignified and privileged as the Jewish nation was. That is the holy nation which is the subject of the sacred story; and therefore we are next to shake off all the seed of Abraham but the posterity of Jacob only, which were all incorporated into one nation and joined to the Lord, while the other descendants from Abraham, for aught that appears, were estranged both from God and from one another.

      I. We shall have little to say of the Ishmaelites. They were the sons of the bondwoman, that were to be cast out and not to be heirs with the child of the promise; and their case was to represent that of the unbelieving Jews, who were rejected (Galatians 4:22; Galatians 4:23, c.), and therefore there is little notice taken of that nation. Ishmael's twelve sons are just named here (1 Chronicles 1:29-31; 1 Chronicles 1:29-31), to show the performance of the promise God made to Abraham, in answer to his prayer for him, that, for Abraham's sake, he should become a great nation, and particularly that he should beget twelve princes, Genesis 17:20.

      II. We shall have little to say of the Midianites, who descended from Abraham's children by Keturah. They were children of the east (probably Job was one of them), and were separated from Isaac, the heir of the promise (Genesis 25:6), and therefore they are only named here, 1 Chronicles 1:32; 1 Chronicles 1:32. The sons of Jokshan, the son of Keturah, are named also, and the sons of Midian (1 Chronicles 1:32; 1 Chronicles 1:33), who became most eminent, and perhaps gave denomination to all these families, as Judah to the Jews.

      III. We shall not have much to say of the Edomites. They had an inveterate enmity to God's Israel; yet because they descended from Esau, the son of Isaac, we have here an account of their families, and the names of some of their famous men, 1 Chronicles 1:35; 1 Chronicles 1:35 to the end. Some slight differences there are between some of the names here, and as we had them in Genesis 36:1-43, whence this whole account is taken. Three of four names that were written with a Vau there are written with a Jod here, probably the pronunciation being altered, as is usual in other languages. We now write many words very differently from what they were written but 200 years ago. Let us take occasion, from the reading of these genealogies, to think, 1. Of the multitudes that have gone through this world, have acted their part in it, and then quitted it. Job, even in his early day, saw not only every man drawing after him, but innumerable before him,Job 21:33. All these, and all theirs, had their day; many of them made a mighty noise and figure in the world; but their day came to fall, and their place knew them no more. The paths of death are trodden paths, but vestigia nulla retrorsum--none can retrace their steps. 2. Of the providence of God, which keeps up the generations of men, and so preserves that degenerate race, though guilty and obnoxious, in being upon earth. How easily could he cut it off without either a deluge or a conflagration! Write but all the children of men childless, as some are, and in a few years the earth will be eased of the burden under which it groans; but the divine patience lets the trees that cumber the ground not only grow, but propagate. As one generation, even of sinful men, passes away, another comes (Ecclesiastes 1:4; Numbers 32:14), and will do so while the earth remains. Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it.