1 Chronicles 1
The chapters we are about to study may at first glance seem devoid of interest. Nonetheless, we shall see that they are full of instruction; furthermore, from their onset they show us the character of the book of which they form the preface.
Indeed Chronicles, dealing with God's counsels and His ways of grace toward man, naturally begins with Adam. It then traces the line of man, chosen according to the counsels of grace, in contrast to the line of man according to the flesh. Man has become sinful; he fell at once after his beginning. Though God has purposes of grace toward him, it is yet an established fact that as a sinner in the first place he begets sons in his image, who have no connection with the divine counsels, sons who are the seed of a fallen and corrupted nature. If God in His mercy does not intervene, man can only beget evil. In these chapters we therefore find the line of the flesh first, and that of the Spirit second, for God does not beget until sinful man has first proven what his nature could produce. This is why the apostle in 1 Cor. 15:4646Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46) says: "But that which is spiritual was not first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual." Now, that which is spiritual takes part, not of the nature of the first Adam, but of the nature of the Second.
God has ordained it so. The entire question of man's responsibility must be resolved, before the Man according to the counsels of grace would appear; and in fact grace could not be unfolded if it were not first shown into what depths man, left to himself, had fallen. This great truth is foundational to all Scripture, for all Scripture gives man's irremediable ruin as the basis for the gospel of grace.
Therefore it is appropriate that a book like this, which tells us of God's counsels toward man and—as we shall see—especially toward the kingship, show that these counsels proceed uniquely from God's free grace manifested when man, according to the line of the flesh, has proven that he is capable of nothing but evil.
Once it is a question of the genealogy of Christ in the Gospels, we see the line according to the flesh contained in these chapters disappearing completely in order to give place to the line through which, according to election of grace, God's counsels respecting His King are fulfilled. But from the moment it is a question of grace, far from taking perfect men to constitute Christ's lineage, God chooses sinful men—often from among the worst of them—or sinful women, thereby demonstrating the freedom of His choice.
In Chronicles, it is a matter of man, and of the way in which in the course of his history God will realize His counsels in order to triumph in the person of Christ. We see too, as already mentioned, that the genealogy begins with Adam. 1 Chron. 1 to 4 agree with what is revealed in Genesis. Moreover, there are no gaps in this first chapter. As soon as we approach Israel's history in 1 Chron. 2, gaps appear, for when Chronicles was written the genealogies of many members of this people remained undetermined since they could not be proven.
Let us say immediately that 1 Chron. 9 brings us a little beyond the time of Nehemiah, and interrupts the royal genealogies eight generations before Messiah's coming. The Gospel of Matthew fills this gap revealing to us how, right through the ruin God Himself took care to preserve the genealogy of David's Son, His own Son, until His coming as son of Joseph and Mary. Thus Matt. 1 forms the natural continuation of the ninth chapter of Chronicles.
In 1 Chron. 1, our present subject, we find two series of names highlighted. The first (1 Chron. 1:1-41Adam, Sheth, Enosh, 2Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, 3Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 4Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (1 Chronicles 1:1‑4)) begins with Adam and ends with Noah's sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. The second (1 Chron. 1:24-2724Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27Abram; the same is Abraham. (1 Chronicles 1:24‑27)) begins again at Shem and ends with Abraham. These two series form an uninterrupted chain, the point of departure being grace toward fallen man, and culminating in the promises made to Abraham and taken hold of by faith.
