1 Chronicles 1

1 Adam, Seth, Enosh,

2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,

3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,

4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

5 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

6 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah.

7 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

8 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

9 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

10 Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one on the earth.

11 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (where the Philistines came from), and Caphtorim.

13 Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth,

14 the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite,

15 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite,

16 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.

17 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

18 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah, and Shelah became the father of Eber.

19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

20 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

22 Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,

23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

24 Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,

25 Eber, Peleg, Reu,

26 Serug, Nahor, Terah,

27 Abram (also called Abraham).

28 The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.

29 These are their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,

31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.

32 The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan.

33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

34 Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel.

35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.

39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam; and Timna was Lotan’s sister.

40 The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah.

41 The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

43 Now these are the kings who 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 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.

45 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.

46 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Avith.

47 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.

48 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place.

49 Shaul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.

50 Baal Hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pai. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

51 Then Hadad died. The chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth,

52 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,

53 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,

54 chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom.

Around 1 Chronicles 1

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

1 Chronicles 1 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Chronicles begins with names. Adam, Seth, Enosh, the line runs on to Noah and his three sons, and then the nations spread out: the sons of Japheth, of Ham, of Shem. Cush fathers Nimrod, who begins to be a mighty one on the earth. In Eber's days the earth is divided, and his son is named Peleg for it. The line narrows to Terah, then to Abram, also called Abraham.

The chapter keeps going. Abraham's sons Isaac and Ishmael are both named, with Ishmael's twelve sons listed, and then the sons of Keturah, including Midian. Isaac has two sons, Esau and Israel, and the chapter lists Esau's line too. It ends in Edom, with the kings who reigned there before Israel had any king, and then the chiefs of Edom.

It is a long list, but every name is a person. The nations around Israel are placed in the same family tree as Israel itself.

Background

Chronicles was written after the exile, many scholars think, for a community rebuilding its identity in the land. It opens by placing Israel within the story of all humanity, from Adam. Much of this list draws on Genesis, see Genesis 5, 10 and 36. Genealogies in the Bible served to show belonging and inheritance. The reader is invited to see the people of God as part of a larger human family.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 31 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes