אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּבֵן שִׁמְעוֹן לֵוִי וִיהוּדָה יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבֻלוּן

These are the sons of Israel, i.e., Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the sons of Leah in order of their birth;

דָּן יוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִן נַפְתָּלִי גָּד וְאָשֵׁר

Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Although Naphtali, Gad, and Asher were all born before Joseph and Benjamin, they are mentioned after them because Joseph and Benjamin were the sons of Rachel, Jacob’s most beloved wife. The tribes are listed in the Bible fifteen times, on each occasion in a different order.

בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה עֵר וְאוֹנָן וְשֵׁלָה שְׁלוֹשָׁה נוֹלַד לוֹ מִבַּת־שׁוּעַ הַכְּנַעֲנִית וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיְמִיתֵהוּ

The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shela; three were born to him from Bat Shua, the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and He put him to death. The same fate befell Onan, Judah’s second son.

וְתָמָר כַּלָּתוֹ יָלְדָה לּוֹ אֶת־פֶּרֶץ וְאֶת־זָרַח כָּל־בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה חֲמִשָּׁה

Tamar, his, Judah’s, daughter-in-law, bore him Peretz and Zerah, as related in detail in the book of Genesis. All the sons of Judah were five. These five sons were not all alive at the same time; in the words of the Sages, they did not live in one world. The first two, who died young, apparently left no heirs, and yet their names and the circumstances of their deaths are repeated in Judah’s genealogical lists. The same is true with regard to Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu.

בְּנֵי פֶרֶץ חֶצְרוֹן וְחָמוּל

The sons of Peretz: Hetzron and Hamul.

וּבְנֵי זֶרַח זִמְרִי וְאֵיתָן וְהֵימָן וְכַלְכֹּל וָדָרַע כֻּלָּם חֲמִשָּׁה

The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Eitan, Heiman, Kalkol, and Dara; all of them were five. Eitan and Heiman are the names of singers mentioned both in this book and in Psalms. A verse below mentions another Heiman, who was one of the leading singers in the Temple (6:18). Although there is no certainty that the verses are referring to the same individuals, it is possible that Eitan the Ezrahite and Heiman the Ezrahite who appear in the book of Psalms were these sons of Zerah. The pair, together with Kalkol and Dara, also called Darda, are mentioned as men renowned for their wisdom.

וּבְנֵי כַּרְמִי עָכָר עוֹכֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר מָעַל בַּחֵרֶם

The sons of Karmi, who is not identified here but is known from the book of Joshua as one of the sons of Zerah, included Akhar, called Akhan in the book of Joshua. Here he is called Akhar because he was the one who tainted [okher] Israel, who committed a trespass with the proscribed spoils of Jericho, resulting in a military defeat for Israel.

וּבְנֵי אֵיתָן עֲזַרְיָה

The sons, the son or one of the sons, of Eitan, son of Zerah: Azarya.

וּבְנֵי חֶצְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר נוֹלַד לוֹ אֶת־יְרַחְמְאֵל וְאֶת־רָם וְאֶת־כְּלוּבָי

After mentioning some of the descendants of Zerah, whose line was not historically dominant in the tribe of Judah, the chapter returns to focus on the dominant line of the sons of Peretz. The sons of Hetzron, who were born to him: Yerahme’el, Ram, and Keluvai.

וְרָם הוֹלִיד אֶת־עַמִּינָדָב וְעַמִּינָדָב הוֹלִיד אֶת־נַחְשׁוֹן נְשִׂיא בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה

Ram begot Aminadav, and Aminadav begot Nahshon, who was the famous prince of the children of Judah at the time of the exodus from Egypt;

וְנַחְשׁוֹן הוֹלִיד אֶת־שַׂלְמָא וְשַׂלְמָא הוֹלִיד אֶת־בֹּעַז

and Nahshon begot Salma, and Salma begot Boaz, who was the first of this genealogical line to enter and settle in the Land of Israel;

וּבֹעַז הוֹלִיד אֶת־עוֹבֵד וְעוֹבֵד הוֹלִיד אֶת־יִשָׁי

Boaz begot Oved, as related in the book of Ruth, and Oved begot Yishai,

וְאִישַׁי הוֹלִיד אֶת־בְּכֹרוֹ אֶת־אֱלִיאָב וַאֲבִינָדָב הַשֵּׁנִי וְשִׁמְעָא הַשְּׁלִשִׁי

and Yishai, spelled “Ishai” here, begot his firstborn Eliav, and Avinadav, the second son, and Shima the third. The sons of Shima are mentioned in several places in the book of Samuel.

