What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 8:5? Gera “Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.” (1 Chronicles 8:5) • Gera is named twice in this chapter (vv. 3 and 5), showing that chroniclers sometimes list the same man in more than one position to trace different lines of descent. • Genesis 46:21 first records a Gera among Benjamin’s sons, confirming a continuous family record from Jacob’s day to the post-exilic period. • Judges 3:15 tells us that the judge Ehud was “the son of Gera, a Benjamite,” linking this genealogy to a moment when God used a Benjamite to deliver Israel from Moab. • 1 Chronicles 8:7 notes a later Gera who led relatives into exile, reminding us that obedience or disobedience in one person can affect generations. Takeaway: God faithfully keeps track of individuals and families, and He can raise up deliverers from obscure places when His people need rescue. Shephuphan • This name parallels “Shupham” in Numbers 26:39 and “Shuppim” in 1 Chronicles 7:12, indicating that a single clan could be known by slightly different spellings over time while remaining a distinct branch of Benjamin. • The clan resurfaces after the Babylonian captivity in Ezra 2:28 (as “Bethel and Ai”) because Benjamites settled that region—evidence that covenant promises about land inheritance were honored even after national judgment. • By preserving Shephuphan’s line, the Lord ensured that every promised allotment in Joshua 18:11-28 stayed within Benjamin’s borders. Takeaway: God’s precise record-keeping guarantees that no promise about land, tribe, or family is forgotten. Huram • Though separate from the famous Tyrian craftsman “Huram-Abi” in 2 Chronicles 2:13-14, this Benjamite Huram shares the same name, hinting that God can bestow similar gifts or callings on people from very different backgrounds. • 2 Chronicles 4:11-16 shows Huram-Abi crafting temple furnishings; the Chronicler may intentionally echo that name here to remind readers that Benjamin, Judah’s close neighbor, had a part in temple history. • The placement of Huram as the final son of Bela (vv. 3-5) rounds out a complete roster of nine sons, matching the “mighty warriors” census in 1 Chronicles 8:40 and underscoring Benjamin’s resilience after the near-annihilation of Judges 20. Takeaway: God includes every contributor—whether warrior, leader, or artisan—in His unfolding plan for worship and witness. summary 1 Chronicles 8:5 simply lists three sons of Bela—Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram—but the names tie into larger themes of deliverance (Gera and Ehud), covenant inheritance (Shephuphan’s clan), and temple service (the Huram motif). This brief verse assures us that God sees every person, preserves every promise, and weaves each life into His redemptive story. |
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