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Judah, Simeon and the Eastern Tribes
This genealogy records families from Judah, Simeon, Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. It includes towns, work, leaders, warfare and exile, showing that these lists preserve how tribes were organised and what happened to them.
Understanding the passage
Understanding this family record
The passage moves from Judah’s family branches and occupations to Simeon’s descendants, settlements and later attacks for pasture and land. It then explains Reuben’s lost birthright and lists the eastern tribes with their territories, battle help from God, later unfaithfulness and Assyrian deportation.
1 Chronicles 4:1–8; 1 Chronicles 4:11–5:26Main takeaway
These records present family lines, settlements, battle help and exile under the rule of the God of Israel.
Follow the family lines
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Judah’s line includes families, places and tradesJudah’s record begins with sons and family lines, but it quickly includes much more. The passage names a sister, wives, and place-linked ancestors such as Bethlehem and Tekoa.
Explanation
Judah’s record begins with sons and family lines, but it quickly includes much more. The passage names a sister, wives, and place-linked ancestors such as Bethlehem and Tekoa. It also remembers craftsmen, fine-linen workers and potters who lived with the king for his work. This genealogy ties people to households, towns and labour.
02Simeon’s record keeps both settlements and violence in viewSimeon’s descendants are listed, and the text notes that Shimei had many children, though Simeon did not multiply like Judah.
Explanation
Simeon’s descendants are listed, and the text notes that Shimei had many children, though Simeon did not multiply like Judah. Their cities and villages are named, and the passage says they kept their genealogy. Later leaders sought pasture, then attacked people living there, destroyed some utterly, and also struck the remnant of the Amalekites before living in those places.
03Reuben’s firstborn place is qualifiedReuben is called Israel’s firstborn, yet the text explains that his birthright was given to Joseph’s sons because he defiled his father’s couch.
Explanation
Reuben is called Israel’s firstborn, yet the text explains that his birthright was given to Joseph’s sons because he defiled his father’s couch. It also says Judah prevailed above his brothers and from him came the prince. So the genealogy carefully distinguishes firstborn status, birthright and leadership.
04The eastern tribes move from answered prayer to exileReuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh are linked with large eastern territories and military strength.
Explanation
Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh are linked with large eastern territories and military strength. In war they cried to God, and he answered because they trusted him. The passage then turns sharply. Many fell slain, they lived there until the captivity, but later they trespassed against God, so he stirred up Assyria to carry them away.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What details show that this genealogy records more than parent and child names?
Notice the mentions of sisters, wives, towns, trades and service with the king.
02How does the passage distinguish Reuben’s firstborn status from Joseph’s birthright and Judah’s leading role?
Read the wording closely, because the text gives a separate statement about each point.
03What contrast marks the story of the eastern tribes?
Compare the verses where they trust God in battle with the verses where they trespass and are deported.
Read the Bible passages
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
1 Chronicles 4:1–8
1The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
2Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath; and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.
3These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. The name of their sister was Hazzelelponi.
4Penuel was the father of Gedor and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.
5Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.
7The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
8Hakkoz became the father of Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
1 Chronicles 4:11–43
11Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.
12Eshton became the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These are the men of Recah.
13The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath.
14Meonothai became the father of Ophrah: and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge Harashim, for they were craftsmen.
15The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.
16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon; and Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18His wife the Jewess bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.
19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben Zoheth.
21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;
22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These records are ancient.
23These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work.
24The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son.
26The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.
27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn’t have many children, and all their family didn’t multiply like the children of Judah.
28They lived at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual,
29at Bilhah, at Ezem, at Tolad,
30at Bethuel, at Hormah, at Ziklag,
31at Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, at Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until David’s reign.
32Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
33and all their villages that were around the same cities, as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept their genealogy.
34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah,
35Joel, Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,
37and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—
38these mentioned by name were princes in their families. Their fathers’ houses increased greatly.
39They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40They found rich, good pasture, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceful, for those who lived there before were descended from Ham.
41These written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and struck their tents and the Meunim who were found there; and they destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42Some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
43They struck the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day.
1 Chronicles 5:1–26
1The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be listed according to the birthright.
2For Judah prevailed above his brothers, and from him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph’s)—
3the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,
6and Beerah his son, whom Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive. He was prince of the Reubenites.
7His brothers by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was listed: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,
8and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, even to Nebo and Baal Meon;
9and he lived eastward even to the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their livestock were multiplied in the land of Gilead.
10In the days of Saul, they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they lived in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead.
11The sons of Gad lived beside them in the land of Bashan to Salecah:
12Joel the chief, Shapham the second, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13Their brothers of their fathers’ houses: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber, seven.
14These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
15Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of their fathers’ houses.
16They lived in Gilead in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon as far as their borders.
17All these were listed by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
18The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, able to shoot with bow, and skillful in war, were forty-four thousand seven hundred sixty that were able to go out to war.
19They made war with the Hagrites, with Jetur, and Naphish, and Nodab.
20They were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he answered them because they put their trust in him.
21They took away their livestock: of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred fifty thousand, and of donkeys two thousand, and of men one hundred thousand.
22For many fell slain, because the war was of God. They lived in their place until the captivity.
23The children of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon.
24These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses.
25They trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the prostitute after the gods of the peoples of the land whom God destroyed before them.
26So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried away the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.