1 CHRONICLES LESSON 1


     The penman of Chronicles is unknown, but some believe that Ezra
compiled it. Actually, in the beginning the first and second
Chronicles was one continuous book. Chronicles was, also, known as
"The Words Of The Days". These books of Chronicles were the last book
of the Hebrew Bible. Chronicles cover the period of time that we have
just gone through in the books of Samuel and Kings. It differs from
Samuel and Kings, in that it primarily deals with David, and then with
Judah, more than with the ten tribes of Israel. It, also, contains
genealogies going back to Adam. The book actually carries us from Adam
through the Babylonian captivity. It seems, it was compiled just after
the Babylonian captivity. The Hebrews were very good record keepers,
so there was a great deal of information available for this.
Chronicles speaks of historical facts that have been recorded. It
leaves no doubt of the sovereignty of God.

     We will now begin the verse by verse study of Chronicles in
I Chronicles 1:1 "Adam, Sheth, Enosh,"

     The book begins with a genealogy beginning with Adam. It is
interesting that Cain and Abel are left out of this genealogy. Seth
{Sheth} was born, when Adam was 130 years old. There may be an
explanation for this in the next verse. Cain killed Abel. Abel was in
the spiritual line from Adam. Seth replaced Abel in the spiritual
line. Genesis 4:25 "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son,
and called his name Seth: For God, [said she], hath appointed me
another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

     I Chronicles 1:2 "Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,"

     Kenan is the same as Cainan. He lived 910 years. Mahalaleel lived
895 years. Jered lived 962 years and was, also, known as Jared.

     I Chronicles 1:3 "Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,"

     Henoch is the same as Enoch. This is the same Enoch, who walked
with God and was not, because God took him. He was the first one
recorded to go to heaven without benefit of the grave. This Enoch is
from the spiritual line of Adam. There was, also, another Enoch who
was descended from Cain. He was in the line of the flesh. There was a
Methuselah in the spiritual line from Seth who lived longer on the
earth than anyone else ever recorded. He lived 969 years. There was a
Methusael descended from Cain, also. Lamech, descended from Seth lived
777 years. Cain had a descendent with the name of Lamech, as well.

     I Chronicles 1:4 "Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth."

     Noah is the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. During Noah's life,
the earth was flooded, and he, and his three sons, and all of their
wives were the only ones saved. He built an ark on instructions from
God, and saved his family from the flood. The earth was re-populated
by their families.
     I Chronicles 1:5  "The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and
Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras."

     "Japheth" means widespreading, and that is just what his family
did. Gomer began the Celtic tribes and, probably, Germany. Magog was
said to have inhabited modern Russia. Madai settled in the land later
known as the Medes.  Javan was believed to settle in Syria and Greece.
Tubal settled in the south of the Black Sea in the area of Spain.
Meshech was in the area of Moscow. Tiras, probably, settled the coasts
of the Agean Sea. The Gentile nations are from Japheth's descendents.

     I Chronicles 1:6 "And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath,
and Togarmah."

     Ashchenaz was the beginning of the Assyrians. At the time of
Jeremiah, some of them lived near Ararat. They were spoken of as
barbarians.  Riphath is called Diphath in one Scripture. Very little
is known of him. Togarmah was believed to have settled in Turkey. They
were said to have traded with Tyre in horses and mules. In Ezekiel,
they are spoken of as followers of Gog.

     I Chronicles 1:7 "And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish,
Kittim, and Dodanim."

     Elishah settled Cyprus. They were known for their scarlet and
purple material they sold. Tarshish is a word we heard a lot in
connection with merchants of Tarshish. It appears, they were
merchants, who shipped goods by water. One meaning for the name
Tarshish is melting plant, or refinery. They could have been involved
in the melting of metals. Very little else is known of them. Kittim is
the same as Chittim. It appears, they settled on the Mediterranean
Sea.  Dodanim is the same as Dardani. Troy and Illyricum were two
cities which came from them.

     I Chronicles 1:8  "The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and
Canaan."

     Cush was the father of Nimrod, who founded Babylon. "Cush" means
black. Mizraim could have been the founder of Egypt. They were, also,
believed to be the founders of Philistia. Put seemed to settle in
Africa. He is associated with Somolialand. Canaan was the founder of
the Canaanites which included the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgasites,
Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

     I Chronicles 1:9 "And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and
Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and
Dedan."

     Seba lived in the land of Babylon. Havilah, also, settled in the
area of Babylon. Sabta was, also, spelled Sabtah. He, possibly,
settled in Babylon, nothing is known of his settlements for sure.
Raamah were known as traders from southwest Arabia. There is nothing
more known of Sabtecha. Sheba settled on the shores of the Persian
Gulf. "Dedan" means depression, or low country. That is all we know of
Dedan.

     I Chronicles 1:10 "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty
upon the earth."

     Nimrod founded Babylon. He is known as the father of Babylon. We
must notice that his power is not spiritual power, but earthly power.
He was a flesh man, not a spirit man. "Nimrod" means strength, or
rebel. The descendents of Ham brought the first earthly kings into
being.  Babylon and Nimrod seem to be spoken of with evil. They were
opposed to the LORD from the beginning. Nimrod was a mighty warrior.

