1 Chronicles · chapter 7 of 29
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1 Chronicles 7 runs through the genealogies of the northern tribes: Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim and Asher. The author highlights the number of mighty men in each tribe, and tells how Ephraim mourned the death of his sons, how his son Beriah was born and how his daughter Sheerah built cities. Among the descendants of Ephraim appears Joshua, the son of Nun.
This chapter continues the author's tour of the tribes of Israel, now with those of the north and the center of the land. The lists are shorter than those of Judah and Levi, but they serve an important purpose: to show that all the tribes were part of God's people. After the exile of the northern tribes, remembering these names was a way of affirming that God had not forgotten them.
The chapter begins with Issachar, whose descendants were mighty men in the days of David, and with Benjamin, whose families are counted with the same attention to warriors. Naphtali, sons of Bilhah, is briefly mentioned. Manasseh follows, with Machir and his family, and Zelophehad, who had daughters, and the sister of Machir are recalled.
The longest section concerns Ephraim. His sons were killed by the men of Gath when they went down to take the Gathites' livestock, and Ephraim mourned them many days while his relatives came to comfort him. Afterward he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son whom he named Beriah, because his house had fallen into misfortune. His daughter Sheerah built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. Among his descendants are Nun, the father of Joshua.
The chapter closes with Asher, whose descendants were choice men, mighty and chiefs of princes. The author records that the number of those fit for war was large. Dan and Zebulun do not have their own section here.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The descendants of Issachar were mighty men of valor in the days of David. The author stresses from the start that their number and courage were worth remembering, underlining that every tribe contributed to Israel's strength.
Ephraim mourned many days for the death of his sons, and his brothers came to comfort him. The text lets us see a broken father and a family that stays beside him. Scripture records human grief with respect, even in the middle of a list of names.
Sheerah, Ephraim's daughter, built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. It is an exceptional note: a woman appears as a builder of cities, which is rare in lists like this, and it shows the initiative of a family that rose again after sorrow.
Among the descendants of Ephraim, Nun and his son Joshua are mentioned. This is the same Joshua who succeeded Moses and led the people into the promised land, and his name here places him within a specific family of Ephraim.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: That they were mighty men of valor. — 1 Chronicles 7:2
Answer: The men of Gath, when Ephraim's sons went down to take their livestock. — 1 Chronicles 7:21
Answer: He mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. — 1 Chronicles 7:22
Answer: Because his house was in misfortune when the child was born. — 1 Chronicles 7:23
Answer: Lower Beth-horon, Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. — 1 Chronicles 7:24
Answer: Joshua, the son of Nun. — 1 Chronicles 7:27
The story of Ephraim is a small window into real sorrow. A father loses his sons and mourns many days. The Bible does not pass over it: it tells it, names those who comforted him and shows that life went on, with a new son and a daughter who built cities. In a small group, this text makes room to talk about grief and to remember that comforting others is part of serving God.
It also encourages us to value people who are sometimes left out of the stories. Sheerah appears for barely one verse, but her work remained on the map of Israel. Ask the group which quiet services in the community deserve to be recognized.
1 Chronicles 7 completes the survey of the northern tribes with their mighty men and with the story of Ephraim. In the next chapter the author turns back to Benjamin and the family of Saul, preparing the transition to the people who returned from exile and the story of the kingdom.
The text does not explain it. Dan and Zebulun are mentioned elsewhere, for example among the twelve sons of Israel in chapter 2, but they have no section of their own here. Some scholars think part of the list was lost or that the author summarized what he had available, without changing the message of the book.
Joshua was Moses' successor, who led Israel into the promised land, and he belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. His name in the list of Ephraim recalls that Israel's great leaders came from specific families, with a history the author wanted to preserve.
The text says Ephraim gave him that name because his house was in misfortune. So the child's name recalls the family's pain, but it also shows that God gave them a new beginning with the birth of a son.