The Family of David: 1 Chronicles 3

From: Meditations on 1 Chronicles By: Henri L. Rossier

1Ch • 3 min. read • grade level: 11

1 Chronicles 3

In 1 Chron. 2:9-16⁹The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai. ¹⁰And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah; ¹¹And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, ¹²And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, ¹³And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, ¹⁴Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, ¹⁵Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: ¹⁶Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three. (1 Chronicles 2:9‑16)—in fact this is the main thrust of that chapter—we have met with the genealogy of David, descended from Judah, and going back through the ages down via Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Shem, and Noah to Adam. 1 Chron. 3 presents the descendants of David until just a few generations before Christ. Here, this line of descent begins at Hebron, the place where the tribes first acknowledged the kingship of the son of Jesse. Chronicles passes over David's history and afflictions as the rejected king in complete silence. It sets forth David as the object of God's counsels regarding the kingship, counsels which will be fully accomplished in Christ, the Son of David. Yet, while omitting his sufferings, Chronicles shows us Hebron as the starting point of his glory. Hebron was above all the place of death, for it was there that the tombs of Sarah, Abraham, Jacob, and of the patriarchs were. From this same place Joseph, a type of Christ in rejection, went forth to seek his brothers. Hebron then became a city of refuge from the avenger of blood, prefiguring the cross which shelters a guilty people. Lastly, it was the principal dwelling place of the priests, the sons of Aaron, types of that priesthood which now makes Christ's death the focus of its praises. Therefore this place speaks in a striking way of the cross as the foundation of royal glory and as the basis for all our blessings. Caleb chose it as his residence. Caleb's career culminated at Hebron; David's career begins there.

But, we repeat, if Chronicles shows us, through incidents and in type, the death of Christ as the basis for all, these books dwell upon God's counsels concerning the kingship as their main subject.

Just as its head, for David was the lastborn of his father's house, so the family of David bears the evident mark of election according to grace (1 Chron. 3:9⁹These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister. (1 Chronicles 3:9)). Amnon, the son according to the flesh, the shame of his father's house, comes first, only to be repudiated like all that springs forth from nature. In fact, all David's sons, without exception, are included between those two names Amnon and Tamar (1 Chron. 3:1-9¹Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess: ²The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith: ³The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife. ⁴These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years. ⁵And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel: ⁶Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, ⁷And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, ⁸And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. ⁹These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister. (1 Chronicles 3:1‑9)). Moreover, all the sons born before the kingdom's full establishment, at least all those whose history is recorded, undergo a common condemnation: Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah — corruption, rebellion, and pride which pretends to the throne and would supplant Solomon — all come under judgment. One must reach the kingdom definitely established at Jerusalem, the place of free election according to grace (Psa. 132:13¹³For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. (Psalm 132:13)), before being introduced to Solomon, after his father David the man of God's counsels. Once again, nature's order is of no value. Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan, mentioned first as sons of Bathsheba, disappear before Solomon, the youngest son. Likewise, all the other sons that come after him have no right to the kingship.

1 Chron. 3:10-24¹⁰And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, ¹¹Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, ¹²Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, ¹³Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, ¹⁴Amon his son, Josiah his son. ¹⁵And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. ¹⁶And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son. ¹⁷And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son, ¹⁸Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. ¹⁹And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister: ²⁰And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed, five. ²¹And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah. ²²And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six. ²³And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three. ²⁴And the sons of Elioenai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Dalaiah, and Anani, seven. (1 Chronicles 3:10‑24) give us Solomon's direct descendants. The words "his son" which are constantly repeated down to Zedekiah accentuate the contrast between the descendants according to grace and those according to nature, as we have seen in the history of Edom (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)).

From 1 Chron. 3:15¹⁵And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. (1 Chronicles 3:15) onward, after faithful Josiah's reign, we find the kings at the time of Judah's final ruin; this series finally culminates with Zerubbabel returned from captivity but no longer bearing the title of king. After Zerubbabel, Chronicles records still five generations more to Hodaviah and his brothers. If the years of one of these were known, this would give us the approximate date when Chronicles was composed. The names corresponding to Hananiah, Shechaniah, Neariah, Elioenai, and Hodaviah are not to be found in the genealogy of Matt. 1. Some have supposed that the Babylonian rulers may have changed them (cf. Dan. 1:6-7⁶Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ⁷Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. (Daniel 1:6‑7)) in order to efface all traces of kingship from the spirit of the Jews, an assertion which, while not confirmed, could well be probable.

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