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1 Chronicles 3

The chapter traces David’s family from his sons through Judah’s kings and into generations beyond the loss of kingship.

David’s sons are listed first by their birthplaces, Hebron and Jerusalem, with several mothers named and Tamar identified as their sister. The record then follows Solomon’s royal line through the kings of Judah to Josiah and his sons. Jeconiah’s captivity marks a change in the list: the genealogy continues through descendants whose names extend beyond the monarchy. Zerubbabel appears among them, followed by further branches of David’s family.

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1Now 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;
4six were born to him in Hebron; and he reigned there seven years and six months. He reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem;
5and these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, four, by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel;
6and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet,
8Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
9All these were the sons of David, in addition to 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, and Josiah his son.
15The sons of Josiah: the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum.
16The sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, and Zedekiah his son.
17The sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son,
19The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah; and Shelomith was their sister;
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Key verses
1 Chronicles 3:1The opening verse roots David’s family in Hebron and begins distinguishing his sons by birth order and mother.
1 Chronicles 3:5Solomon appears among David’s Jerusalem-born sons before the genealogy narrows to the royal line descended from him.
1 Chronicles 3:15Josiah’s sons mark a branching point near the monarchy’s end, before the record turns to Jeconiah and captivity.
Where this chapter reaches

2 Samuel shares the lists of David’s children, while 1 Kings, 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles recount the reigns of rulers named here. Matthew shares names from this royal genealogy, Ezra names Zerubbabel among the returned exiles, and Jeremiah records the captivity of Jeconiah.

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After reading the whole chapter

What changes do you notice as the list moves from David’s household through kingship into captivity?

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Which named person would you want to learn more about, and what caught your attention?

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Questions people ask about 1 Chronicles 3

What is the purpose of the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 3?

The genealogy traces David’s descendants, beginning with his children and then following Solomon’s royal line through Judah’s kings. It continues past Jeconiah’s captivity into later generations. Within the chapter, the focus is the identity and continuity of David’s family, with little commentary on individual lives or reigns.

Why does 1 Chronicles 3 call Zerubbabel the son of Pedaiah?

Verse 19 lists Zerubbabel among Pedaiah’s sons, while Ezra identifies Zerubbabel with Shealtiel. The texts do not explain the difference. Proposed explanations include a distinction between biological and legal parentage, or another family arrangement. Those remain proposals; this chapter provides no account of the circumstances behind the two identifications.

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1 Chronicles · 29 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).