1 Chronicles 2:54
The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites,
The descendants of Salma:

Salma, son of Hur and grandson of Caleb, headed a Judahite clan whose members were identified with several towns and family groups in the region of Bethlehem.

Rut 4:18-22 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez was the father…
Mat 1:5-6 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab,…
Luk 3:31-32 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha,…

Bethlehem,

Salma was called the father of Bethlehem, likely indicating that his clan settled, governed, or helped establish the town. Bethlehem later became David’s hometown and the birthplace of Jesus Christ, fulfilling Micah’s prophecy that Israel’s ruler would come from Bethlehem in Judah.

Rut 1:1-2 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine…
1Sa 17:12 Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite…
Mic 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small…

the Netophathites,

The Netophathites lived near Bethlehem and remained associated with Judah through later generations. Men from Netophah served among David’s warriors, and Netophathite families returned from Babylonian exile, showing the enduring preservation of Judah’s communities.

1Ch 9:16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal…
Neh 12:28 The singers were also assembled from the region…
2Sa 23:28-29 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,…

Atroth-beth-joab,

Atroth-beth-joab was a Judahite settlement or clan district. The prefix Atroth means crowns or villages, indicating a settlement or group of settlements. Its name preserves an association with a house or family of Joab, though Scripture does not establish that it was directly connected with David’s commander.

Num 32:34 And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
Jos 16:2 It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz)…
Jos 16:7 From Janoah it went down to Ataroth and Naarah,…

half the Manahathites,

The Manahathites were divided between branches of Judah’s clans, with another portion connected to Shobal’s descendants. The division reflects the ordered distribution of families and settlements within the tribe.

1Ch 8:6 These were the descendants of Ehud who were…
1Ch 1:40 The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.…
Gen 36:23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath…

the Zorites,

The Zorites were a Judahite family group whose precise location is uncertain. Their inclusion records the real households through whom God preserved the tribe of Judah, from which the royal line of David and the promised Messiah came.

1Ch 4:2 Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath,…
Jdg 13:2 Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah,…
Jdg 16:31 Then Samson’s brothers and his father’s family came down,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Salma
A descendant of Judah, Salma is noted as the father of Bethlehem, indicating his significant role in the lineage leading to King David and ultimately to Jesus Christ.

2. Bethlehem
A town in Judah, Bethlehem is historically significant as the birthplace of King David and later, Jesus Christ. It is often referred to as the "City of David."

3. Netophathites
Inhabitants of Netophah, a town near Bethlehem. They are mentioned in various genealogies and military contexts in the Old Testament.

4. Atroth-beth-Joab
A location or group associated with Joab, possibly indicating a settlement or clan within the tribe of Judah.

5. Manahathites
A group or clan within the tribe of Judah, possibly linked to the town of Manahath.

6. Zorites
Another clan or group within the tribe of Judah, possibly linked to the town of Zorah.
Teaching Points
Genealogical Importance
Understanding the genealogies in the Bible helps us see God's sovereign plan through history, leading to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Significance of Bethlehem
Bethlehem's role in biblical history as the birthplace of both David and Jesus highlights God's consistent use of humble beginnings for His divine purposes.

Community and Heritage
The mention of various clans and towns reminds us of the importance of community and heritage in our spiritual journey.

God's Faithfulness
The detailed genealogies demonstrate God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises through generations.

Role of Ordinary Places
God often uses ordinary places and people to accomplish extraordinary things, encouraging us to see potential in our own lives and communities.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 2:54 connect to the broader account of God's plan for salvation?

2. What is the significance of Bethlehem in both the Old and New Testaments, and how does this impact our understanding of Jesus' birth?

3. How can understanding our own spiritual heritage and community help us in our faith journey?

4. In what ways does God's use of ordinary places and people in the Bible encourage you in your personal walk with Him?

5. How can we see God's faithfulness in the genealogies of the Bible, and how does this encourage us to trust Him with our future?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ruth 4:11
This verse highlights the significance of Bethlehem in the lineage of David, connecting to the genealogical importance of Salma's descendants.

Micah 5:2
This prophecy about Bethlehem as the birthplace of a ruler in Israel connects to the significance of Bethlehem in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 2:1
The New Testament fulfillment of the prophecy in Micah, where Jesus is born in Bethlehem, ties back to the genealogical roots mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:54.
The Human FamilyW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 2:1-55
On the Genealogical TablesR. Glover 1 Chronicles 1-6
GenealogiesJ.R. Thomson 1 Chronicles 1-9
People
Abiah, Abigail, Abihail, Abijah, Abinadab, Abishai, Abishur, Achan, Achar, Achsa, Achsah, Ahban, Ahijah, Ahlai, Amasa, Amminadab, Appaim, Aram, Ardon, Asahel, Asher, Ashur, Atarah, Attai, Azariah, Azubah, Bathshua, Benjamin, Bezaleel, Boaz, Bunah, Calcol, Caleb, Carmi, Chelubai, Dan, Dara, Darda, David, Eker, Elasah, Eleasah, Eliab, Elishama, Ephah, Ephlal, Ephratah, Ephrath, Er, Eshtaolites, Eshtaulites, Ethan, Gad, Gazez, Gesham, Geshem, Hamul, Haran, Hareph, Haroeh, Hazi-hammana-hethites, Helez, Heman, Hemath, Hezron, Hur, Ishi, Issachar, Ithrites, Jabez, Jada, Jahdai, Jair, Jamin, Jarha, Jehu, Jekamiah, Jerahmeel, Jerioth, Jesher, Jesse, Jether, Jithrites, Joab, Jonathan, Joseph, Jotham, Kenites, Korah, Levi, Maacah, Maachah, Maaz, Machir, Manahathites, Manahethites, Maon, Menahethites, Mesha, Mishraites, Molid, Moza, Nadab, Nahshon, Naphtali, Nathan, Nethaneel, Netophathites, Obed, Onam, Onan, Oren, Ozem, Pelet, Peleth, Perez, Pharez, Puhites, Puthites, Raddai, Raham, Rechab, Regem, Rekem, Reuben, Salma, Salmon, Segub, Seled, Shaaph, Shallum, Shammai, Sheber, Shelah, Shema, Sheshan, Sheva, Shimea, Shimeathites, Shimma, Shobab, Shobal, Shua, Shumathites, Simeon, Sisamai, Sucathites, Suchathites, Tamar, Tappuah, Tirathites, Tireathites, Tirhanah, Uri, Zabad, Zareathites, Zaza, Zebulun, Zerah, Zereathites, Zeruiah, Zimri, Zorathites, Zoreathites, Zorites, Zur
Places
Aram, Edom, Geshur, Gilead, Hammath, Havvoth-jair, Jabez, Kenath
Topics
Ataroth, Atroth, Atroth-beth-joab, At'roth-beth-jo'ab, Beth, Beth-joab, Bethlehem, Beth-lehem, Half, Hazi-hammana-hethites, Joab, Manahathites, Man'aha'thites, Manahethites, Menahethites, Menuhothite, Netophathite, Netophathites, Netoph'athites, Salma, Sons, Zorite, Zorites
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 2:46-48

     5672   concubines

Library
Canaan
Canaan was the inheritance which the Israelites won for themselves by the sword. Their ancestors had already settled in it in patriarchal days. Abraham "the Hebrew" from Babylonia had bought in it a burying-place near Hebron; Jacob had purchased a field near Shechem, where he could water his flocks from his own spring. It was the "Promised Land" to which the serfs of the Pharaoh in Goshen looked forward when they should again become free men and find a new home for themselves. Canaan had ever been
Archibald Sayce—Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers.
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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