1 Chronicles 1 43

1 Chronicles 1:43 kjv

Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

1 Chronicles 1:43 nkjv

Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

1 Chronicles 1:43 niv

These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned: Bela son of Beor, whose city was named Dinhabah.

1 Chronicles 1:43 esv

These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city being Dinhabah.

1 Chronicles 1:43 nlt

These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites : Bela son of Beor, who ruled from his city of Dinhabah.

1 Chronicles 1 verses

1 Chronicles 1 43 Meaning

1 Chronicles 1:43 provides a specific historical and genealogical detail, stating that a succession of kings reigned over the land of Edom, a nation descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. The pivotal aspect of this verse is its explicit chronological note: these Edomite monarchs were established and governed their nation before any king had begun to reign over the Israelites. This information positions Edom as an earlier organized kingdom in the region compared to Israel, setting a crucial temporal contrast within the broader genealogical record of the Chronicler.

1 Chronicles 1 43 Context

1 Chronicles 1:43 is nestled within the extensive genealogies that open the Book of 1 Chronicles. This chapter traces the lineages from Adam, providing a comprehensive ancestral backdrop for the nation of Israel. After establishing the line through Abraham and Isaac, the genealogies branch out to include Esau's descendants, from whom Edom originated. Verses 1:35-42 detail the "sons of Esau" and the chiefs that descended from him. Immediately following this, 1:43 serves as a transitional statement, introducing the list of Edomite kings who ruled sequentially. This inclusion is significant because it highlights a historical reality: Edom, though related through Esau, developed into a formalized kingdom with a reigning monarch much earlier than Israel did. Israel’s eventual move towards monarchy, described extensively in the Books of Samuel, arose from a different set of circumstances and divine providence, which contrasted with the more "natural" evolution of a monarchy like Edom's. The Chronicler’s careful detail not only provides historical context for his original audience (post-exilic Judahites) but also implicitly underscores God’s distinct timing and plan for His covenant people, Israel, regarding their unique form of governance.

1 Chronicles 1 43 Word analysis

• וְאֵלֶּה (V'ēlleh): "And these" or "Now these." This is a compound word formed from the conjunction (וְ - and) and the demonstrative pronoun (אֵלֶּה - these). It acts as a clear linguistic marker, introducing a new and significant list that logically flows from the preceding genealogical data while highlighting its importance.
• הַמְּלָכִים (hamməlāḵîm): "the kings." Comprises the definite article (הַ - the) attached to the plural noun מְלָכִים (məlāḵîm), which originates from the root מֶלֶךְ (meleḵ), meaning "king." This specifically denotes individuals holding official, sovereign authority over a kingdom, signifying a state of organized monarchical government.
• אֲשֶׁר (asher): "who" or "that." This common Hebrew relative pronoun links "the kings" to the subsequent verb describing their actions, indicating a direct relationship between the subjects and their activity.
• מָלְכוּ (māləḵû): "reigned" or "they ruled." This verb form is the third person masculine plural perfect of מָלַךְ (mālak), meaning "to reign" or "to be king." The perfect tense implies a completed action in the past, confirming that these individuals indeed exercised actual, finished reigns.
• בְּאֶרֶץ (bə’ereṣ): "in the land of." A construct phrase made of the preposition בְּ (be - in/at) and the noun אֶרֶץ (ereṣ - land). It precisely indicates the geographical domain within which these kings exercised their rule.
• אֱדוֹם (’Ĕḏōm): "Edom." The proper noun referring to the nation and territory east and southeast of Israel, inhabited by the descendants of Esau. Its name, "red," alludes to Esau's purchase of the red lentil stew. Edom frequently played an adversarial role against Israel.
• לִפְנֵי (lip̄nê): "before." This is a composite preposition, literally "to the face of" (לְ - to + פְּנֵי - faces of). In this context, its primary meaning is temporal, denoting an event that took place earlier in time than the subsequent action.
• מְלֹךְ־מֶלֶךְ (məlōḵ-meleḵ): "the reigning of a king" or "a king reigning." This specific Hebrew construction uses the infinitive construct מְלֹךְ (məlōḵ) from מָלַךְ (mālak), combined in a construct state with the noun מֶלֶךְ (meleḵ). It emphasizes the very establishment or existence of a king's reign, marking the start of a monarchical era.
• לִבְנֵי (lib̄nê): "for the sons of" or "for the children of." This is the preposition לְ (le - to/for) attached to בְּנֵי (bənê), the construct plural form of בֵּן (bēn - son). It denotes the collective group over whom the king would exercise authority.
• יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yiśrā’ēl): "Israel." The sacred proper noun for the chosen covenant people descended from Jacob. Its mention serves as the ultimate contrasting point, highlighting that Edom had kingship before God’s unique plan for a monarchy was established in Israel.

• "These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom": This opening phrase acts as a historical pronouncement, initiating the list of Edomite monarchs and firmly placing them within their defined geographic and ethnic boundaries. It signals a shift from purely genealogical lines to an organized political entity.
• "before any king reigned over the Israelites": This crucial phrase is the interpretive key to the verse. It serves as a stark chronological and theological differentiator. The Chronicler, inspired by God, deliberately emphasizes that Edom, a "worldly" nation, adopted monarchical rule through natural progression long before Israel, God's chosen covenant nation, received a king. This implicitly suggests that Israel's journey to kingship was distinct, shaped not by convention alone but by unique divine guidance and specific timing, reinforcing God's sovereign control over Israel's destiny in contrast to other nations.

1 Chronicles 1 43 Bonus section

• The Chronicler's primary goal was not merely a historical account, but a theological one. By tracing lineages and emphasizing events relevant to the Davidic kingdom and the Temple, he aimed to restore confidence and re-establish the identity of the post-exilic community. Including Edomite kings reinforces the historical setting against which Israel's unique story unfolded.
• The early presence of kingship in Edom and the delay for Israel could underscore the principle of divine timing (Kairos vs. Chronos). While the world (like Edom) progresses and establishes human systems quickly, God's divine will often operates on a different, perfect timeline for His covenant people.
• This verse contributes to the Chronicler's larger project of demonstrating God's sovereignty over all nations and not just Israel. By acknowledging and detailing the histories of other nations, the Chronicler shows that even the rise and fall of foreign powers are within God's comprehensive plan.
• The very inclusion of Edom, a historically adversarial nation to Israel, within such an important genealogical document underlines the biblical understanding of brotherhood, lineage, and the enduring consequences of historical relationships, as initially rooted in Jacob and Esau.

1 Chronicles 1 43 Commentary

1 Chronicles 1:43 provides a concise, yet significant historical footnote within the expansive genealogies. It details the established monarchies in Edom, asserting that these kings ruled well before Israel had its own. This temporal distinction serves several important purposes for the Chronicler. Firstly, it offers historical context for Israel by showing that a related nation (descended from Esau) achieved a common political structure—kingship—much earlier. Secondly, and more profoundly, it subtly highlights Israel's unique spiritual trajectory. Unlike Edom, Israel's path to kingship was fraught with complex theological dimensions, eventually arising from the people's request "to be like all the nations" but ultimately divinely orchestrated to culminate in the covenant with David. Thus, this verse, while appearing as a mere historical detail, points to God's deliberate, distinct, and sovereign timing for His people, distinguishing their divinely ordered institutions from the conventional paths of other nations. It reminds us that God's plans for His elect are perfectly timed, even when they seem slower than the world's progression.