I Chronicles 2:18-24 · Bible study
1 Chronicles 2:18-24 Commentary: Caleb's Lineage
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Uncover the meaning of Azubah, Jerioth, and Bezalel in 1 Chronicles 2:18-24. A study guide for pastors and teachers.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God's sovereign purposes advance through ordinary families, including marginalized wives and anonymous children.
- Key words: Jerioth (possibly concubine), Ephrathah (Bethlehem's ancestor), Bezalel (craftsman of the tabernacle).
- Main debate: The identity of Jerioth, secondary wife, concubine, or textual variant.
- Theological theme: God preserves a remnant and equips workers for His sanctuary across generations.
- Best use: Teaching on the value of hidden faithfulness, family heritage, and God's long-term plan.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
18Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were the sons of Azubah: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.
19When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore to him Hur.
20Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezalel.
21Later, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead. He had married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore to him Segub.
22Segub was the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.
23But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth-jair, along with Kenath and its sixty surrounding villages. All these were descendants of Machir the father of Gilead.
24After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore to him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
WEB World English Bible 2000
18Caleb the son of Hezron became the father of children by Azubah his wife, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.
19Azubah died, and Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur.
20Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri became the father of Bezalel.
21Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he took as wife when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub.
22Segub became the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.
23Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath, and its villages, even sixty cities. All these were the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
KJV King James Version 1769
18And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
19And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur.
20And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel.
21And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.
22And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.
23And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb–ephratah, then Abiah Hezron’s wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
18And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
19And Azubah died, and Caleb took unto him Ephrath, who bare him Hur.
20And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezalel.
21And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he tookto wifewhen he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.
22And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.
23And Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath, and the villages thereof, even threescore cities. All these were the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24And after that Hezron was dead in Caleb-ephrathah, then Abijah Hezron’s wife bare him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
18And Caleb son of Hezron hath begotten Azubah, Isshah, and Jerioth; and these are her sons: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
19And Azubah dieth, and Caleb taketh to him Ephrath, and she beareth to him Hur.
20And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel.
21And afterwards hath Hezron gone in unto a daughter of Machir father of Gilead, and he hath taken her, and he is a son of sixty years, and she beareth to him Segub.
22And Segub begat Jair, and he hath twenty and three cities in the land of Gilead,
23and he taketh Geshur and Aram, the small villages of Jair, from them, with Kenath and its small towns, sixty cities--all these belonged to the sons of Machir father of Gilead.
24And after the death of Hezron in Caleb-Ephratah, then the wife of Hezron, Abijah, even beareth to him Asshur, father of Tekoa.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
18And Caleb the son of Hezron had children by Azubah [his] wife, and by Jerioth: her sons are these: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
19And Azubah died, and Caleb took him Ephrath, and she bore him Hur.
20And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezaleel.
21And afterwards Hezron went to the daughter of Machir, the father of Gilead, and he took her when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub.
22And Segub begot Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead;
23and Geshur and Aram took the villages of Jair from them, with Kenath and its dependent towns, sixty cities. All these were sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24And after the death of Hezron in Caleb-Ephratah, Abijah, Hezron's wife, bore him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
18And Caleb the son of Hesron took a wife named Azuba, of whom he had Jerioth: and her sons were Jaser, and Sobab, and Ardon.
19And when Azuba was dead, Caleb took to wife Ephrata: who bore him Hur.
20And Hur begot Uri: and Uri begot Bezeleel.
21And afterwards Hesron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Galaad, and took her to wife when he was threescore years old: and she bore him Segub.
22And Segub begot Jair, and he had three and twenty cities in the land of Galaad.
23And he took Gessur, and Aram the towns of Jair, and Canath, and the villages thereof, threescore cities. All these, the sons of Machir father of Galaad.
24And when Hesron was dead, Caleb went in to Ephrata. Hesron also had to wife Abia who bore him Ashur the father of Thecua.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Chronicles 2:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Across the commentaries, these seven verses form a purposeful family record within Judah's genealogy. The Chronicler traces the line of Caleb son of Hezron, a different Caleb from the famous spy, to highlight two figures: Bezalel, the craftsman of the first tabernacle, and Jair, a judge in Transjordan.
On Jerioth, the commentators agree she was a secondary wife or concubine. Barnes calls her Caleb's concubine; Wesley and Poole note that Azubah is called 'his wife' by way of distinction, implying Jerioth held a lesser status. Gill suggests both were wives, but the grammar of verse 18 places Jerioth as an addition after Azubah. The precise relationship remains uncertain, but the consensus treats her as a member of the household, not a primary wife.
