What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 1:24? Shem “Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah.” (1 Chronicles 1:24) • Shem is presented as the next key figure after Noah’s sons (Genesis 5:32; 10:21) and the one through whom God’s blessing is traced: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem!” (Genesis 9:26). • Chronicles places his name first in this mini-list because every covenant promise after the flood funnels through him, leading eventually to Abraham (Genesis 11:10–11) and, centuries later, to Christ (Luke 3:36). • By repeating Shem’s name, the writer underlines the historical bridge from the post-flood world to the nation of Israel. The Spirit-inspired genealogy affirms that God works in real time with real people, keeping literal promises to literal families. Arphaxad • Arphaxad is Shem’s son, born “two years after the flood” (Genesis 11:10). His inclusion shows that the godly line did not skip generations; the record is tight and continuous. • His life anchors the timeline between the judgment of the flood and the call of Abram (Genesis 11:10-13). Luke lists him when tracing Jesus’ ancestry (Luke 3:36), cementing his importance for New-Covenant readers. • Each mention of Arphaxad proclaims God’s faithfulness: He preserved the family through which the Redeemer would come, despite a world that quickly drifted back into rebellion (Genesis 11:1-9). Shelah • Arphaxad “became the father of Shelah” (Genesis 11:12). Shelah in turn fathers Eber (Genesis 11:14), from whom the term “Hebrew” derives (Genesis 10:24), marking the ethnic identity of Abraham’s descendants. • Chronicles stops at Shelah here, trusting the reader to recall the continuing line, yet the single name still testifies that every stage of the family tree mattered to God (Luke 3:35). • The straightforward listing—Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah—functions like a drumbeat, reminding us that God’s redemptive plan marches on, generation by generation, without interruption or error. summary 1 Chronicles 1:24 is far more than a roll call; it is a three-word declaration that God’s covenant promises survived the flood, took root in a specific family, and advanced unbroken toward the Savior. Shem highlights the blessed lineage, Arphaxad secures the post-flood link, and Shelah points forward to the Hebrew nation—all proving that Scripture’s genealogies are accurate, literal signposts of God’s unwavering faithfulness. |
    |