Bible Study 1 Chronicles 3
‹ 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3 · WEB

The Descendants of David

Listen — WEB narration 0:00 / 0:00 Narration: World English Bible (David Williams), public domain — AudioTreasure.

Tap a verse to copy it, open the Hebrew, or write a note.

Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess;
2the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
3the fifth, Shephatiah of Abital; the sixth, Ithream of his wife Eglah:
4six were born to him in Hebron; and he reigned there seven years and six months. He reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
5These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon — four — of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel;
6and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet,
7Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
8Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet — nine.
9All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister.
10Solomon's son was Rehoboam; Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,
11Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,
12Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
13Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,
14Amon his son, Josiah his son.
15The sons of Josiah: the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.
16The sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.
17The sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son,
18Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah; and Shelomith was their sister;
20and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab Hesed — five.
21The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah; the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shecaniah.
22The sons of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat — six.
23The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam — three.
24The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani — seven.
✶

Summary

This chapter catalogs the sons born to David in Hebron and Jerusalem, then traces the royal line through Solomon to the kings of Judah — from Rehoboam down to Josiah and the exile. The genealogy continues beyond the exile through Jeconiah to Zerubbabel (the post-exilic governor) and on to the Chronicler's own era. This demonstrates that the Davidic line survived the Babylonian exile and continued to exist in the post-exilic community.

Themes

  • Continuity of the Davidic covenant through history
  • God's faithfulness preserving the royal line through exile
  • Hope for the future of the Davidic dynasty

Key verses

  • 1 Chr 3:19 — “The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei.”
  • 1 Chr 3:4 — “Six were born to him in Hebron; and he reigned there seven years and six months. He reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.”

Context & background

David first ruled from Hebron (modern Hebron, West Bank, ~30 km south of Jerusalem) for seven and a half years before capturing Jerusalem and ruling there for thirty-three years. This chapter's genealogy is of immense theological importance: it shows that despite the catastrophic Babylonian exile (605–538 BC), the line of David was not destroyed. Zerubbabel led the first wave of exiles back to Judah from Babylon (modern central Iraq) around 538 BC and served as governor. The New Testament's genealogies of Jesus trace through this very line.

Cross-references

  • 2 Samuel 3:2-5 — Sons of David born in Hebron
  • 2 Samuel 5:13-16 — Sons of David born in Jerusalem
  • Ezra 3:2 — Zerubbabel leads the return from exile and rebuilds the altar
  • Luke 3:23-38 — Luke's genealogy passing through Nathan (v. 5) rather than Solomon
  • Matthew 1:6-17 — Jesus' genealogy through the royal line traced here

Check your reading

Log in to take the quiz and save your progress.

  1. Observe

    How many sons did David have in Hebron, and how many in Jerusalem, according to this chapter?

  2. Observe

    Which post-exilic figure — also prominent in Ezra and Haggai — appears in verse 19 as a descendant of the Davidic line?

  3. Interpret

    Why is it theologically significant that the Chronicler traces the Davidic line through the exile and beyond to his own day?

  4. Interpret

    What does the survival of David's genealogy through exile suggest about the reliability of God's promises?

  5. Apply

    How does the preservation of the Davidic line through exile strengthen your trust in God's promises to you when circumstances seem to contradict them?

  6. Apply

    Zerubbabel rebuilt after exile and devastation. How might this shape your response when you face a season of rebuilding after loss?

Your journal

Write your own answers — they save automatically, and only you can see them.

Log in to write and save journal answers.

Apply (How does it apply to me?)

Personal notes (anything else about this chapter)