1 Chronicles 2:45 kjv
And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur.
1 Chronicles 2:45 nkjv
And the son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
1 Chronicles 2:45 niv
The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
1 Chronicles 2:45 esv
The son of Shammai: Maon; and Maon fathered Beth-zur.
1 Chronicles 2:45 nlt
The son of Shammai was Maon. Maon was the father of Beth-zur.
1 Chronicles 2 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Chron 2:3 | The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah; three by Bath-shua the Canaanitess, and Perez and Zerah by Tamar. | Context of Judah's lineage. |
| 1 Chron 2:42-43 | The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha... The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema... and Rekem became the father of Shammai. | Direct ancestry of Shammai within Caleb's line. |
| Josh 15:58 | Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, Ma’arath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon. Six cities with their villages. | Identifies Beth-zur as a specific city in Judah's allotted territory. |
| 2 Chron 11:7 | Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, Hebron; these were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. | Shows Rehoboam fortified Beth-zur, highlighting its strategic importance. |
| Neh 3:16 | Next to him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as opposite the tombs of David and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty. | Reinforces Beth-zur as an established administrative district during the return from exile. |
| 1 Chron 2:50 | These are the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim... | Illustrates the Chronicler's pattern of linking people to places/settlements. |
| 1 Sam 25:2 | Now there was a man in Maon whose property was in Carmel; and the man was very rich... | Maon as a significant place name in Judah, often linked with Carmel. |
| 1 Chron 9:1 | So all Israel was recorded in genealogies; and behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel. | Broader purpose of Chronicler's genealogies for all Israel. |
| Gen 46:12 | The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan)... | Early Judahite lineage validation. |
| Ruth 4:18-22 | Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron... and Jesse became the father of David. | Shows genealogies leading to the Davidic line, a key theme in Chronicles. |
| Matt 1:1-2 | The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham became the father of Isaac... | Highlights the importance of meticulously recorded genealogies for messianic lineage. |
| Luke 3:23-24 | When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli... | Emphasizes the significance of lineage in Jewish culture and for divine purpose. |
| Ps 105:8 | He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations. | Connects detailed records like genealogies to God's enduring covenant faithfulness. |
| Isa 9:7 | There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom... | Future hope tied to the Davidic line, underscored by precise genealogies. |
| Rom 9:5 | from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. | Underscores the critical importance of specific genealogies for Christ's lineage. |
| Heb 7:14 | For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing about priests. | Highlights Judah's preeminence as the tribe from which Christ would come. |
| Rev 5:5 | And one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed..." | Affirms the enduring significance of the Judahite line. |
| Gen 12:1-3 | Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you... | Divine promise of land, foundational for genealogical records linking families to places. |
| 1 Chron 4:1-4 | The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath... | Additional genealogies of Judah demonstrating extensive tribal records. |
| Ezra 2:1-2 | Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah... | Genealogies were vital for establishing the identity and rights of the returnees to the land. |
| Jer 32:6-9 | And Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is about to come to you, saying, "Buy for yourself my field which is in Anathoth..."' | Illustrates the practice of maintaining familial land ownership and records, which genealogies support. |
1 Chronicles 2 verses
1 Chronicles 2 45 Meaning
1 Chronicles 2:45 details a specific lineage within the tribe of Judah, identifying Maon as the son of Shammai, and further noting that Maon was the ancestral "father" or progenitor figure of Beth-zur. This brief statement records the genealogical continuity and establishes a vital connection between a Judahite clan and a significant historical location in the Promised Land.
1 Chronicles 2 45 Context
1 Chronicles 2:45 is situated within the lengthy and meticulous genealogies of 1 Chronicles chapters 1-9. Specifically, Chapter 2 focuses exclusively on the descendants of Judah, the tribe from which King David arose. The Chronicler (the implied author of 1 & 2 Chronicles) emphasizes Judah not only because it was the royal tribe but also because it constituted the enduring remnant of Israel that returned from Babylonian exile and remained the primary covenant community.
The verse is part of a segment (1 Chron 2:42-49) that details the specific lineage of Caleb, a prominent figure from Judah, highlighting his many descendants and their associations with various towns and regions in Judah. This emphasis on people connected to places was crucial for the post-exilic audience. It validated their historical claim to the Promised Land, reinforced tribal identity, and provided a basis for communal organization, land inheritance, and maintaining the covenant lineage, especially as they rebuilt their society and the Temple. Beth-zur itself was a known strategically important city in Judah, making its mention significant.
1 Chronicles 2 45 Word analysis
- And (וְ) [ve]: A common Hebrew conjunction, functioning here to link this genealogical statement to the preceding ones, indicating continuity in the record.
