How does 1 Chronicles 1:47 fit into the genealogy of Edomite kings? Text of 1 Chronicles 1:47 “When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.” Immediate Literary Setting Verses 43-54 reproduce, with only minor orthographic differences, the royal list of Genesis 36:31-39. The Chronicler arranges the material in three blocks: 1. Esau’s direct descendants (1 Chronicles 1:34-37). 2. Edomite tribal chiefs (1 Chronicles 1:38-42). 3. The kings who ruled in Edom “before any king reigned over the Israelites” (1 Chronicles 1:43-54). Verse 47 belongs to the third block and records the fifth sovereign (counting from Bela) in the eight-king sequence. Enumeration of the Edomite Monarchs 1. Bela son of Beor – city: Dinhabah (v 43). 2. Jobab son of Zerah – city: Bozrah (v 44). 3. Husham of the land of the Temanites (v 45). 4. Hadad son of Bedad – city: Avith; conqueror of Midian (v 46). 5. Samlah of Masrekah (v 47). 6. Shaul of Rehoboth-on-the-River (Euphrates) (v 48). 7. Baal-hanan son of Achbor (v 49). 8. Hadad (also called Hadar) of Pai; queen mother: Mehetabel (vv 50-51). How Verse 47 Fits • Placement: Samlah is the immediate successor to Hadad son of Bedad and the predecessor of Shaul. • Formula: The Chronicler preserves the refrain “When X died, Y reigned in his place,” evidencing a non-dynastic succession—each king is replaced at death, not by a son, but by another notable, matching the same pattern in Genesis 36. • Genealogical Consistency: The verse confirms the reliability of the parallel in Genesis; MT, LXX, and Samaritan Pentateuch agree on the name Samlah (שַׂמְלָה) and his city Masrekah (מַשְׂרֵכָה), demonstrating textual stability. Geographical Note: Masrekah Masrekah probably lay in southern Edom, its name derived from the Hebrew root śrq, “to prune or dress vines,” implying a viticultural region. Surveys in the Wadi al-Guwayyir and Jebel es-Shaqra have uncovered Early Iron Age fortlets and wine-press installations consistent with an Edomite king’s seat in a fertile enclave. Name Study: Samlah “Samlah” may derive from a root meaning “garment” or “wrap,” used in Semitic onomastics for protective imagery. The diversity of kingly names—Bela (Akkadian), Hadad (North-west Semitic, linked to the storm-god), Samlah (possibly Northwest Semitic)—underscores Edom’s cosmopolitan links through trade routes like the King’s Highway. Chronological Considerations Ussher’s chronology places the Edomite monarchy c. 1850-1650 BC, preceding Saul’s anointing by roughly four centuries, fulfilling Genesis 36:31’s explicit note that Edom had kings “before any king reigned over the Israelites.” Copper-smelting residues at Timna (14C dates in the 17th-16th c. BC) align with an organized Edomite polity during this window. Political Structure The absence of dynastic succession implies an elective or tribal-chief model. Each king’s city is noted, hinting that the throne rotated among major clan centers, consistent with pastoral chiefdoms described in second-millennium Nuzi tablets and the Mari archives. Archaeological Corroboration • An Egyptian topographical list (Temple of Amenhotep III at Soleb, 14th c. BC) names “Seir-ites” among conquered peoples, indicating a settled Edomite region compatible with a king at Masrekah. • Ostraca from Kuntillet Ajrud (8th c. BC) mention “Yahweh of Teman” and “Yahweh of Samaria,” showing how later Israelites still recognized Edomite locales such as Teman (close to Masrekah) as distinct entities. Theological Implications • Fulfillment of Prophecy: Rebekah was told, “Two nations are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23). The Edomite kings confirm that Esau’s line indeed formed a nation early, yet outside the covenant promises given to Jacob. • Redemptive Trajectory: Chronicles contrasts Edom’s early kingship with Israel’s theocratic wait, emphasizing God’s sovereign timing in raising David’s line (cf. 1 Chronicles 17). • Eschatological Hint: Obadiah foretells Edom’s downfall; the chronicled list foreshadows that no matter how early or robust Edom’s monarchy, only the Davidic Kingdom—and ultimately Christ—endures forever (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32-33). Practical Application God’s record of an otherwise obscure king like Samlah underscores His governance over all nations. Believers gain assurance that the Lord who orders even Edomite successions also ordains the climactic kingship of the risen Christ, “the Ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5). |
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