The passage's anchor is Bezalel (Exodus 31:2). The Cambridge Bible observes that the Chronicler intentionally 'singles out the artificer of the Tabernacle and tells his family history.' This genealogy, then, is not a dry list but a thread connecting the temple's origins to the tribe of Judah, grounding the post-exilic community in the heritage of worship.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Concubine reading: Barnes, JFB, and Wesley argue that Jerioth's omission from 'his wife' (v. 18) indicates secondary status, consistent with other biblical concubines.
- Textual corruption reading: The Hebrew grammar is ambiguous; some suggest Jerioth is a scribal intrusion or a misreading of 'Jerioth' as a place name.
- Alternate marriage reading: Gill allows that Jerioth could be a second wife, since polygamy was practiced; Targum treats her as a full wife.
What is clear: The passage traces the descendants of Caleb son of Hezron, including Bezalel of the tabernacle and Jair of Gilead, and links the family to Ephrathah, the ancestral name of Bethlehem.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Jerioth's status | Jerioth was a woman in Caleb's household who bore children. | Most interpreters (Barnes, Wesley, Gill) see her as a concubine or secondary wife; a minority reading takes her as an alternate name for Azubah or a textual corruption. |
| Textual clarity of verse 24 | The verse records Hezron's death and subsequent birth of Ashhur. | The Hebrew phrase 'Caleb-ephrathah' is unusual; the Septuagint and Vulgate read 'Caleb went in to Ephrath,' suggesting a scribal error. Commentators like Cambridge call the text 'probably corrupt.' |
| Identity of this Caleb | This Caleb is the son of Hezron, distinct from Caleb son of Jephunneh. | Some Rabbinic sources harmonize the two Calebs into one, but most modern commentators (Gill, JFB) separate them based on genealogy contexts. |
| Number of Jair's cities | Jair controlled a significant territory in Gilead. | Numbers 32:41 and Deuteronomy 3:14 call them 'Havvoth-jair' without a count; Judges 10:4 gives 30 cities; 1 Chronicles 2:22 says 23. The difference likely reflects expansion or loss over time. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First Chronicles was compiled after the Babylonian exile, around 400, 350 BC, for a community returning to a ruined land. Genealogies restored identity. By tracing families like Caleb's, the Chronicler showed that God's promises to Judah remained intact, even through centuries of dispersion.
Caleb son of Hezron lived during the Egypt, Wilderness period, contemporary with the conquest. His line produced Hur, who supported Moses' hands at Rephidim (Exodus 17:10-12), and Bezalel, whom God filled 'with wisdom and understanding' for the tabernacle (Exodus 31:2-3). The mention of Bezalel would resonate with a post-exilic audience longing for a new temple.
The second thread moves across the Jordan. Hezron's late marriage to the daughter of Machir (a Manassite family) links Judah with the Transjordan tribes. Jair, a grandson, conquered twenty-three cities in Gilead (Numbers 32:41). The Chronicler then records that Geshur and Aram later captured those towns (verse 23). This detail, unique to Chronicles, reflects the historical reality that Israel's Transjordan territory was lost to Arameans during the period of the Judges or early monarchy.
The place Caleb-ephrathah (verse 24) is likely an early name for Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), linking this genealogy directly to David's hometown. The Chronicler weaves geography with lineage to show that Judah's story is grounded in real places under God's hand.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note two textual issues. In verse 24, the Hebrew reads 'after Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah,' but the Septuagint and Vulgate have a verb meaning 'Caleb went in to Ephrath,' making Caleb the subject. The Cambridge Bible calls this text 'probably corrupt,' a view shared by many modern scholars. A second issue in verse 18: the Hebrew literally reads 'Caleb begat Azubah a woman and Jerioth,' which some (Ellicott) take to mean Azubah was a daughter, not a wife. However, most translations and commentators (Barnes, JFB) read it as 'begat children by Azubah his wife and by Jerioth,' which aligns with the context of verse 19. No significant variants affect the passage's core meaning.
Reception History
This passage has been of more interest to genealogists than to preachers. In the early church, the connection between Bezalel and the tabernacle was used to illustrate that God equips specific people for specific tasks (Ambrosiaster). Medieval Jewish commentators like Rashi and Kimchi puzzled over the grammatical ambiguity of verse 18, with Rashi suggesting Jerioth was either a wife or a place name. The Reformation commentators (Calvin, Luther's lectures on Chronicles) passed over these verses quickly, focusing instead on the Messianic promise of Bethlehem in verse 24. Modern scholarship, beginning with the critical commentaries of the 19th century, has focused on the textual problems and the historical geography of Jair's cities. Despite its obscurity, the passage has been valued by those who train church workers, as it shows that even marginal figures like Jerioth appear in God's record of His people.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The hidden workers matter. Azubah and Ephrath appear only here. Yet their son Hur played a public role (Exodus 17), and their descendant Bezalel built the sanctuary. God sees the silent generations that prepare His work.
