We return to describe descendants of Judah. J. Barton Payne says that these descendants do not appear elsewhere in the Old Testament and so the Chronicler is relying on sources we no longer have.
1 Chronicles 4: 1-8, More on the descendants of Israel
The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal.
Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.
These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi.
Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah.
These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and father of Bethlehem.
Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah. The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.
1 Chronicles 4: 9-20, Eight leaders in Judah
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.
Kelub, Shuhah's brother, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Recah.
The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge Harashim. It was called this because its people were craftsmen.
The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.
The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.
The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered's wives gave birth to Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. (His Judean wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.
The sons of Hodiah's wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon.
The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.
Payne says that this list covers eight leaders of Judah: Jabez, Kelub, Kenaz, Jehallelel, Ezeah, Hodiah, Shimon and Ishi.
Jabez means "he causes pain." Despite his mother's pain, Jabez asks God to bless him and God granted that request. Modern author David Wilkinson has taken, from this single comment about Jabez, to write a book and start a movement, The Prayer of Jabez. After having just worked through the book of Job, I find that disconcerting!
1 Chronicles 4: 21-23, Shelah's clan
The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.) They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king.
The Chronicler notes using records from ancient times, times ancient to this ancient writer. Winfried Corduan, of The Gospel Coalition commentary on 1 Chronicles, notes that two men are recorded as ruling in Moab, presumably with Moabite wives. Some of the ancient Jews, just like David, had Moabites in their family history.1 Chronicles 4: 21-23, Shelah's clan
The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.) They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king.
1 Chronicles 4: 24-43, The descendants of Simeon
The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul; Shallum was Shaul's son, Mibsam his son and Mishma his son. The descendants of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son and Shimei his son.
Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah. They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David.
Their surrounding villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token and Ashan--five towns--and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record. Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.
The men listed above by name were leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly, and they went to the outskirts of Gedor to the east of the valley in search of pasture for their flocks. They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet. Some Hamites had lived there formerly.
The men whose names were listed came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings and also the Meunites who were there and completely destroyed them, as is evident to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks.
And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir. They killed the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.
The tribe of Simeon has a strange history in the records of Joshua-Judges-Samuel-Kings. In Joshua 19: 9, Simeon is recorded as being within the boundaries of Judah. In Joshua 15: 20-32, we see, amongst a long list of towns of Judah: Moladah, Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Ezem, Eltolad, Hormah, Ziklag, Hazar Shual, Ain and Rimmon, all listed also in verses 28 to 32 here as towns of Simeon. The Masoretic Text does not include the tribe of Simeon in the blessings of Moses in Deuteronomy 33. Payne argues that because of the massacre of Shechem in Genesis 34 (after the rape of Dinah) both the descendants of Levi and Simeon were condemned to be dispersed among the other tribes. According to verses 41-43 here, in the days of King Hezekiah (c. 700 BC), a number of Simeonites migrated eastward into the land of Edom (says Corduan) where they survived the Babylonian invasion.
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