I Chronicles Chapter 2
Please read: I Chronicles 2 –
Your Bible may be titled like mine is, in that this chapter is a genealogy of David. However, we will find that a sideline genealogy of a descendant of Judah takes up the greater portion of the verses of genealogy written in this chapter. The name Judah as you may recall comes from one of the 12 brothers of Israel (or Jacob) and those 12 brothers became known as the 12 tribes of Israel.
This family tree history was important to the Jewish people who had been exiled in Babylon for many years. When they returned to the promised land the majority of them were descendants of Judah and of Benjamin. God showed them that they had a history, a history that He had preserved.
Now I will admit that trying to follow these family trees is very taxing to the brain, and I got confused. But the main thing you need to know is that a grandson of Judah named Hezron is the one that David’s family tree is traced back to in verses 1-17. And that a man named Caleb, a son of this same Hezron, his family tree is traced from verse 18 to the end.
Let's Reflect
1. Verse 4 reminds us that David came from the genealogy of the man Judah. That genealogy was marked by a daughter-in-law who “tricked” her father-in-law Judah to sleep with her after her husband had died so that she could have children. What was the name of Judah’s daughter-in-law?
2. And as we skip down to verse 18, we find that Caleb did something similar to his ancestor Judah. What does it say about Caleb?
3. All of those names that you read from verses 18 to 50 is summed up in verse 50. What does it say?
4. Verse 42 clears it up for us in that Caleb was a brother of Jerahmeel who were sons of Hezron who then traces back to Judah. The confusion was that back in verse 9 when the sons of Hezron were listed, Caleb was not listed as one of his sons. According to verse 42, how man sons did Caleb have?
5. The rest of the genealogy of the chapter lists the genealogy of Caleb’s youngest son. Again, looking at verse 42 what was the name of his youngest son?
