1 Chronicles 3: 1 – 24
Building Blocks
3 Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; 2 the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; 3 the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah. 4 These six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. 5 And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon—four by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel. 6 Also there were Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all. 9 These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister. 10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam; Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, and Josiah his son. 15 The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum. 16 The sons of Jehoiakim were Jeconiah his son and Zedekiah his son. 17 And the sons of Jeconiah were Assir, Shealtiel his son, 18 and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. 19 The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, 20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed—five in all. 21 The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shechaniah. 22 The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all. 23 The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam—three in all. 24 The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.
As I was going over this chapter the one thing that kept crying out to me is that the continued listing of who begot who are presented to all mankind with the purpose of the development of ‘Building blocks.’ Here our Precious Holy Spirit started with a foundation and is expertly building to the revealing of the end Greatest Person Who ever existed, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As I entered my college years my first interest was in Accounting. Although I never went into this field after obtaining my bachelor’s degree, my Great and Awesome Holy God allowed me to add this type of knowledge to be utilized for future use such as the study of genealogies in the bible like we see in the book of 1st Chronicles.
A building block is a package of functionality defined to meet the business needs across an organization. It has published interfaces to access the functionality and may interoperate with other, inter-dependent, building blocks.
A good building block has the following characteristics:
It considers implementation and usage and evolves to exploit technology and standards.
It may be assembled from other building blocks.
It may be a subassembly of other building blocks.
Ideally a building block is re-usable and replaceable, and well. specified.
A building block may have multiple implementations but with different inter-dependent building blocks.
A building block is therefore simply a package of functionality defined to meet business needs. The way in which functionality, products, and custom developments are assembled into building blocks will vary widely between individual architectures. Every organization must decide for itself what arrangement of building blocks works best for it. A good choice of building blocks can lead to improvements in legacy system integration, interoperability, and flexibility in the creation of new systems and applications.
Systems are built up from collections of building blocks, so most building blocks must interoperate with other building blocks. Wherever that is true, it is important that the interfaces to a building block are published and reasonably stable.
The department of Accounting is an important subsection of the overall building block of a Corporate Enterprise. A novice in this field must undergo a continued block upon block of basic accounting principles. Understanding the basic building blocks in accounting makes it much easier to grasp the more advanced accounting concepts. These are the basic terms that one must become familiar with in accounting:
. Income
. Expenses
. Assets
. Liabilities
. Owner's Equity
. Debit
. Credit
It is the managerial accountant’s job to provide correct information to all internal managers. In other words, the costing information gathered must be factual and truthful, as in 'what is the cost that reflects the actual use of the resources and processes'. Therefore, truth corresponds to facts and when applied to Management Accounting it translates to resources in operation creates a factual situation. Obviously, the resources and operations about which a manager makes decisions on are based on the factual and accurate information. The manager's decision will act to change the current situation since the manager is interested in the economic impact of the possible outcomes.
We are now being shown a spread sheet listed by our Great God Who Is the Ultimate Perfect Accountant. His records are factual. It can be depended on to prove the exact lineage of our Blessed Holy Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, The Son of David. He Is the One which prophecy highlight. May you pray and see our Great Historian’s magnificent report.
Having dealt with the descendants of Judah, and of the clans of Ram, Caleb and Jerahmeel, and having demonstrated their successes and failures, and their lines of descent, attention suddenly turns to the house of David. The change appears abrupt and clear, and no doubt introduces a different record. But the recording of it here between two subsections dealing with the house of Judah, highlights it in the eyes of the readers, and reminds them that the triumphs of the conquest led on to the significance of the Davidic house. By this it is made clear that David is of central importance. It is not something that any Israelite would have doubted. In the coming of a future Son of ‘David’ lay all their hopes. He would be the One Who would establish the everlasting kingdom.
This series of genealogies follows on from 2.17 where the ancestry of David had been made plain. It will be noted that when David’s genealogies are mentioned full details are given. Thus earlier we were given details of all his brothers. Now we are given details of all his true born sons. This underlines the favor in which he was viewed by both man and God. Nothing about him was to be lost.
3 Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; 2 the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; 3 the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah. 4 These six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.
Six sons were born to David in Hebron. This was in the period when he was king of Judah only. They were born of six wives.
David’s first wife was Michal, the daughter of Saul (1 Samuel 18.27), but for a while she was taken from him. Abigail appears to have been his second, followed by Ahinoam. Both went up with David to Hebron (2 Samuel 2.2). Maacah, Haggith, Abital and Eglah presumably married him during his seven years in Hebron. Later in Jerusalem he married more wives and had many sons and daughters (2 Samuel 5.13).