- God equips ordinary families for extraordinary tasks. Bezalel was a carpenter and metalworker, yet the Spirit filled him (Exodus 31). The skills we use in daily work can be holy when offered to God.
- Legacies can be lost and restored. Jair's cities were taken by enemies (verse 23), but his line remained in the record. God's purposes outlast temporary defeats.
Five-point outline
- The genealogy of a craftsman. How a line of stonemasons and weavers preserved the worship of Israel.
- Marriage and alliance across tribes. Hezron's marriage to a Manassite daughter created a bridge between Judah and the east.
- The cost of faithful presence. Jair's cities were lost, yet his name remains in Scripture as a judge who served Israel.
- Bethlehem's hidden seed. Caleb-ephrathah points to the town where David, and later Jesus, would be born.
- Every name is remembered. The Chronicler lists people we know nothing about (Jesher, Shobab, Ardon). They are not forgotten by God.
Illustration hooks
- A family reunion where the older members name relatives no one else remembers, but those connections explain who came.
- A workshop: wood shavings and metal filings, with one worker whose careful joints will hold the roof for decades.
- A small town that once had a thriving main street, now boarded up, but a few families remain, tending gardens and remembering.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really care about my family's story if we are not famous?
- Why does the Bible include so many lists of people I cannot pronounce?
- When our church's buildings or resources are taken away, does God still have a plan?
Leading a Discussion
This passage of seven verses seems like a simple family tree. But it holds clues: a debated name (Jerioth), a famous craftsman (Bezalel), and a lost territory. The Chronicler included these details for a reason. As a group, read the passage slowly, then work through the questions below. The aim is not to solve every puzzle but to see how God works through history that looks ordinary.
Discussion questions
- Scan the names. Which ones are completely unfamiliar? Why might the Chronicler have listed them anyway?
- Compare the roles of Azubah, Jerioth, and Ephrath. How does the text distinguish among them? What does that tell you about family structures in ancient Israel?
- Bezalel appears here and in Exodus 31. Why do you think the Chronicler connected a genealogy to the tabernacle builder? What does that say about worship and work?
- Verse 21 says Hezron married a Manassite daughter at age sixty. How does this alliance across tribes affect the story of Jair later?
- Jair's twenty-three cities (verse 22) were later taken by Geshur and Aram (verse 23). What does this loss teach about the faithfulness of God even through defeat?
- The place name Caleb-ephrathah in verse 24 points toward Bethlehem and ultimately to Christ (Micah 5:2). How does a genealogy from the wilderness connect to the birth of Jesus?
- What one truth from this passage could encourage someone who feels their life is too small to matter?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Chronicles 2:50 | These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim, |
| I Chronicles 4:4 | Penuel was the father of Gedor and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. |
| Micah 5:2 | But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times. |
| Exodus 31:2 | “Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. |
| Exodus 36:1 | “Bezalel and Oholiab shall work with every wise-hearted man, in whom Yahweh has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that Yahweh has commanded.” |
| Exodus 36:2 | Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it. |
| Exodus 37:1 | Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height. |
| Exodus 38:22 | Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that Yahweh commanded Moses. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke cites an ancient Jewish tradition explaining that Azubah was so named because she was barren and despised, yet God comforted her and gave her wisdom and skill for tabernacle work. He then identifies the Bezaleel listed here as the master craftsman of the Exodus.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that the chronicler here relied on genealogical records now lost, not on earlier biblical books. He clarifies that Jair's "villages" were later taken by Geshur and Aram, and that Segub and Jair were counted as "sons of Machir" through their mother, because they settled with the Manassites across the Jordan.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes the Hebrew text here appears corrupt, likely obscuring the original names and relationships. It suggests a different reading: Hezron took Azubah as the wife of Jerioth. The commentator also highlights the Chronicler’s characteristic interest in tracing the family line of Bezaleel, the craftsman of the Tabernacle.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill carefully untangles the genealogies by distinguishing this Caleb from Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and suggests Azubah and Jerioth may be the same woman with two names. He also notes the Targum identifies Ephrath as Miriam, and clarifies that Hezron married the daughter of Machir at age sixty.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB resolves an apparent confusion in the genealogies by explaining that Jair, though a descendant of Judah, is called "son of Manasseh" because he was adopted into that tribe and inherited territory there through his grandmother. The commentator also notes a likely textual transposition in the Caleb-Hur line.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that the Chronicler's genealogy of Judah is not systematically ordered but rather a patchwork of fragmentary ancient records. He cautions against over-harmonizing duplicate names like
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley carefully untangles the family relationships in this genealogy, distinguishing wives from concubines and explaining why a son-in-law is counted as a son. He also clarifies that calling someone "father of Tekoa" means he was its founder, ruler, or builder, not necessarily a literal parent.