What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 2:21? Later “Later” signals a real point on the timeline of Judah’s family history (1 Chron 2:5–10). The chronicler has just listed Hezron’s sons through his first wife; now, years afterward, God adds more to the line. Scripture’s chronology is intentional, reminding us that the Lord orders every season (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Psalm 31:15). • The pause shows God is never rushed—He can unfold His purposes over decades, as with Abraham waiting for Isaac (Genesis 21:2) and Moses waiting in Midian (Exodus 2:23). • Genealogies are history, not legend (Genesis 46:12; Matthew 1:1-3), anchoring redemption in verifiable time. Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead The union links the tribe of Judah (Hezron) with the prominent clan of Manasseh (Machir, cf. Numbers 26:29; Joshua 17:1). God weaves together different branches of Israel for His larger covenant plan. • Machir is celebrated for valor and inheritance (Deuteronomy 3:15; Judges 5:14). Joining Judah and Machir foreshadows how God will later unite all tribes under David’s throne (2 Samuel 5:1-5) and, ultimately, under Christ (Ephesians 2:14-16). • The phrase “slept with” candidly states the physical reality of marriage, affirming the goodness of marital intimacy created by God (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4). He had married her when he was sixty years old Age is no barrier to God’s fruitfulness. Like Abraham at a hundred (Genesis 17:17) and Zechariah and Elizabeth in their later years (Luke 1:7, 13), Hezron’s advanced age magnifies divine initiative. • The chronicler records the exact age to highlight the miraculous suitability of God’s timing (Psalm 90:1-4). • It underscores perseverance in faithfulness—Hezron did not cease trusting God’s covenant promises because of age (Isaiah 46:4). and she bore to him Segub A single sentence, yet it advances salvation history. Segub becomes an ancestor of Jair, a judge who will control twenty-three towns in Gilead (1 Chron 2:22; Judges 10:3-4), demonstrating how one birth can bless multitudes. • Every child in Scripture carries potential wrapped in God’s sovereign design (Psalm 127:3-5). • The birth sustains Judah’s line toward David (Ruth 4:18-22) and, generations later, Messiah (Luke 3:31-33). summary 1 Chronicles 2:21 shows the Lord crafting His redemptive genealogy with precision: at a definite “later” moment, Hezron of Judah marries into Machir’s house, fathers a son at sixty, and extends a lineage that will influence Israel’s leadership and ultimately deliver the Son of David. The verse testifies that God’s timing, unions, and offspring are historically true and divinely directed. |