1 Chronicles 2:18-24 Meaning: Who Was Jerioth?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meaning in one sentence
Who was Jerioth in 1 Chronicles 2? This devotional unpacks the genealogy of Caleb and the meaning of names like Azubah, Ephrath, and Bezalel.
Context
First Chronicles chapter two traces the family line of Judah, the tribe from which King David would come. This particular passage focuses on Caleb, a son of Hezron, but not the famous spy who entered Canaan with Joshua. The Chronicler lists Caleb’s wives and children, noting the names of Azubah, Jerioth, and Ephrath. Among the descendants is Bezalel, the skilled artisan God chose to build the Tabernacle. The passage also follows Hezron’s later marriage and the conquests of his grandson Jair in the land of Gilead. These verses weave together personal stories and national history, showing how ordinary families carried forward God’s purposes.
Key Words
Three names carry meaning worth pausing over. Azubah comes from a Hebrew root meaning "forsaken" or "deserted." It is a striking name for a wife. Jerioth means "curtains," perhaps suggesting her life was tied to tent dwelling or that she was a secondary figure. When Azubah died, Caleb took Ephrath as his wife. The Hebrew verb laqach means "to take," often used for marriage, a deliberate, covenantal act. Ephrath's name means "fruitfulness." She became the mother of Hur, and through him, Bezalel, whose name means "in the shadow of God." This shift from "forsaken" to "fruitfulness" echoes God’s pattern of bringing life out of loss.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers across traditions have wondered about Jerioth’s place in this family. Barnes' Notes describes Jerioth as Caleb’s concubine, while Wesley’s Explanatory Notes suggests she was "probably only his concubine, and, as it may seem, barren." The Geneva Bible and others list Jerioth as a wife alongside Azubah. Some Jewish traditions, as reflected in the Targum, identify Ephrath with Miriam, Moses' sister. The text itself is open to interpretation. What all readers can agree on is that the Chronicler chose to include these women by name, giving them a place in the record of God’s people.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to assume that the Caleb in this passage is the same Caleb who spied out Canaan with Joshua. In fact, this Caleb is a different man entirely. He is Caleb son of Hezron, not Caleb son of Jephunneh. The famous spy belonged to the tribe of Judah but was from a different family line. This confusion can lead readers to misplace events and timelines. The Chronicler is tracing a separate branch of Judah’s descendants here.
Living This Out
This passage invites you to trust that God works through ordinary, even messy, family histories. You may not know much about your own ancestors, and some stories may be hard or confusing. Yet the Chronicler preserved names like Azubah, Jerioth, and Ephrath, women whose lives might have seemed forgotten. And among their descendants came Bezalel, filled with God’s Spirit for holy work. This week, consider that your own ordinary days, your losses and fruitfulness, are woven into something larger. God sees and remembers.
Main takeaway: God weaves ordinary lives and confusing family lines into His unfolding purpose, remembering every name.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God knows your name and the names of everyone in your family. He has a special plan for your life, just like He had a plan for Bezalel to build His tent.
For ages 9, 12
This passage is like a family tree that seems confusing at first. But it shows that God cares about every person, even those whose stories are hard to understand. Bezalel became a famous artist because God gave him skills. Your talents and your family history are part of God’s bigger picture too. You don’t have to be famous to matter to God.
Questions People Ask
Who is Jerioth in 1 Chronicles 2:18?
The passage names Jerioth alongside Azubah as a woman connected to Caleb. Commentators are divided: some see her as a concubine (Barnes, Wesley), others as a wife (Geneva Bible). Her name means 'curtains.' The text does not fully resolve her role, but her inclusion shows that the Chronicler valued every member of the family record.
Is this Caleb the same as the faithful spy?
No. The Caleb in this chapter is Caleb son of Hezron, not Caleb son of Jephunneh the spy. They are two different men from the tribe of Judah. The famous spy Caleb is found elsewhere in Scripture (Numbers 13, Joshua 14). Confusing them leads to timeline errors.
Why is Bezalel mentioned in this list?
Bezalel is the master craftsman chosen by God to build the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:2). The Chronicler includes him here to show his family roots. This links the genealogies to the story of Israel's worship. It reminds readers that God's Spirit equips ordinary people for holy work.
What does Ephrath mean and why is it important?
Ephrath means 'fruitfulness.' She became Caleb's wife after Azubah died and bore Hur, the grandfather of Bezalel. The name Ephrath also appears in connection with Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), suggesting a link to David's hometown. This shows how fruitfulness comes from God even after loss.
What are Havvoth Jair?
Havvoth Jair means 'the villages of Jair.' Jair, a descendant of Hezron through Segub, conquered these towns in Gilead. The passage notes that Geshur and Aram later took them. This detail connects the family history to the geography of Israel's land, showing how God's people settled and sometimes lost territory.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study