נְתַנְאֵל הָרְבִיעִי רַדַּי הַחֲמִישִׁי

Netanel the fourth, Radai the fifth,

אֹצֶם הַשִּׁשִּׁי דָּוִיד הַשְּׁבִעִי

Otzem the sixth, and David was the seventh son, albeit not the last.

וְאַחְיֹתֵיהֶם צְרוּיָה וַאֲבִיגָיִל וּבְנֵי צְרוּיָה אַבְשַׁי וְיוֹאָב וַעֲשָׂה־אֵל שְׁלֹשָׁה

Their sisters, the sisters of the sons of Yishai, were Tzeruya and Avigayil; the sons of Tzeruya, their lineage linked here to their mother rather than their father in deference to David, were Avshai, Yoav, and Asael, three. The sons of Tzeruya, the nephews of David, are among the principal characters in the book of Samuel.

וַאֲבִיגַיִל יָלְדָה אֶת־עֲמָשָׂא וַאֲבִי עֲמָשָׂא יֶתֶר הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִי

Avigayil bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was a man called Yeter the Ishmaelite.

וְכָלֵב בֶּן־חֶצְרוֹן הוֹלִיד אֶת־עֲזוּבָה אִשָּׁה וְאֶת יְרִיעוֹת וְאֵלֶּה בָנֶיהָ יֵשֶׁר וְשׁוֹבָב וְאַרְדּוֹן

Caleb son of Hetzron, son of Peretz, son of Judah, begot children with Azuva his wife, and he also fathered children with his second wife, Yeriot, and these are her sons: Yesher, Shovav, and Ardon.

וַתָּמָת עֲזוּבָה וַיִּקַּח־לוֹ כָלֵב אֶת־אֶפְרָת וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־חוּר

Azuva died, and Caleb took for himself another wife, Efrat, and she bore him Hur. Nothing further is stated about Efrat, but a rabbinic tradition identifies her as Miriam, Moses’ sister. Hur appears in the Torah as a confidant of Moses until the revelation at Sinai. Moses trusted Hur, and when Moses ascended Mount Sinai, he left him, along with Aaron, in charge of the people, perhaps because he was his sister’s son.

וְחוּר הוֹלִיד אֶת־אוּרִי וְאוּרִי הוֹלִיד אֶת־בְּצַלְאֵל

Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Betzalel, the chief architect of the Tabernacle, who therefore earns special mention here.

וְאַחַר בָּא חֶצְרוֹן אֶל־בַּת־מָכִיר אֲבִי גִלְעָד וְהוּא לְקָחָהּ וְהוּא בֶּן־שִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־שְׂגוּב

Thereafter, after he had already fathered several sons, Hetzron, Caleb’s father, consorted with the daughter of Makhir. Makhir was the son of Manasseh and the father of Gilad. The family of Gilad son of Makhir became so important that an entire region on the east side of the Jordan River was named after him. He took her when he was sixty years old. Hetzron married her when he was a widower, or in addition to his previous wives. And she bore him Seguv.

וּשְׂגוּב הוֹלִיד אֶת־יָאִיר וַיְהִי־לוֹ עֶשְׂרִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ עָרִים בְּאֶרֶץ הַגִּלְעָד

Seguv begot Ya’ir, and he had twenty-three cities in the land of the Gilad. The book of Numbers (32:41) mentions that Ya’ir conquered parts of Gilad, but his precise lineage is not given there. This list teaches that he was patrilineally descended from the tribe of Judah, but was a descendant of Makhir from his mother’s side. When Makhir conquered Gilad, Ya’ir joined him and took possession of a certain portion of the land, which was called Havot Ya’ir after him. This region seems to have bordered a foreign kingdom, as indicated in the next verse.

