How does 1 Chronicles 1:46 fit into the genealogical context of the Bible? Canonical Text “When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Avith.” (1 Chronicles 1:46) Placement within the Chronicle’s Opening Genealogies First Chronicles opens with a rapid panorama from Adam to the post-exilic community. Verse 46 sits in the list of the eight pre-Israelite kings of Edom (1 Chronicles 1:43-54), a list copied—with only minor orthographic differences—from Genesis 36:31-39. By recording the line of Esau before turning to Jacob’s offspring (1 Chronicles 2—9), the Chronicler honors the promise that “two nations are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23) while simultaneously showing that the covenant line progresses through Jacob, not Esau. Parallel with Genesis 36 Genesis 36:35 gives almost verbatim information: “Hadad son of Bedad, who struck down Midian in the field of Moab, and the name of his city was Avith.” The repetition proves that Chronicles is not inventing data but faithfully preserving earlier Torah material. The duplication across two independent books composed centuries apart illustrates the internal coherence of Scripture. Genealogical Function 1. Demonstrates God’s providence over nations outside Israel. 2. Shows that kingship existed in Edom “before any king ruled over the Israelites” (1 Chronicles 1:43), highlighting the uniqueness of Israel’s later theocratic monarchy (cf. Deuteronomy 17:14-20). 3. Locates Israel in the wider human family, countering any ethnic elitism and anticipating the inclusion of all peoples in the Messianic reign (Isaiah 49:6). Historical and Chronological Horizon Using Ussher’s chronology, Esau was born c. 2108 BC, and the Edomite kings would have reigned c. 1850-1700 BC, well before Saul’s coronation (1051 BC). The victory over Midian in Moab places Hadad geographically east of the Dead Sea and temporally before the Exodus, fitting the patriarchal window. Archaeological Corroboration • Copper-smelting sites at Timna and Khirbat en-Nahas (Levy et al., 2004) attest to an organized Edomite polity in the early 2nd millennium BC, aligning with an Edomite kings list. • Midianite pottery and metallurgical debris in Wadi Arabah confirm Midian’s presence near Moab, matching the biblical battlefield. • Theophoric royal names containing the storm-god “Hadad” appear in 2nd-millennium Northwest Semitic texts (e.g., the Mari archives), supporting the plausibility of “Hadad son of Bedad.” Theological Themes • Divine sovereignty: God grants and removes kingship even among non-covenant nations (Daniel 2:21). • Moral instruction: Edom eventually falls under judgment for hostility to Israel (Obadiah 10-15), warning any nation that opposes God’s redemptive plan. • Covenant contrast: While Edom pursues human kingship, Israel awaits a king after God’s own heart, culminating in the greater Son of David (Luke 1:32-33). Typological Connections to Christ Matthew 1 and Luke 3 culminate genealogies in Jesus, the Seed through whom “all families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Recording even the lines outside the covenant foreshadows the Messiah’s global scope: Christ’s blood covers both Jew and Gentile—including descendants of Edom who place faith in Him (Ephesians 2:13-16). Practical and Devotional Takeaways God remembers every name and deed, even of nations outside the covenant line. His meticulous record-keeping guarantees that He will not forget those whose names are “written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). The list in 1 Chronicles 1, far from dry, reminds believers that history is His-story, moving inexorably toward the reign of the risen Christ under whom “every knee will bow” (Philippians 2:10-11). |
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