1 Chronicles 4 Study Notes

4:15 This Caleb is the spy of Nm 13 who, along with Joshua, trusted God.

4:17-18 Once again a Gentile is part of the line, this time a daughter of a Pharaoh named Bithiah.

4:21-23 Shelah was Judah’s third son (2:3). His older brothers Er and Onan had been killed and he should have become the husband of Tamar, but Judah prevented this (Gn 38:11-14). Shelah’s descendants distinguished themselves as craftsmen.

4:24-37 Because Simeon was violent and cruel, his father Jacob predicted that his tribe would be dispersed in the land (Gn 49:7). At the time of the conquest, the tribe of Simeon received a territory that was adjacent to and intermingled with Judah. The parts that belonged to Simeon alone were mostly desert. As a consequence, Simeon became increasingly absorbed into Judah and Benjamin, and its identity faded. Despite numerous offspring, particularly from Shimei, the tribe as a whole remained undistinguished.

4:38-41 Some Simeonites retained their identity into the time of Hezekiah, when they took some fertile land from a group of Hamites. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy since they went on this military adventure to acquire further pasture land while the Assyrians were rampaging throughout the country.

4:42-43 Another group of Simeonites distinguished themselves by an excursion to Mount Seir (Edom), where they finally eliminated the Amalekites who were hiding out in that area. The Amalekites had frequently caused trouble for Israel (Ex 17; Nm 14:45; Jdg 3:13). They had been brought close to extinction by King Saul (1Sm 15:1-35) and defeated by David (1Sm 30:17), though a few escaped. These Simeonites finally finished the job.