Having established this, we find Shem mentioned first in 1 Chron. 1:44Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (1 Chronicles 1:4), although he is not the first-born, a fact which, moreover, is frequently repeated in the genealogies of Genesis before Abraham. But the genealogies of Japheth and of Ham are enumerated before his (1 Chron. 1:5-165The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 6And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. 7And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 8The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 10And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth. 11And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 12And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim. 13And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth, 14The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, 15And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 16And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. (1 Chronicles 1:5‑16)), as we see also in Genesis (Gen. 10). In God's eyes, Shem, chosen by grace, has the preeminence, but in the natural order that which is spiritual is not first, as we have already pointed out. It is the same with regard to Abraham's offspring: "The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael" (1 Chron. 1:2828The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael. (1 Chronicles 1:28)); Isaac is named first, seen as first in God's thoughts, but Ishmael, the elder, is enumerated first (1 Chron. 1:2929These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, (1 Chronicles 1:29)) as the seed according to the flesh. So with Isaac, the posterity of his son Esau is enumerated first (1 Chron. 1:3535The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. (1 Chronicles 1:35)), as we have already seen with Ham and Ishmael.
One or two little secondary considerations will conclude our remarks on this chapter. Among the sons of Ham, Nimrod is simply mentioned as the who "began to be mighty on the earth." In Gen. 10:9-129He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. 10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. (Genesis 10:9‑12) we find the extent of his dominion in great detail. Gen. 10 deals with the distribution of the nations on the earth, and the developments found there would be useless for the aim of the book we are now considering. For the same reason the boundaries of the Canaanites in Gen. 10:18-2018And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. 19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. 20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. (Genesis 10:18‑20) and those of the sons of Joktan (Gen. 10:30-3230And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. 31These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. 32These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. (Genesis 10:30‑32)) are passed over in complete silence here (cf. 1 Chron. 1:16, 2316And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. (1 Chronicles 1:16)
23And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. (1 Chronicles 1:23)).
In 1 Chron. 1:33Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, (1 Chronicles 1:3)2 The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine, are enumerated as we find them in Gen. 25:1-41Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. (Genesis 25:1‑4). They follow Ishmael's posterity (1 Chron. 1:28-3128The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael. 29These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 30Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, 31Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. (1 Chronicles 1:28‑31)) in our chapter so as to show that they also are part of the lineage according to the flesh. The genealogy of Ishmael himself is given according to Gen. 25:12-1512Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 13And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: (Genesis 25:12‑15). As for Esau (1 Chron. 1:35-4235The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. 36The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek. 37The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. 38And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan. 39And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan's sister. 40The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah. 41The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. 42The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran. (1 Chronicles 1:35‑42)), his sons are mentioned in abbreviated form, without the names of their mothers and the numerous details given us in Gen. 36:1-191Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. 2Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; 3And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth. 4And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel; 5And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan. 6And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. 7For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle. 8Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. 9And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir: 10These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau. 11And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. 12And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife. 13And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife. 14And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. 15These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz, 16Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah. 17And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife. 18And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau's wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. 19These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes. (Genesis 36:1‑19).
The kings of Edom are enumerated next (1 Chron. 1:43-5443Now 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. 44And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 45And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. 46And 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. 47And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. 48And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. 49And when Shaul was dead, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. 50And 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. 51Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth, 52Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon, 53Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar, 54Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom. (1 Chronicles 1:43‑54); cf. Gen. 36:31-4231And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel. 32And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 34And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead. 35And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith. 36And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. 37And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. 38And Saul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. 39And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 40And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth, 41Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon, 42Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar, (Genesis 36:31‑42)). Violence characterizes this entire race, for not a single one of these kings has his son as successor.
We believe we must mention these details as characterizing the aim of the Spirit of God in this book. They are in no way, as rationalists claim, a very inexact or willfully altered compilation of other documents, but a selection out of earlier documents of that which is appropriate for the purpose God has before Him.
Moreover, if this first chapter contains, as we have seen, the voluntary omission of certain details, it agrees completely with the genealogical lists of Genesis. We repeat that we do not find gaps here. These gaps begin to appear only when we get to the genealogies of the twelve tribes.
Once the lineage according to nature has been enumerated, the question is considered as closed forever.
God does not come back to it. He cannot in any way use the "natural man," from henceforth left to himself, without connection or relationship to God, so that he may give place to a lineage according to the election of grace and according to the eternal counsels of God.