1 Chronicles 1 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Compiled around 450 to 400 BC, though the names reach back to the beginning of human history
Location
Written in Jerusalem, in the small Persian province of Judah; the names in the chapter range across Mesopotamia, Arabia, Egypt and Edom
Audience
Jewish families who had come back from exile in Babylon and were rebuilding life in Judah under Persian rule
Situation
The book opens not with a story but with a list of names running from Adam through Noah's three sons, then narrowing to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and finally Esau and the kings of Edom. It is a compressed sweep of world history that funnels toward Israel.
Key Background
Ancient Near Eastern peoples kept genealogies the way modern nations keep constitutions and maps: a name list argued who belonged, who was related to whom, and who had a claim on land. By starting at Adam rather than at Abraham, the writer places the returned exiles inside the whole human family instead of treating them as a defeated minority in a corner of the Persian empire. The Edomite king list at the end is included because Edom, Israel's neighbour and rival to the southeast, had kings long before Israel did, a fact the writer records without embarrassment.
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
Lamech,
Ham, and Japheth.
The of Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
The sons of Gomer: Riphath, and Togarmah.
The sons of Javan: Elishah, and Rodanim.
The sons of Cush, Put, and Canaan.
The sons of Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabteca. The sons of Raama: Sheba and Dedan.
Cush fathered He was the first on earth.
Egypt fathered the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehabites, the Naphtuhites,
the Pathrusites, the Casluhites (from whom the came), and the Caphtorites.
fathered Sidon his firstborn, then
and the the Amorites, the Girgashites,
the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,
the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
The sons of Elam, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered
Two sons were born to Eber: the first was named because in his time the earth was his brother was named Joktan.
Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,
Eber, Peleg, Reu,
Serug, Nahor, Terah,
(that is,
The sons of Abraham: and
These are their descendants: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, then Adbeel, Mibsam,
Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,
Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
The sons born to Abraham's Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan.
The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: and
The sons of Esau: Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
The sons of Eliphaz: Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, and (by
The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
The sons of Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. Lotan's sister was Timna.
The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah.
The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
These are the kings who in the land of the Bela son of Beor, and his city was named Dinhabah.
When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from ruled in his place.
When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites ruled in his place.
When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who in the of ruled in his place. His city was named Avith.
When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah ruled in his place.
When Samlah died, Shaul from on the ruled in his place.
When Shaul died, son of Achbor ruled in his place.
When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad ruled in his place. His city was named Pai, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-Zahab.