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1 Chronicles 7 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

1 Chronicles 7 continues the tribal records with family lines from Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher. It highlights household leaders, military numbers, land settlements, and key names tied to Israel's history, including Joshua. The chapter shows how the tribes were remembered by lineage, strength, and place.

What happens in 1 Chronicles 7?

This chapter gathers genealogical records for several tribes of Israel. Issachar and Benjamin are listed with their family heads and the number of fighting men they could field. Naphtali receives only a brief record, while Manasseh and Ephraim include more detail, especially the line connected to Joseph and Joshua. Ephraim's section also recounts the death of two sons and the grief of their father, then notes descendants and settlements. The chapter ends with Asher's family lines and another count of able men.

1 Chronicles opens by tracing Israel's families and priestly lines so the returned community can remember its identity and heritage. Chapter 7 moves through major tribes of the northern and central regions, pairing names with places, warriors, and family branches. The records help connect the present community to the larger story of God's people.

  • Family RecordsThe chapter preserves tribal names and family lines to show continuity across generations.
  • Strength and ServiceMany of the descendants are counted as men fit for battle, showing the tribes' readiness and role.
  • Memory and PlaceThe passage ties people to settlements and boundaries, linking identity with the land they inhabited.
  • Why do you think the chapter gives so much attention to names and numbers?
  • What stands out about the way grief and family history are remembered in Ephraim's line?
  • How do the listed settlements help you understand the tribes' place in Israel's story?

Read the full text of 1 Chronicles 7 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

1 Chronicles 7

The Descendants of Issachar

1The sons of Issachar:

Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four in all.

2The sons of Tola:

Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, the heads of their families. In the days of David, 22,600 descendants of Tola were numbered in their genealogies as mighty men of valor.

3The son of Uzzi:

Izrahiah.

The sons of Izrahiah:

Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs.

4In addition to them, according to their genealogy, they had 36,000 troops for battle, for they had many wives and children.

5Their kinsmen belonging to all the families of Issachar who were mighty men of valor totaled 87,000, as listed in their genealogies.

The Descendants of Benjamin

6The three sons of Benjamin:

Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

7The sons of Bela:

Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, heads of their families—five in all. There were 22,034 mighty men of valor listed in their genealogies.

8The sons of Becher:

Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth; all these were Becher’s sons.

9Their genealogies were recorded according to the heads of their families—20,200 mighty men of valor.

10The son of Jediael:

Bilhan.

The sons of Bilhan:

Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

11All these sons of Jediael were heads of their families, mighty men of valor; there were 17,200 fit for battle.12The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher.

The Descendants of Naphtali

13The sons of Naphtali:

Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum —the descendants of Bilhah.

The Descendants of Manasseh

14The descendants of Manasseh:

Through his Aramean concubine, Asriel, as well as Machir the father of Gilead.

15Machir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. The name of his sister was Maacah.

Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters.

16Machir’s wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and she named him Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.

17The son of Ulam:

Bedan.

These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

18His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

19And these were the sons of Shemida:

Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

The Descendants of Ephraim

20The descendants of Ephraim:

Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,

21Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son.

Ezer and Elead were killed by the natives of Gath, because they went down to steal their livestock.

22Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

23And again he slept with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. So he named him Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house.24His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon, as well as Uzzen-sheerah.

25Additionally, Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son,

26Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,27Nun his son, and Joshua his son.

28Their holdings and settlements included Bethel and its villages, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages as far as Ayyah and its villages.

29And along the borders of Manasseh were Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

The Descendants of Asher

30The children of Asher:

Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.

31The sons of Beriah:

Heber, as well as Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

32Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, and of their sister Shua.

33The sons of Japhlet:

Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet’s sons.

34The sons of Shemer:

Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.

35The sons of his brother Helem:

Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

36The sons of Zophah:

Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

37Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

38The sons of Jether:

Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

39The sons of Ulla:

Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

40All these were the descendants of Asher—heads of their families, choice and mighty men of valor, and chiefs among the leaders. The number of men fit for battle, recorded in their genealogies, was 26,000.

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