1Ch 7 | MHM | STEP | Genealogies This chapter gives a summary of several tribes of Israel and their family lines. It talks about Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, and the part of Manasseh that lived west of the Jordan River. The focus is on their numbers, strength, and the important people in their tribes. Sometimes, only the first ancestors are listed because later family records were lost. The chapter also shows that each tribe had its own challenges and special qualities, as predicted by Jacob long ago. God’s plans for each tribe are seen in their stories and in how they served Israel. v. 1–5 : The tribe of Issachar was compared by Jacob to a strong ass, couching between two burdens (Genesis 49:14 ). This means they worked hard and took care of their land. They had many people because their land was good and they worked together. Issachar’s men were strong and brave, called men of might (1 Chronicles 7:2, 5 ). The families of Issachar were counted in the days of David, and there were over 145,000 men able to fight. This may be a special count made among themselves, not the one that Joab did, because his count was not recorded since it displeased God (1 Chronicles 27:24 ).

‏ 1 Chronicles 7

Genealogies

This chapter gives a summary of several tribes of Israel and their family lines. It talks about Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, and the part of Manasseh that lived west of the Jordan River. The focus is on their numbers, strength, and the important people in their tribes. Sometimes, only the first ancestors are listed because later family records were lost. The chapter also shows that each tribe had its own challenges and special qualities, as predicted by Jacob long ago. God’s plans for each tribe are seen in their stories and in how they served Israel.

v. 1–5: The tribe of Issachar was compared by Jacob to a strong ass, couching between two burdens (Genesis 49:14 ^a). This means they worked hard and took care of their land. They had many people because their land was good and they worked together. Issachar’s men were strong and brave, called men of might (1 Chronicles 7:2, 5 ^b). The families of Issachar were counted in the days of David, and there were over 145,000 men able to fight. This may be a special count made among themselves, not the one that Joab did, because his count was not recorded since it displeased God (1 Chronicles 27:24 ^c).

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v. 6–12: The tribe of Benjamin is also listed here, but there is more about them in the next chapter. Benjamin had about 60,000 men for its army. They are called mighty men of valour (1 Chronicles 7:7, 9, 11 ^d). Jacob said, Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf (Genesis 49:27 ^e). This tribe was honored because Saul, the first king of Israel, came from Benjamin. Later, Benjamin remained loyal to David’s family when other tribes left. The verse also mentions Hushim, the sons of Aher (1 Chronicles 7:12 ^f). The name Hushim is also used for the sons of Dan (Genesis 46:23 ^g), so some think “Aher” means “another,” referring to another one of Jacob’s sons. The Danites acted like strangers to Israel when they worshipped idols and did not follow God’s ways (Judges 18:30-31 ^h).

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v. 13: For the tribe of Naphtali, only the first ancestors are named . These names are the same as in Genesis 46:24 ⁱ, except for one name: Shillem there is called Shallum here. The later family records may have been lost, so none of their descendants are listed.

v. 14–19: The tribe of Manasseh is partly listed here. This is the part that lived west of the Jordan River. One man from Manasseh married a Syrian woman while they were still in Egypt (1 Chronicles 7:14 ^j). This shows that even in Egypt, the Israelites began to mix with other nations. But Machir, the son from this marriage, learned from his father’s mistake and married a woman from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:15 ^k). This teaches us that children should learn from their parents’ errors and make better choices. Bedan is also mentioned here (1 Chronicles 7:17 ^l), and he might be the same Bedan who helped save Israel (1 Samuel 12:11 ^m). Jair is named too, and he was a leader from Manasseh (Judges 10:3 ⁿ).

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Genealogies

This section continues the genealogies of Israel, focusing on the tribes of Ephraim and Asher. It tells about the early troubles of Ephraim’s family, their sorrow, and how God brought comfort and restoration. It also mentions some important people from Asher. The stories show that God’s promises may seem delayed or challenged, but He is always faithful in the end.

v. 20–21: The tribe of Ephraim faced great trouble in its early days. Some of Ephraim’s sons or grandsons were killed by the men of Gath, who were Philistines and giants. This happened because they came down to take away their cattle (1 Chronicles 7:21 ^o). It is not clear who started the fight. Some think the men of Gath attacked the Ephraimites to steal their cattle, while others think the Ephraimites tried to take cattle from Gath. Either way, many in Ephraim’s family died. This shows that wealth can bring danger, and that acting too quickly without waiting for God’s timing can lead to trouble. Jacob had promised that Ephraim’s family would become a multitude of nations (Genesis 48:19 ^p), but now it looked like that promise was in danger. Sometimes God’s plans seem delayed, but He always keeps His word.

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v. 22: Ephraim, the father, was very sad and mourned for many days after losing his sons. It is very hard for parents to see their children die before them, especially in a violent way. Ephraim’s brothers came to comfort him and remind him of God’s promises. Even when life is hard and families are broken, God’s promises remain sure (2 Samuel 23:5 ^q).

v. 23: God brought comfort to Ephraim by giving him another son in his old age. This was like when God gave Seth to Adam and Eve after Abel was killed (Genesis 4:25 ^r). Ephraim named his new son Beriah, which means “in trouble,” because he was born during a sad time for the family. Sometimes, even when God gives us new blessings, we still remember our past pain. It is good to remember our troubles so we stay humble before God (Lamentations 3:19-20 ^s).

v. 24: A woman from Ephraim’s family, Sherah, built some cities when Israel settled in Canaan. One city was named Uzzen-sherah after her (1 Chronicles 7:24 ^t). This shows that women can also bring honor and blessing to their families, just like men.

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v. 27: Joshua, the son of Nun, was from the tribe of Ephraim. He led Israel in the conquest of Canaan (1 Chronicles 7:27 ^u). In this way, God repaired the loss in Ephraim’s family and used them for great things. Maybe the old hurt from the Canaanites made Joshua even more determined in battle.

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v. 30–40: The tribe of Asher is also listed here. Some important men from Asher are named. Their army was not very large—only 26,000 men—but their leaders were choice and mighty men of valour, chief of the princes (1 Chronicles 7:40 ^v). It was wise for them to have a small but strong and skilled army, instead of many untrained men.