📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 2:4
What does 1 Chronicles 2:4 mean?
"Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five."
— 1 Chronicles 2:4 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah; which three were born to him of Shua’s daughter the Canaanitess. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight; and he killed him.
Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara; five of them in all.
The son of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who committed a trespass in the devoted thing.
Explanation
1 Chronicles 2:4 states plainly that Tamar, who was Judah's daughter-in-law, bore him two sons, Perez and Zerah, and that in total Judah had five sons. On the surface this is a simple genealogical note, one line among many in a long list of names that make up the opening chapters of 1 Chronicles. But this brief statement carries significant weight because of the story behind it and the role these names play in the larger biblical narrative.
The book of 1 Chronicles was likely written by a priestly figure (traditionally associated with Ezra) for the Jewish community after their return from Babylonian exile. Its opening chapters consist of extensive genealogies tracing Israel's history from Adam through the tribes, with special attention given to Judah and Levi because of their importance to the priesthood and the monarchy. For a people rebuilding their identity after exile, these genealogies were not dry
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Biblical perspective
What does 2:48 mean in the Bible?
If you've been seeing this time and wondering about its significance, Luke 2:48 and Daniel 2:48 are both real verses worth reading.
Luke 2:48 is the moment Mary finds the young Jesus in the temple and asks where he's been — his answer reveals something important about purpose and calling.
Luke 2:48
"When they saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, 'Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.'"
Daniel 2:48
"Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon."
ScriptureCompanion serves verses directly from a verified Bible database — no paraphrasing or AI-generated scripture. All quotes above are from the World English Bible (WEB).