- the son (בֶּן־) [ben]: A foundational term in Hebrew genealogies, meaning "son" or, more broadly, "descendant." It denotes a direct generational relationship.
- of Shammai (שַׁמַּי) [Shammai]: A personal name. This Shammai is specifically identified earlier in the genealogy (1 Chron 2:43) as a son of Rekem, who in turn is a son of Hebron, a son of Caleb. This precise lineage situates Maon within a specific branch of the Calebite (Judahite) family, emphasizing the Chronicler's detailed recording of the families who settled and inhabited the land.
- was (הָיָה) [hayah]: A simple Hebrew verb "to be," indicating a state of being or identity in this genealogical context.
- Maon (מָעוֹן) [Maʿon]: The name of Shammai's son. Interestingly, "Maon" is also a notable town in Judah (Josh 15:55), which gives rise to speculation regarding a personal-name-as-place-name relationship. In 1 Sam 25:2, it is known as the dwelling place of Nabal, near Carmel. This dual identification underscores the interconnectedness of persons and places in the ancient world, especially in a genealogical record focused on territorial claims and tribal settlement.
- and Maon (וּמָעוֹן) [u-Maʿon]: The repetition emphasizes Maon's pivotal role, acting as both a descendant and an ancestor for a geographical entity.
- was the father (אֲבִי) [ʾavī]: Literally "father of," this phrase in a genealogical list can signify either a literal paternal relationship or that the individual was the progenitor, founder, patron, or leading figure associated with a particular place or community.
- of Beth-zur (בֵּית־צוּר) [Bet-tsur]: Literally meaning "house of rock" or "house of the fortress." This is a strategically important ancient city located in the Judean hill country (Josh 15:58). Its name signifies its defensible nature. It was later fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chron 11:7) and mentioned in the context of the return from exile as an administrative district (Neh 3:16). The Chronicler's intention here is to directly link this significant Judean city with a specific Judahite lineage.
Words-group Analysis
- "And the son of Shammai was Maon": This phrase precisely establishes a direct father-son relationship, extending the continuous chain of the Calebite lineage from Judah, tracing their specific family lines. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern cultural emphasis on patriarchal succession and family continuity.
- "and Maon was the father of Beth-zur": This clause extends the genealogy from an individual family line to a territorial connection. The phrasing "father of Beth-zur" means Maon's family line became intimately associated with the city of Beth-zur. This suggests that his descendants were the prominent inhabitants, or even the original settlers, of Beth-zur. It directly ties a significant Judean location to a named person within a prominent tribal line, reinforcing tribal claims to the land for the Chronicler's post-exilic audience. It highlights the intertwining of tribal identity and geographical possession.
1 Chronicles 2 45 Bonus section
- Eponymous Foundation: The designation "father of Beth-zur" points to a common practice in ancient genealogies where an individual's name was directly linked to the founding or prominence of a place. Maon's association with Beth-zur strongly suggests that his clan played a crucial role in its development or sustained presence. This provided a mnemonic and historical connection between specific family units and the lands they inhabited.
- Chronological Layering: The genealogical style of 1 Chronicles often condenses generations and history into a compressed format. Thus, "Maon was the father of Beth-zur" might not imply a single act of founding by an individual but rather that the descendants of Maon formed the primary community or dominant clan in Beth-zur over generations. This method was effective for reaffirming enduring family-territory connections.
- Theological Implication of Land Rights: The Chronicler's extensive genealogies serve to affirm God's faithfulness to His covenant promises concerning the land given to Abraham and his descendants. Every connection between a named person/clan and a named city, like Maon and Beth-zur, serves as evidence that God's people have a divinely appointed inheritance, which was particularly comforting and legitimizing for the post-exilic community rebuilding their life in the land.
1 Chronicles 2 45 Commentary
1 Chronicles 2:45, though a concise genealogical entry, carries substantial weight within the Chronicler's larger theological and historical project. It positions Maon, a descendant of Caleb (himself a highly esteemed Judahite who received significant land), as the ancestral "father" or key figure of Beth-zur. This record was not merely dry lineage; for the Jews returning from Babylonian exile, these genealogies were crucial documents affirming their legitimate heritage and covenantal claim to the land of Israel. By explicitly connecting specific families like Maon's to recognized territories such as Beth-zur – a strategically significant city within Judah – the Chronicler reinforced the historical depth of Israelite presence and the validity of their re-settlement. This verse underscores the foundational truth for the exiles: despite displacement, God's covenant with His people and their right to the land, specifically through the established tribal and family lines, remained intact and divinely affirmed.