1 Chronicles 7

1 Chronicles 7

The big picture

1 Chronicles 7 opens in verse 1 with “Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 20 with “And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah…”, and closes in verse 40 with “All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and mighty…” Repeated or prominent terms include sons, towns, house, bare, children. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

1 Chronicles · King James Version · 40

1 Chronicles 7:1-8

1–8: The sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.

1 Chronicles 7:1–8 opens with “Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.” and reaches “And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 7 develops its own movement around sons, towns, house, bare, children, with particular weight carried by sons, Becher, house.

Context that brings the passage to life

“Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.” The number four makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them…” The number five makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies…” The number seven makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

1 Chronicles 7:1-8

King James Version

1Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.

2And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father’s house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.

3And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.

4And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons.

5And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand.

6The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.

7And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.

8And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.

1 Chronicles 7:9-16

9–16: The number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of…

1 Chronicles 7:9–16 opens with “And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their…” and reaches “And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 7 develops its own movement around sons, towns, house, bare, children, with particular weight carried by sons, name, bare.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of…” The number twenty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two…” The number thousand makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

1 Chronicles 7:9-16

King James Version

9And the number of them, after their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour, was twenty thousand and two hundred.

10The sons also of Jediael; Bilhan: and the sons of Bilhan; Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.

11All these the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valour, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.

12Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim, the sons of Aher.

13The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

14The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:

15And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters.

16And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

1 Chronicles 7:17-24

17–24: The sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of…

1 Chronicles 7:17–24 opens with “And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of…” and reaches “(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 7 develops its own movement around sons, towns, house, bare, children, with particular weight carried by sons, bare, Ephraim.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.” Naming Bedan and Gilead keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the sons of Shemida were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.” Naming Ahian and Aniam keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

1 Chronicles 7:17-24

King James Version

17And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

18And his sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod, and Abiezer, and Mahalah.

19And the sons of Shemida were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.

20And the sons of Ephraim; Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,

21And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

22And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.

23And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.

24(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)

1 Chronicles 7:25-32

25–32: Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,

1 Chronicles 7:25–32 opens with “And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,” and reaches “And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 7 develops its own movement around sons, towns, house, bare, children, with particular weight carried by towns, Beriah, Beth.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,” Naming Rephah and Resheph keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Non his son, Jehoshua his son.” Naming Jehoshua and Non keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

1 Chronicles 7:25-32

King James Version

25And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,

26Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

27Non his son, Jehoshua his son.

28And their possessions and habitations were, Beth-el and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:

29And by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth-shean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.

30The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Isuah, and Ishuai, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.

31And the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzavith.

32And Heber begat Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.

1 Chronicles 7:33-40

33–40: The sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the…

1 Chronicles 7:33–40 opens with “And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.” and reaches “All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and mighty men of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 1 Chronicles 7 develops its own movement around sons, towns, house, bare, children, with particular weight carried by sons, children, Japhlet.

Context that brings the passage to life

“And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.” Naming Japhlet and Ashvath keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

1 Chronicles 7:33-40

King James Version

33And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.

34And the sons of Shamer; Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

35And the sons of his brother Helem; Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.

36The sons of Zophah; Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,

37Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.

38And the sons of Jether; Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.

39And the sons of Ulla; Arah, and Haniel, and Rezia.

40All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was twenty and six thousand men.

Details worth noticing

40verses in this reading
5major movements
2verses with speech

The opening image

1 Chronicles 7:1 begins with “Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.”

Where the chapter turns

1 Chronicles 7:1 forms a natural hinge: “Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.”

The final note

1 Chronicles 7:40 leaves the reader with “All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the…”

A word trail through the chapter

The words sons, towns, house, bare, children, heads help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.

What links this event with creation?

Waters overwhelm the inhabited world, reversing the separations that made life possible.

What details show continuity rather than total abandonment?

The named household and preserved kinds of living creatures survive within the ark.

KJV words made clear

begat
became the father of
unto
to

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.