📖WEB · 1 Chronicles 4:21
What does 1 Chronicles 4:21 mean?
"The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;"
— 1 Chronicles 4:21 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
His wife the Jewess bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.
The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben Zoheth.
The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;
and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These records are ancient.
These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah: they lived there with the king for his work.
The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
Explanation
1 Chronicles 4:21 is a simple genealogical notice. It lists the descendants of Shelah, one of the sons of Judah (Jacob's son), naming Er and Laadah as fathers of two towns or clans—Lecah and Mareshah—and mentioning a family group known for producing fine linen, associated with the house of Ashbea. In plain terms, this verse is tracing family lines and identifying which households or clans were known for a particular trade, in this case skilled textile work.
The Books of Chronicles were likely compiled after the Babylonian exile, probably by a priestly or Levitical author, for the returning Jewish community. Their purpose was to help Israel reconnect with its identity as the covenant people of God after the disruption of exile. The opening chapters (1 Chronicles 1–9) consist almost entirely of genealogies, stretching from Adam through the tribes of Israel, with special attention given to Judah, Levi, and Benjamin—the tribes most relevant to the restored community centered in Jerusalem. Shelah was one of Judah's sons (Genesis 38:5), and by listing his descendants alongside their occupations and settlements, the Chronicler was reinforcing the continuity of Judah's family line, which was especially significant since the messianic and royal promises rested
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