1
The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four in all.
2
The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Samuel, heads of their families. In the days of David, their descendants numbered twenty-two thousand six hundred mighty warriors, according to their genealogies.
3
The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah—five in all, all of them chiefs.
4
According to their genealogies and family lines, they had thirty-six thousand troops for battle, for they had many wives and children.
5
Their relatives among all the clans of Issachar, mighty warriors, were listed in their genealogies as eighty-seven thousand in all.
6
The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael—three in all.
7
The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri—five in all, heads of families, mighty warriors. Their genealogies listed twenty-two thousand thirty-four.
8
The sons of Becher were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher.
9
Their genealogies, according to their descendants as heads of their families, mighty warriors, numbered twenty thousand two hundred.
10
The son of Jediael was Bilhan, and the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.
11
All these were the descendants of Jediael, heads of their families, mighty warriors, and there were seventeen thousand two hundred men fit for battle.
12
And Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir; Hushim was the son of Aher.
13
The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
14
The descendants of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore. She gave birth to Machir, the father of Gilead.
15
Machir took a wife for Huppim and Shuppim; his sister’s name was Maacah.
The name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had only daughters.
16
Maacah, the wife of Machir, bore a son and named him Peresh. His brother’s name was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.
17
The son of Ulam was Bedan. These were the descendants of Gilead son of Machir, son of Manasseh.
18
His sister Hammoleketh bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.
19
The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
20
The descendants of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and his son Bered, and his son Tahath, and his son Eleadah, and his son Tahath,
21
and his son Zabad, and his son Shuthelah, and Ezer and Elead. They were killed by the men of Gath, who were natives of the land, because they went down to seize their livestock.
22
Ephraim their father mourned for many days, and his brothers came to comfort him.
23
Afterward he lay with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah, because disaster had come upon his family.
24
His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower Beth Horon, Upper Beth Horon, and Uzzen Sheerah.
25
Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son,
26
Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,
27
Nun his son, and Joshua his son.
28
Their holdings and settlements were Bethel and its villages; Naaran to the east; Gezer and its villages to the west; and Shechem and its villages, as far as Ayyah and its villages.
29
Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan and its villages, Taanach and its villages, Megiddo and its villages, and Dor and its villages. In these places the descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived.
30
The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; their sister was Serah.
31
The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.
32
Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and their sister Shua.
33
The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet.
34
The sons of Shemer were Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.
35
The sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.
36
The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, and Imrah,
37
Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.
38
The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.
39
The sons of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.
40
All these were descendants of Asher, heads of their families, choice mighty warriors, chief leaders. Their genealogical record as fit for battle numbered twenty-six thousand men.
🛡️📜⚔️ Summary of 1 Chronicles 7 – Genealogies of the Northern Tribes of Israel: Military Strength and Lost Potential
1 Chronicles 7 records the genealogies of several Israelite tribes in the north and center: Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh (half), Ephraim, and Asher. The main focus of this chapter is on their militarily strong descendants, including the number of warriors, as well as several important figures and events. Unlike the Levites in the previous chapter, these tribes show national strength potential, but historically they also became a group that was easily led astray spiritually.
📌 1. The Tribe of Issachar (verses 1–5)
➡️ Four sons of Issachar and their descendants are listed
➡️ They had 87,000 men ready for battle, showing great military strength
🎯 A large number does not necessarily mean spiritual strength — without God, physical strength is fragile.
📌 2. The Tribe of Benjamin (verses 6–12)
➡️ The sons of Benjamin and their descendants are named
➡️ A total of 59,434 warriors, including family leaders
➡️ Benjamin would become the tribe from which King Saul, Israel’s first king, came
🎯 God can use a small tribe (Benjamin was the smallest) for a great purpose
📌 3. The Tribe of Naphtali (verse 13)
➡️ Only the names of Naphtali’s sons are mentioned
➡️ No troop count or other descendants are given
🎯 Sometimes God does not emphasize quantity, but a place in His plan.
📌 4. Half-Tribe of Manasseh (verses 14–19)
➡️ The descendants are recorded through an Aramean woman and mixed family ties
➡️ This reflects the social and cultural complexity of the northern tribes
🎯 God still works even when a person’s background is not perfect
📌 5. The Tribe of Ephraim and the Descendants of Joseph (verses 20–29)
➡️ A tragic account is recorded of Ephraim’s sons being killed by the men of Gath
➡️ Ephraim mourned, yet God gave him another son named Beriah (“misfortune”)
➡️ Ephraim’s descendants built major cities in the region of Samaria
🎯 There is restoration from God even in sorrow, and the next generation still has hope
📌 6. The Tribe of Asher (verses 30–40)
➡️ They had many descendants and 26,000 trained warriors
➡️ Figures such as Imnah, Ishvah, and Beriah are mentioned
🎯 This tribe shows strength and organization, yet it is still not often highlighted in Israel’s spiritual history
📖 Main Lesson
- God records every tribe and descendant, not only the popular or the spiritual
- Great human potential does not guarantee spiritual faithfulness
- Stories of sorrow and failure can be restored by God, as with Ephraim
- God’s faithfulness to all Israel is seen in the fair recording of every tribe
- Military strength without spiritual direction can become useless
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 1 Corinthians 1:27
“But God chose the weak… to shame the strong.”
➡️ Though Benjamin was small, from this tribe God chose Saul and later Paul
📖 Romans 11:1
“I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.”
➡️ God has not rejected His people — every tribe has a part in the great plan
📖 2 Corinthians 4:7
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay…”
➡️ Human weakness can become a vessel for God’s glory
🕊️ “They were all heads of families… mighty warriors…” – 1 Chronicles 7:2
🕊️ “The sons of Ephraim… were killed by the men of Gath…” – 1 Chronicles 7:21
🕊️ “The daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.” – 1 Chronicles 7:15
🕊️ “All these were listed in their genealogies… mighty warriors…” – 1 Chronicles 7:40
