Tyndale Open Study Notes1 Chronicles 7

• This chapter provides the genealogies of the remaining tribes of Israel.

• The sections on the tribes of Issachar, Benjamin, and Asher may come from a military census. These lists are almost the same length, use military terms, record the father's houses, and do not mention settlements.

• The tribes of Zebulun and Dan are completely omitted, and Naphtali has only a short record.

The Hebrew text of this verse seems disrupted, likely due to a loss during scribal copying, as there is no introduction for Ir or Hushim. The names Shuppim and Huppim appear in the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:8, 11; Genesis 46:21; Numbers 26:39). If the Hebrew text is indeed damaged, Hushim might be a descendant of Dan (compare Genesis 46:23; Numbers 26:42).

Unlike other genealogies, this list of Naphtali's sons shows only the first generation (see Genesis 46:24; Numbers 26:48–50). The Chronicles manuscript might have been damaged early in its copying, which could explain why Dan and Zebulun are missing. It is also possible that records for Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali were lost when Tiglath-pileser attacked and exiled these tribes during Pekah’s reign (2 Kings 15:29). In that case, the Chronicler had no records to include.

These verses have several issues that suggest the Hebrew text might be damaged:

1. Maacah is listed as both the sister and wife of Makir (1 Chronicles 7:15–16).

2. Huppim and Shuppim were earlier listed with Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:12), not Manasseh.

3. Those considered Gileadites (1 Chronicles 7:16–17) are vaguely linked to Gilead, whose direct descendants are not listed (compare Numbers 26:30–33).

4. The sons of Shemida are not connected to the genealogy (1 Chronicles 7:19) Shemida was one of Gilead’s descendants (Numbers 26:32).

The genealogy of Ephraim's descendants includes a story about how the tribe settled in Canaan (1 Chronicles 7:21–24). The genealogy concludes with Joshua, son of Nun, who led Israel into the promised land.

Ephraim is recorded as the father of Ezer and Elead. However, Ephraim, the son of Joseph, could not have settled in Canaan after the Exodus. Traditionally, people imagined an early exodus for Ephraim's family. Other possibilities include that the name Ephraim is a scribal error or that Ephraim referred to the tribe, not Joseph's son.