Judah's Families: Tamar to David

"These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah…" "Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him. And Tamar his daughter in law bare him Pharez and Zerah."

"And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail."

The house of Hezron spreads through Caleb (Chelubai) and Jerahmeel: Ephrath, Bethlehem, Kiriath-jearim, Tekoa. Sheshan, who has no sons, gives his daughter to his Egyptian servant Jarha. The chapter ends with "the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez" and the Kenites "that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab."

David the seventh, or the eighth?

1 Samuel 16:10–11 and 17:12 give Jesse eight sons, with David the youngest; 1 Chronicles 2:15 names seven, with David the seventh. Seven may reflect a son who died, or the symbolic value of seventh place. All library texts read "seventh."

Women in the genealogy

The chapter names more women than most ancient genealogies: Tamar, Bath-shua, Zeruiah, Abigail, Azubah, Ephrath, Abiah, Atarah, Abihail, Ahlai, Ephah, Maachah. Several are mothers of clans; some lines pass through daughters.

Clans as geography

Many "sons" are towns ("father of Bethlehem," "father of Tekoa"). Israel Finkelstein argues that the southern lists reflect the settlement map of Judah in the late Persian or Hellenistic period; others see older traditions preserved. The genealogies do both history and identity.