As we note Amnon was his firstborn son. He was slain by Absalom for the rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13). Absalom later rebelled against his father and was slain at the command of Joab (2 Samuel 15-18). Adonijah sought to take the throne instead of Solomon, and, whilst being initially pardoned, was in the end executed because of his continued attempts at a coup (1 Kings 1-2).
These sons are divided into two parts. Four are named as the sons of Bathshua (Bathsheba). Nine are then named as the sons of other wives, some possibly as mentioned above.
The change of name from Bathsheba to Bathshua may have been the Chronicler’s method of showing his disfavor of Bathsheba as an adulteress, by replacing sheba with shua, the name of Judah’s Canaanite wife (Genesis 38.2). Bathshua mean ‘daughter of Shua’ and is in fact applied to Judah’s Canaanite wife in 2.3. Bathsheba was thus the real name of David’s wife, with Bathshua a derogatory name which stressed her Canaanite propensities (sexual misbehavior). Here she is called the daughter of Ammiel (El is my kinsman), in 2 Samuel 11.3 she is called the daughter of Eliam (my El is a kinsman). In the latter case the ’el has been transferred to the front of the name. This may also have been with a derogatory purpose.
5 And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon—four by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel. 6 Also there were Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine in all.
David had four sons by Bathsheba. The first died in childbirth. They are named in 2 Samuel 5.14 as Shammua (similar consonants to Shimea), Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. In our Lord Jesus’ genealogy in Luke 3.31 He Is said to have descended from Nathan. In Matthew 1.7 His descent is from Solomon. This was probably because Matthew’s genealogy lists the successors to the throne to demonstrate Jesus’ kingship, with the lines of Solomon. Since a future descendent of Solomon named Coniah was cursed by our Holy God future descendent of him could not be king. We learn this fact in the book of Jeremiah chapter 22, 24 “As I live,” says the LORD, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off; 25 and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return. 28 “Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol— A vessel in which is no pleasure? Why are they cast out, he and his descendants, and cast into a land which they do not know? 29 O earth, earth, earth, Hear the word of the LORD! 30 Thus says the LORD: ‘Write this man down as childless, A man who shall not prosper in his days; For none of his descendants shall prosper, Sitting on the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.’
So Satan thought he had won because no descendent of Solomon who had the legal right to be king could sit as king. But be of good cheer for our Omniscient God solved the problem by another of David’s son’s with Bathsheba, Luke’s Gospel lists the direct blood line from Nathan. (Matthew 1ists Joseph’s genealogy, and Luke 3 as Mary’s).
So, the bottom line is that as the adopted son of Joseph our Lord Jesus legally has the right to be in the line of Solomon but is not affected by the curse since He Is not in the blood line of Solomon. By being formed in Mary (A descendent of David by Nathan) He still Is a Son of David.
There are nine other sons of David born from full wives, making nineteen sons in all. These latter wives may have included the six mentioned above, but we also know that David was married to Michal, Saul’s daughter, (who, however, had no children - 2 Samuel 6.23) as well as others whom he married in Jerusalem (14.3; 2 Samuel 5.13). Do you notice that the names of Elishama and Eliphelet are repeated. This was probably because the first bearers of the name died in childbirth or in infancy, a common occurrence in those days. Nogah appears also to have been called Elishua. This would all appear to be confirmed by the list in 2 Samuel 5.15-16.
9 These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.
As well as the above David had many sons born of concubines (secondary wives). And his sons had many sisters (14.3; 2 Samuel 5.13). One of them was named Tamar, known to us from the tragic story of her relationship with Amnon (2 Samuel 13).
We now have details of the kings of Judah who succeeded to the throne following David and Solomon. Their abbreviated history is depicted for us in the books of Kings and 2 Chronicles.
10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam; Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
This is the line of descent from Solomon to Jotham. The only name missing is that of Athaliah who as a usurper was, and not of the house of David. Another name for Azariah was Uzziah. We can compare this with the genealogy of the royal house in Matthew 1, but it will be noted that Matthew excludes Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah, all of whom were tainted by their association with the house of Ahab.
13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, and Josiah his son.
