1 Chronicles 2 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Chronicles 2 Short Summary:

The second chapter of 1 Chronicles contains a genealogy of the family of Jacob (Israel) and his 12 sons, with emphasis on Judah. The family tree follows Judah’s line until reaching King David. The second half of the chapter is a record of Hezron and Caleb’s family. They were also part of the tribe of Judah.

1 Chronicles 2 Summary - Bible Study

WHEN:

• 1 Chronicles is primarily a record of the reign of King David. 1 Chronicles 10 records the death of King Saul (David’s predecessor). The last chapter of 1 Chronicles records the death of David.

• Saul died in approximately 1055 B.C., after reigning over Israel for 40 years.

• David became king over Judah the same year. He reigned over Judah for 7 years and 6 months, before becoming king over all Israel. His reign over all Judah and Israel lasted 33 years.

CHARACTERS:

• 1 Chronicles 2 contains a partial record of the family tree of Jacob. The second half of the chapter is comprised of a genealogy of Hezron’s children.  

• Noteworthy names contain in this genealogy include Jacob (Israel), Joseph, Judah, Tamar, Achan, Boaz, David, Hezron, and Caleb.

WHERE:

• Jacob and his children moved from Canaan to Egypt when Joseph ruled in Egypt.

• Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness to the east.

• Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites conquered the land of Canaan and the surrounding regions and made it their home.

• King David reigned in Jerusalem.

OUTLINE:

• THE GENEALOGY OF JACOB (2:1-17):

  • 1 Chronicles 2 is a continuation of the genealogy found in 1 Chronicles 1.

  • It picks up with Jacob (Israel) the grandson of Abraham.

  • The genealogy names Jacob’s 12 sons, who became the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel.  

  • The family tree continues through Jacob’s son, Judah, until it reaches King David.

• THE GENEALOGY OF HEZRON AND CALEB (2:18-55):

  • The genealogy doesn’t conclude with David. It lists other family lines within the tribe of Judah, including the family of Hezron.

  • The documenting of these additional family lines would have been important to the Jews who returned from Babylonian exile, because most of them were descendants of the tribe of Judah.

APPLICATION:

• The genealogies in the Bible make it clear it’s meant to be read as a genuine record of history.

• The Israelite people authenticated the genealogies in their scriptures, they didn’t see them as works of fiction.

• These names represent real historical figures, and this fact is backed up by an ever-growing amount of archeological evidence.