What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 2:4? Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law • 1 Chronicles 2:4 opens by naming Tamar. Genesis 38 details how Tamar, a widowed Canaanite, entered Judah’s family line after his sons Er and Onan died (Genesis 38:6–10). • Her inclusion shows that God faithfully records every person in the covenant line, even those who enter through unexpected or scandalous events. Ruth 4:12 and Matthew 1:3 echo her place in the ancestry of David and Christ. • Judah initially withheld his third son Shelah from her (Genesis 38:11, 14), but God’s sovereign plan moved forward despite human failure. The genealogy here reminds readers that God redeems broken situations for His purposes. Bore to him Perez and Zerah • Tamar’s twin sons are listed next. The older, Perez, broke out first (Genesis 38:29), a detail the writer of Chronicles presumes we know. • Perez becomes the chief branch of Judah’s line—leading to Boaz (Ruth 4:18-22), David (1 Samuel 17:12), and ultimately Jesus (Matthew 1:3, 16; Luke 3:33). • Zerah’s line is smaller but still noted (Numbers 26:20). This double birth underlines that God often multiplies blessing where sin once abounded (Romans 5:20). Judah had five sons in all • The Chronicler totals the sons: – Er, Onan, and Shelah (Genesis 46:12) – Perez and Zerah from Tamar • Er and Onan died childless (Genesis 38:7-10). Their absence from the lineage stresses how obedience and faith shape future generations. • By stating “five sons in all,” the writer draws a boundary around Judah’s immediate descendants, preparing to trace only the fruitful lines—especially Perez—through the rest of the chapter (1 Chronicles 2:5-15). summary 1 Chronicles 2:4 retells Tamar’s surprising entry into Judah’s family, highlights the birth of Perez and Zerah as evidence of God’s redemptive work, and counts Judah’s five sons to set the stage for the royal line that culminates in Christ. Even through human sin and missteps, God preserves and advances His promised purposes. |
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