This is the line of descent from Jotham to Josiah, the king who was most like David. After his untimely death first Egypt and then Babylon gained ascendancy over Judah. Josiah was succeeded by Jehoahaz (also named Shallum - Jeremiah 22.11), who was then replaced by the Egyptians with Jehoiakim (also named Eliakim). Jehoiakim died at the siege of Jerusalem, having rebelled against Babylon (although the circumstances of his death are not known) and he was replaced by his son Jehoiachin (Jeconiah or also Coniah). Within three months Jehoiachin was transported to Babylon and replaced by Zedekiah. It is not certain whether this Zedekiah was the son of Josiah (verse 15), and therefore Jehoiachin’s uncle, or whether this Zedekiah who succeeded was Jehoiachin’s son (verse 16)
15 The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum.
These are the sons of Josiah. Shallum (Jehoahaz) and Jehoiakim certainly reigned over Judah, the second replacing the first who was taken hostage to Egypt, and Zedekiah also reigned (following Jehoiachin).
16 The sons of Jehoiakim were Jeconiah his son and Zedekiah his son.
Jehoiakim was succeeded by his son Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), who reigned for three months and was replaced by Assyria with Zedekiah, stated here to be Jehoiachin’s son. But the term ‘son’ may be being used loosely to mean successor.
17 And the sons of Jeconiah were Assir, Shealtiel his son, 18 and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
This rather plaintive description of Jeconiah as ‘the captive’ or ‘prisoner’ hides the fact that he was not treated badly by Nebuchadnezzar. He was treated as a royal prisoner and had his sons with him in his quarters.
The sons of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah) are now named. In the end they numbered seven. All presumably died in Babylon.
19 The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister,
Zerubbabel led a group of returnees from Babylon (Ezra 2.1-2), and helped to lay the foundations of the new Temple (Ezra 3.8; 5.2), a work which he finally completed. He resisted the attempts to persuade him to water down the worship of Yahweh (Ezra 4.1-2), and stood firm for the true faith, along with Joshua the High Priest, in the face of all such attempts. It was thus that Yahwism was kept pure and free from idolatry.
The first two sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam and Hananiah, both popular names in post-exilic times. Their sister was named Shelomith. She must have been very influential to be mentioned here. The mention of these sons separately from the sons in verse 20 (they are even excluded from the enumeration of ‘five’) was probably because these were born in Babylon prior to Zerubbabel’s return to Judah.
20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed—five in all.
On reaching Judah Zerubbabel had a further five sons whose names are given here. Five is the number of covenant and there may be a deliberate hint here that they were born within the covenant, for the numbering of sons only begins here.
The names are indicative of the great joy that the return from exile had produced. Hashubah means ‘YHWH has considered’; Ohel means ‘tent’ (of YHWH) (YHWH’s house is restored); Berechiah means ‘YHWH has blessed’: Hasadiah means ‘YHWH has shown covenant love’; and Jushab-hesed means ‘covenant love has returned’.
21 The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shechaniah.
Of the sons of Zerubbabel only the descent of Hananiah is given. His sons are named as Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, and after that an indication of relatives or descendants is given. It may be that Pelatiah and Jeshaiah were alive when Chronicles was written. The Chronicler thus moved on to giving wider details concerning the Davidic line. It was important that the members of the Davidic household were recognized, for who knew from which member the Coming King might come?
As so often the Chronicler suddenly introduces new names without making clear their relationship to those who have gone before, although it may have been well known to his first readers. Thus Rephaiah, Arnan, Obadiah and Shecaniah may have been relatives of Zerubbabel, and as such would have been well known to the returnees. Part of the reason for mentioning them was presumably to prepare for a listing of the descendants of Shecaniah.
Rephaiah (‘YHWH is healing’), Arnan (‘joyous’), Obadiah (‘servant of YHWH’) and Shecaniah. These could have been further sons of Hananiah, or more probably relatives who produced more family for Zerubbabel’s (and therefore David’s) household, indicating the widespread nature of the relative of David.
22 The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all.
The ‘sons’ (descendants) of Shecaniah are now to be detailed, and they commence with his (her) one son, Shemaiah.
Shemaiah then had five sons, who together with Shemaiah made six.
23 The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam—three in all.
Neariah, one of Shemaiah’s sons now had three sons, indicating further completeness. The numbers are drawing attention to the completeness of the Davidic family, whilst the continuing expansion of the family is clearly apparent in that the sons of the brothers are not named.
24 The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.
A list of the sons of Elioenai, the son of Neariah, now completes the genealogy. This may have been because these sons were still alive and young at the time the Chronicler was writing. But it may also be because they number seven, depicting the divine completeness of the Davidic house. This may have been seen as preparing for the ideal ‘David’ yet to come. The continuation of David’s genealogy to this point indicates the hopes that there still were for the Davidic house.