וַיִּקַּח גְּשׁוּר־וַאֲרָם אֶת־חַוֹּת יָאִיר מֵאִתָּם אֶת־קְנָת וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶיהָ שִׁשִּׁים עִיר כָּל־אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי מָכִיר אֲבִי־גִלְעָד

Havot Ya’ir did not remain under Israel’s control for long, as it was conquered by neighboring nations: Geshur and Aram, kingdoms northeast of Israel, took Havot Ya’ir from them, Israel, with Kenat and its environs, sixty cities; all these were the sons of Makhir father of Gilad. This is not a full genealogical list of the descendants of Makhir, but a few fragments of information recorded here because of Makhir’s family relationship to Hetzron.

וְאַחַר מוֹת־חֶצְרוֹן בְּכָלֵב אֶפְרָתָה וְאֵשֶׁת חֶצְרוֹן אֲבִיָּה וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־אַשְׁחוּר אֲבִי תְקוֹעַ

After the death of Hetzron, Caleb consorted with Efrat [bekhalev efrata], his wife. Some explain this phrase as meaning that Caleb came to the town of Efrat near Bethlehem, in the territory he ruled. He may have named the town itself after his wife. The wife of Hetzron was Aviya and she bore him Ashhur, father of the settlement of Tekoa.

וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי־יְרַחְמְאֵל בְּכוֹר חֶצְרוֹן הַבְּכוֹר רָם וּבוּנָה וָאֹרֶן וָאֹצֶם אֲחִיָּה

The following genealogical lists are cited here apropos the previous one: The sons of Yerahme’el, who was the firstborn of Hetzron, were Ram the firstborn, which was also the name of Hetzron’s son. Several names in I Chronicles recur within the same families. In addition, there were Buna, Oren, Otzem, and Ahiya. All these were sons of Yerahme’el, presumably from the same wife.

וַתְּהִי אִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת לִירַחְמְאֵל וּשְׁמָהּ עֲטָרָה הִיא אֵם אוֹנָם

Yerahme’el had another wife, and her name was Atara; she was the mother of Onam.

וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי־רָם בְּכוֹר יְרַחְמְאֵל מַעַץ וְיָמִין וָעֵקֶר

The sons of Ram, firstborn of Yerahme’el, were Maatz, Yamin, and Eker.

וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי־אוֹנָם שַׁמַּי וְיָדָע וּבְנֵי שַׁמַּי נָדָב וַאֲבִישׁוּר

The sons of Onam, another of Yerahme’el’s sons, were Shamai and Yada, and the sons of Shamai: Nadav and Avishur.

וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת אֲבִישׁוּר אֲבִיהָיִל וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־אַחְבָּן וְאֶת־מוֹלִיד

The name of Avishur’s wife was Avihayil; she bore him Ahban and Molid.

וּבְנֵי נָדָב סֶלֶד וְאַפָּיִם וַיָּמָת סֶלֶד לֹא בָנִים

The sons of Nadav son of Shamai were Seled and Apayim, and Seled died without children, perhaps without any descendants at all. He certainly did not leave behind sons to continue his name in the genealogical list.

וּבְנֵי אַפַּיִם יִשְׁעִי וּבְנֵי יִשְׁעִי שֵׁשָׁן וּבְנֵי שֵׁשָׁן אַחְלָי

The sons of Apayim, Nadav’s other son, included only Yishi. The sons of Yishi: Sheshan. The sons of Sheshan: Ahlai.

וּבְנֵי יָדָע אֲחִי שַׁמַּי יֶתֶר וְיוֹנָתָן וַיָּמָת יֶתֶר לֹא בָנִים

The sons of Yada, brother of the aforementioned Shamai, were Yeter and Yonatan; Yeter died without children.

וּבְנֵי יוֹנָתָן פֶּלֶת וְזָזָא אֵלֶּה הָיוּ בְּנֵי יְרַחְמְאֵל

The sons of Yonatan: Pelet and Zaza. All these were the sons of Yerahme’el.