     I Chronicles 1:11 "And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and
Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,"

     Ludim seemed to have fathered the African nations near Egypt.
Anamim formed an Egyptian tribe, of which nothing more is known.
Lehabim seemed to father the fair-haired, blue-eyed Lybians. These
particular people fought for Egypt. Naphtuhim settled in Egypt, or
immediately west of it. Nothing more is known of them.

     I Chronicles 1:12 "And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the
Philistines,) and Caphthorim."

     Pathrusim founded Pathros. Casluhim's descendents became the
Philistines. Caphthorim, possibly, founded Caphtor, and the
Philistines came from there too.

     I Chronicles 1:13 "And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and
 Heth," I Chronicles 1:14 "The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the
 Girgashite," I Chronicles 1:15 "And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and
 the Sinite," I Chronicles 1:16 "And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite,
 and the Hamathite."

     Heth was the father of the Hittites. "Zidon" means fishing. All
of the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,
Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites descended from Ham through
Canaan. They settled the land of the Canaanites, that would later
become the holy land.

     I Chronicles 1:17  "The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and
Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and
Meshech."

     Shem is the son of Noah. It is in his lineage that the Lord Jesus
Christ comes. The ark was finished, when he was 98 years old. Elam
settled the land beyond the Tigris River and east of Babylon. Asshur
founded the land of Assyria. Arphaxad would be the son of Shem the
lineage of Jesus will come through, He settled north, northeast of
Ninevah. This Lud settled, probably, in the Asian nations. Aram was
the father of the Armenians, who were located in Syria and
Mesopotamia. They extended into Lebanon. The maternal ancestry of
Jacob's children was Aramaic. Uz was a grandson of Shem, through Aram.
Hul, Gether, and Meshech {Mash} were grandsons, also, through Aram.
     I Chronicles 1:18 "And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat
Eber."

     We must trace Arphaxad's family even closer, because he is in the
lineage of Jesus. It appears, that he was born very soon after the
flood. Shelah is, also, spoken of as Salah. He is the only son of
Arphaxad, mentioned. "Salah" means missle, or javelin. Eber, is
sometimes called Ebet. "Eber" means the region beyond.

     I Chronicles 1:19 "And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of
the one [was] Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided: and
his brother's name [was] Joktan."

     "Peleg" means division. Could it be, that during the days of
Peleg the earth actually separated? We must remember several things.
Before the flood, it had never rained upon the earth. We know that the
days of Peleg are not long after that great event. The continents, did
break apart at sometime in history. Is it possible this is speaking of
that?  It is very interesting to me that "Eber" means region beyond.
What is it beyond? I do not believe the statement "the earth divided"
means a scattering of the people. It did not say the people of the
earth divided. If the continents did separate, that is why there were
people in the Americas. That could be why the American Indians tell of
a great flood, as well as the people of the Mediterranean. That would
even answer why there are pyramids in South America. "Joktan" means
small. Very little else is known of him, except that he had numerous
sons listed below.

     I Chronicles 1:20 "And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and
Hazarmaveth, and Jerah," I Chronicles 1:21 "Hadoram also, and Uzal,
and Diklah," I Chronicles 1:22 "And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,"
I Chronicles 1:23 "And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these [were]
the sons of Joktan."

     Almodad was the father of an Arabian tribe. Sheleph's descendents
were Arab's, also. "Hazarmaveth" means village of death. "Jerah" means
moon or month. Hadoram was another Arab tribe founder. Uzal, probably,
founded Yemen. Nothing else is known of Diklah. "Ebal" means bare, or
stone. Abimael was the founder of an Arabian tribe called Mael. Sheba
was one of the sons of Joktan, who founded tribes of Arabia. The
country became known as Sheba. Nothing more is known of Ophir, except
they were Arabs. Havilah founded an area north of Sheba. They were
Arabs, also. "Jobab" means desert, howler, one who calls shrilly. It
appears, that all of the sons of Joktan were Arabs.










                        1 Chronicles 1 Questions


1.  Who do most people believe compiled Chronicles?
2.  What is another name for Chronicles?
3.  What period of time does Chronicles cover?
4.  When was it compiled?
5.  What does the book begin with?
6.  How old was Adam, when Seth was born?
7.  Why does verse 1, of this lesson, skip Cain and Abel?
8.  Quote Genesis chapter 4 verse 25.
9.  What is another name for Kenan?
10. Henoch is the same as ________.
11. What was he the first to do?
12. What is special about Methuselah from Seth's line?
13. Who are Shem, Ham, and Japheth?
14. What does "Japheth" mean?
15. Where did Gomer settle?
16. Cush was the father of _________.
17. Who founded Babylon?
18. What does "Cush" mean?
19. Canaan was the founder of what people?
20. What kind of a man was Nimrod?
21. Who is Shem?
22. How old was he, when the ark was finished?
23. Why is Arphaxad important?
24. What does "Eber" mean?
25. Who was Eber's son mentioned here?
26. What special thing happened in his lifetime?
27. What does the author ask about this time?
28. Who were Joktan's descendents?
29. What does "Jobab" mean?