Catholic Commentary on 1 Chronicles 1

"Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah." (1 Chronicles 1:1-4)

The Book of 1 Chronicles

First Chronicles was written after the Babylonian exile for the returning community, to help them understand their identity as the continuing people of the covenant. The books of Samuel and Kings told the story as it happened; Chronicles retells it theologically, selecting and shaping the narrative around the themes of Davidic kingship, Levitical worship, and the Temple. The first nine chapters are genealogies, dismissed by impatient readers but theologically rich: every name is a declaration that God's purposes run through human history, from Adam to the returned exiles, without breaking.

The genealogy begins at the very beginning: Adam, Seth, Enosh, down through Noah and his sons, the Table of Nations, the line of Shem to Abraham, the sons of Abraham, the line of Esau and Edom, and finally the line of Israel. The Catechism identifies the biblical genealogies as theological documents: they trace the line of divine promise through specific human generations, showing that salvation history is not myth but historical particularity (CCC 205). Every name in the list is a human life through whom the purposes of God passed on their way to fulfilment.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, your name belongs in a genealogy too. The purposes of God are passing through your specific life on their way to a fulfilment you will not see in full. You are a link in the chain from Adam to the eternal kingdom. Live as if the next name in the list depends on the faithfulness of yours.

Prayer

Lord God, from Adam to Abraham to David to Christ to us: the genealogy runs through every generation and reaches us. Let us be faithful links in the chain. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

1 Chronicles
1
From Adam to Abraham
(Genesis 5:1-32; Genesis 10:1-32; Genesis 11:10-26)
Adam, Seth, Enosh,
 
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
 
Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech.
 
The sons of Noah:* 1:4 Hebrew does not include The sons of; LXX Noah: the sons of Noah; see Genesis 5:32.
 
Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
 
The sons of Japheth:
 
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
 
The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, 1:6 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also LXX and Genesis 10:3); most Hebrew manuscripts Diphath and Togarmah.
 
And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.
 
The sons of Ham:
 
Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
 
The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, 1:9 Sabta is a variant of Sabtah; see Genesis 10:7. Raamah, and Sabteca.
 
The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
 
10 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one § 1:10 Or who established himself as a mighty warrior on the earth.
 
11 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites, 12 the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came), and the Caphtorites.* 1:12 Some translators adjust the Hebrew word order to the Casluhites, and the Caphtorites (from whom the Philistines came); see also Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7.
 
13 And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, 1:13 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost and of the Hittites, 1:13 Hebrew and of Heth 14 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 15 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
 
17 The sons of Shem:
 
Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
 
The sons of Aram: § 1:17 One Hebrew manuscript and some LXX manuscripts (see also Genesis 10:23); most Hebrew manuscripts do not include The sons of Aram. Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.* 1:17 Meshech is a variant of Mash; see Genesis 10:23.
 
18 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.
 
19 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, 1:19 Peleg means division. because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.
 
20 And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Obal, 1:22 LXX and Syriac (see also Genesis 10:28); Hebrew Ebal Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
 
24 So from Shem came Arphaxad, Shelah,§ 1:24 Literally Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah; some LXX manuscripts Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan, Shelah; see also Genesis 10:24 LXX and Luke 3:35-36. 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 and Abram (that is, Abraham).
The Descendants of Abraham
(Genesis 25:12-18)
 
28 The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. 29 These are their genealogies:
 
Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
 
32 The sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine:
 
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 of these were Keturah’s sons.
 
34 Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac:
 
Esau and Israel.
The Descendants of Esau
(Genesis 36:1-19)
 
35 The sons of Esau:
 
Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
 
36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho,* 1:36 Many Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Syriac (see also Genesis 36:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Zephi Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek.
 
37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
The Descendants of Seir
(Genesis 36:20-30)
 
38 The sons of Seir:
 
Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
 
39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. 1:39 Homam is a variant of Hemam; see Genesis 36:22. Timna was Lotan’s sister.
 
40 The sons of Shobal: Alvan, 1:40 LXX (see also Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Alian Manahath, Ebal, Shepho,§ 1:40 LXX (see also Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Shephi and Onam.
 
The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah.
 
41 The son * 1:41 Hebrew sons of Anah: Dishon.
 
The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, 1:41 LXX (see also Genesis 36:26); Hebrew Hamran Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
 
42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 1:42 LXX (see also Genesis 36:27); Hebrew Jaakan
 
The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
The Kings of Edom
(Genesis 36:31-43)
 
43 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:§ 1:43 Or before an Israelite king ruled over them
 
Bela son of Beor. His city was named Dinhabah.
 
44 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.
 
45 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
 
46 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith.
 
47 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.
 
48 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates * 1:48 Hebrew the River reigned in his place.
 
49 When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place.
 
50 When Baal-hanan died, Hadad reigned in his place. His city was named Pau, 1:50 Many MT manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also Genesis 36:39); most MT manuscripts Pai and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.
 
51 Then Hadad died.
 
Now the chiefs of Edom were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

*1:4 1:4 Hebrew does not include The sons of; LXX Noah: the sons of Noah; see Genesis 5:32.

1:6 1:6 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also LXX and Genesis 10:3); most Hebrew manuscripts Diphath

1:9 1:9 Sabta is a variant of Sabtah; see Genesis 10:7.

§1:10 1:10 Or who established himself as a mighty warrior

*1:12 1:12 Some translators adjust the Hebrew word order to the Casluhites, and the Caphtorites (from whom the Philistines came); see also Jeremiah 47:4 and Amos 9:7.

1:13 1:13 Or of the Sidonians, the foremost

1:13 1:13 Hebrew and of Heth

§1:17 1:17 One Hebrew manuscript and some LXX manuscripts (see also Genesis 10:23); most Hebrew manuscripts do not include The sons of Aram.

*1:17 1:17 Meshech is a variant of Mash; see Genesis 10:23.

1:19 1:19 Peleg means division.

1:22 1:22 LXX and Syriac (see also Genesis 10:28); Hebrew Ebal

§1:24 1:24 Literally Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah; some LXX manuscripts Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan, Shelah; see also Genesis 10:24 LXX and Luke 3:35-36.

*1:36 1:36 Many Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Syriac (see also Genesis 36:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Zephi

1:39 1:39 Homam is a variant of Hemam; see Genesis 36:22.

1:40 1:40 LXX (see also Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Alian

§1:40 1:40 LXX (see also Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Shephi

*1:41 1:41 Hebrew sons

1:41 1:41 LXX (see also Genesis 36:26); Hebrew Hamran

1:42 1:42 LXX (see also Genesis 36:27); Hebrew Jaakan

§1:43 1:43 Or before an Israelite king ruled over them

*1:48 1:48 Hebrew the River

1:50 1:50 Many MT manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also Genesis 36:39); most MT manuscripts Pai