וְלֹא־הָיָה לְשֵׁשָׁן בָּנִים כִּי אִם־בָּנוֹת וּלְשֵׁשָׁן עֶבֶד מִצְרִי וּשְׁמוֹ יַרְחָע

Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. Ahlai, listed above as his son (verse 31) either died during his father’s lifetime or was born after his father’s death. Sheshan had an Egyptian slave, and his name was Yarha.

וַיִּתֵּן שֵׁשָׁן אֶת־בִּתּוֹ לְיַרְחָע עַבְדּוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־עַתָּי

Sheshan gave his daughter to Yarha his slave as a wife, and she bore him Atai. It is not known how this anomalous match came about. It is possible that Yarha was accepted in his master’s household and found favor in his eyes; that Yarha later converted, and his employer gave him his daughter in marriage.

וְעַתַּי הוֹלִיד אֶת־נָתָן וְנָתָן הוֹלִיד אֶת־זָבָד

Atai begot Natan, and Natan begot Zavad,

וְזָבָד הוֹלִיד אֶת־אֶפְלָל וְאֶפְלָל הוֹלִיד אֶת־עוֹבֵד

Zavad begot Eflal, and Eflal begot Oved,

וְעוֹבֵד הֹלִיד אֶת־יֵהוּא וְיֵהוּא הֹלִיד אֶת־עֲזַרְיָה

Oved begot Yehu, and Yehu begot Azarya,

וַעֲזַרְיָה הֹלִיד אֶת־חָלֶץ וְחֶלֶץ הֹלִיד אֶת־אֶלְעָשָׂה

Azarya begot Heletz, and Heletz begot Elasa,

וְאֶלְעָשָׂה הֹלִיד אֶת־סִסְמָי וְסִסְמַי הֹלִיד אֶת־שַׁלּוּם

Elasa begot Sisemai, and Sisemai begot Shalum;

וְשַׁלּוּם הוֹלִיד אֶת־יְקַמְיָה וִיקַמְיָה הֹלִיד אֶת־אֱלִישָׁמָע

Shalum begot Yekamya, and Yekamya begot Elishama. It is unclear why this list appears here, nor is it known who Elishama was. He is the last to be listed in the family dynasty, and was therefore perhaps its most important personage. Some identify him as the grandfather of Yishmael son of Netanya, who killed Gedalya son of Ahikam, although the verses themselves do not indicate that he is that person.

וּבְנֵי כָלֵב אֲחִי יְרַחְמְאֵל מֵישָׁע בְּכֹרוֹ הוּא אֲבִי זִיף וּבְנֵי מָרֵשָׁה אֲבִי חֶבְרוֹן

The sons of Caleb, brother of Yerahme’el, Hetzron’s eldest son: Meisha his firstborn, who was the father of Zif. This is also the name of a place in the land of Judah, perhaps because it was settled by Zif or Meisha. And the sons of Zif were Maresha, father of Hevron.

וּבְנֵי חֶבְרוֹן קֹרַח וְתַפֻּחַ וְרֶקֶם וָשָׁמַע

The sons of Hevron: Korah, Tapuah, Rekem, and Shema.

וְשֶׁמַע הוֹלִיד אֶת־רַחַם אֲבִי יָרְקְעָם וְרֶקֶם הוֹלִיד אֶת־שַׁמָּי

Shema begot Raham, father of the settlement of Yorke’am, and Rekem begot Shamai.

וּבֶן־שַׁמַּי מָעוֹן וּמָעוֹן אֲבִי בֵית־צוּר

The son of Shamai was Maon, and Maon was the father of the settlement of Beit Tzur.

וְעֵיפָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ כָּלֵב יָלְדָה אֶת־חָרָן וְאֶת־מוֹצָא וְאֶת־גָּזֵז וְחָרָן הֹלִיד אֶת גָּזֵז

Eifa, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Motza, and Gazez, and Haran begot Gazez, another son in that family with the same name.

וּבְנֵי יָהְדָּי רֶגֶם וְיוֹתָם וְגֵישָׁן וָפֶלֶט וְעֵיפָה וָשָׁעַף

The sons of Yahdai, who was not previously mentioned, but was certainly another of Eifa’s children, were Regem, Yotam, Geshan, Pelet, Eifa, and Shaaf.

