1 Chronicles 3:23
The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam--three in all.
The sons of Neariah:

Neariah belonged to the continuing line of David recorded after the exile, demonstrating that God preserved the royal family even when Judah’s throne had fallen and the people had been carried into captivity. The genealogy keeps before Israel the covenant promise that David’s house would endure and ultimately find its fulfillment in the Messiah.

1Ch 4:42 And five hundred of these Simeonites led by Pelatiah,…
Mat 1:12-13 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of…
Luk 3:27-31 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel…

Elioenai,

Elioenai, whose name means “My eyes are toward God” or “God is my eyes,” stands within the family line descending from David through Zerubbabel, connecting the postexilic community to the promises God had made concerning Judah’s future. Though Scripture records no further deeds from his life, his place in the genealogy testifies that God’s purposes continued through generations that lived without an earthly Davidic king.

1Ch 7:8 The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer…
Ezr 8:4 from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai…
Ezr 10:22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah…

Hizkiah,

Hizkiah bore a name associated with the strength of the Lord—Hizkiah, also spelled Hezekiah in some translations, means “Yahweh strengthens.” He was not King Hezekiah, but his inclusion among David’s descendants recalls the Lord’s faithfulness to sustain the house from which righteous kings had come and from which Christ would come.

Neh 10:17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
2Ki 18:1-7 In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah…
2Ch 29:1-2 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king…

and Azrikam—

Azrikam, whose name means “My help has risen” or “Help has arisen,” completes the list of Neariah’s recorded sons. His family belonged to a preserved remnant of David’s line, a quiet but important witness that exile and national judgment did not cancel God’s covenant commitments.

1Ch 8:38-39 Azel had six sons, and these were their names:…
1Ch 9:14 From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub…
2Ch 28:7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah…

three in all.

The careful numbering reflects the reliability and order of the genealogical record. David’s descendants remained known among God’s people, preserving the historical line through which the promised Son of David would appear.

1Ch 7:6 The three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.
2Sa 14:27 Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar…
1Sa 2:21 So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Neariah
A descendant of David, Neariah is part of the genealogical record that traces the lineage of the royal family of Judah. His name means "servant of Yah" or "lamp of Yah," indicating a connection to God.

2. Elioenai
One of the sons of Neariah, his name means "my eyes look to God." This name reflects a posture of dependence and trust in God.

3. Hizkiah
Another son of Neariah, his name is a variant of Hezekiah, meaning "Yahweh strengthens." This name suggests reliance on God's strength.

4. Azrikam
The third son of Neariah, his name means "help against the enemy" or "my help has risen." This name implies divine assistance and protection.

5. Genealogical Record
This passage is part of the genealogical records in 1 Chronicles, which serve to establish the continuity of God's promises through the lineage of David.
Teaching Points
God's Faithfulness in Generations
The genealogies remind us of God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises across generations. We can trust that God is working through our family lines and histories.

Significance of Names
The meanings of the names in this passage reflect attributes of God and His relationship with His people. Consider the significance of your own name and how it might reflect your identity in Christ.

Legacy and Heritage
Just as Neariah's sons are recorded in Scripture, we are encouraged to consider the legacy we are leaving for future generations. Are we living in a way that honors God and reflects His promises?

Dependence on God
The names Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam each point to a reliance on God. In our daily lives, we should cultivate a posture of looking to God for strength, guidance, and help.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the genealogical record in 1 Chronicles 3:23 demonstrate God's faithfulness to His covenant with David?

2. What can we learn from the meanings of the names Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam about our relationship with God?

3. In what ways can we ensure that we are leaving a godly legacy for future generations?

4. How do the genealogies in 1 Chronicles connect to the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, and what does this reveal about God's plan of salvation?

5. Reflect on a time when you had to rely on God's strength and help. How does this passage encourage you to continue trusting in Him?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Chronicles 3:10-24
This broader passage provides the genealogical context, tracing the descendants of Solomon and the royal line of Judah, emphasizing God's faithfulness to His covenant with David.

2 Samuel 7:12-16
God's promise to David about establishing his throne forever is foundational to understanding the significance of these genealogies.

Matthew 1:1-17
The genealogy of Jesus Christ in the New Testament connects back to these Old Testament records, showing the fulfillment of God's promises through the lineage of David.
Genealogy of Israel's Royal HouseholdF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 3:1-24
Kings of the Royal Line - Zedekiah: the Lesson of His LifeF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 3:10-24
The Best Rewards of Piety, EtcW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 3:10-24
On the Genealogical TablesR. Glover 1 Chronicles 1-6
GenealogiesJ.R. Thomson 1 Chronicles 1-9
People
Abia, Abigail, Abijah, Abital, Absalom, Adonijah, Ahaz, Ahaziah, Ahinoam, Akkub, Amaziah, Ammiel, Amnon, Amon, Anani, Arnan, Asa, Assir, Azariah, Azrikam, Bariah, Bathsheba, Bathshua, Berechiah, Carmelitess, Dalaiah, Daniel, David, Delaiah, Eglah, Eliada, Eliashib, Elioenai, Eliphelet, Elishama, Elishua, Haggith, Hananiah, Hasadiah, Hashubah, Hattush, Hesed, Hezekiah, Hizkiah, Hodaiah, Hodaviah, Hoshama, Ibhar, Igal, Igeal, Isaiah, Ithream, Japhia, Jecamiah, Jeconiah, Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim, Jehoshaphat, Jekamiah, Jesaiah, Jeshaiah, Jezreel, Jezreelitess, Jizreelitess, Joash, Johanan, Joram, Josiah, Jotham, Jushabhesed, Maacah, Maachah, Malchiram, Manasseh, Meshullam, Nathan, Neariah, Nedabiah, Nepheg, Nogah, Obadiah, Ohel, Pedaiah, Pelaiah, Pelatiah, Rehoboam, Rephaiah, Salathiel, Shallum, Shammua, Shaphat, Shealtiel, Shecaniah, Shechaniah, Shelomith, Shemaiah, Shenazar, Shephatiah, Shimea, Shimei, Shobab, Solomon, Talmai, Tamar, Zedekiah, Zerubbabel
Places
Geshur, Hebron, Jerusalem
Topics
Azrikam, Azri'kam, Elioenai, Eli-o-e'nai, Hezekiah, Hizkiah, Hizki'ah, Neariah, Neari'ah, Sons
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 3:10-19

     2540   Christ, genealogy

Library
Altar and Temple
'And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. 2. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. 3. And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration:
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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