פִּילֶגֶשׁ כָּלֵב מַעֲכָה יָלַד שֶׁבֶר וְאֶת־תִּרְחֲנָה

Maakha was the name of Caleb’s concubine, and she bore Shever and Tirhana.

וַתֵּלֶד שַׁעַף אֲבִי מַדְמַנָּה אֶת־שְׁוָא אֲבִי מַכְבֵּנָה וַאֲבִי גִבְעָא וּבַת־כָּלֵב עַכְסָה

She also bore Shaaf, father of the settlement of Madmana, and Sheva, father of the settlement of Makhbena and father of the settlement of Giva. The daughter of Caleb was called Akhsa.

אֵלֶּה הָיוּ בְּנֵי כָלֵב בֶּן־חוּר בְּכוֹר אֶפְרָתָה שׁוֹבָל אֲבִי קִרְיַת יְעָרִים

These were the sons of Caleb son of Hur who was the firstborn of his mother Efrat: Shoval, father of the settlement of Kiryat Ye’arim.This Hur was, as stated, the son of the elder Caleb son of Hetzron, or Yefuneh.

שַׂלְמָא אֲבִי בֵית־לָחֶם חָרֵף אֲבִי בֵית־גָּדֵר

He was followed by Salma, perhaps the father of Boaz, mentioned above, who was the father of the settlement of Bethlehem; and Haref, father of the settlement of Beit Gader.

וַיִּהְיוּ בָנִים לְשׁוֹבָל אֲבִי קִרְיַת יְעָרִים הָרֹאֶה חֲצִי הַמְּנֻחוֹת

Shoval, father of the settlement of Kiryat Ye’arim, had sons: Haro’eh, and Hatzi HaMenuhot. Some explain that this these last two are actually one name, referring to a son of Shoval who ruled over half of a place called Menuhot. Some of these names have clear interpretations, while others allude to obscure actions, memories, and perhaps even dreams. It is therefore difficult to ascertain the meaning of all these names.

וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת קִרְיַת יְעָרִים הַיִּתְרִי וְהַפּוּתִי וְהַשֻּׁמָתִי וְהַמִּשְׁרָעִי מאֵלֶּה יָצְאוּ הַצָּרְעָתִי וְהָאֶשְׁתָּאֻלִי

The families of Kiryat Ye’arim were the Yitrites, the Putites, the Shumatites, and the Mishraites; from them, these families, the Tzoratites and the Eshtaolites emerged, the residents of Tzora and Eshtaol. These two cities appear in the list of cities in the portion of Dan, but since the two tribes were close to one another and intermingled, it is possible that their residents traced their lineage to the tribe of Judah.

בְּנֵי שַׂלְמָא בֵּית לֶחֶם וּנְטוֹפָתִי עַטְרוֹת בֵּית יוֹאָב וַחֲצִי הַמָּנַחְתִּי הַצָּרְעִי

The sons of Salma: the inhabitants of Bethlehem, the Netofatites, residents of Netofa, and the residents of Atrot Beit Yoav, and half of the Manahatites were the Tzorites, who had ties to Tzora.

וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת סוֹפְרִים יֹשְׁבֵי יַעְבֵּץ תִּרְעָתִים שִׁמְעָתִים שׂוּכָתִים הֵמָּה הַקִּינִים הַבָּאִים מֵחַמַּת אֲבִי בֵית־רֵכָב

Alongside the list of the families of Judah and their cities, the chapter notes other families who lived in the same region. The families of scribes, who copied Torah scrolls and who were probably also wise men and experts in the Torah, who dwelled at a place called Yabetz, possibly founded by a man named Yabetz, of unknown lineage. Those families were called the Tiratites, the Shime’atites, and the Sukatites. These are the Kenites, perhaps the descendants of the Kenites, the family of Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, that came from Hamat, the name of a person who was the father of the house of Rekhav. The people of Rekhav were a tribe who lived on their own and maintained an unusual lifestyle. It is possible that their father was Yehonadav son of Rekhav, who appears in II Kings 10:15–17.