How does the chapter move from Adam to Abraham’s family, and which kings and dukes does it name in Edom?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

It begins with names from Adam through Noe, lists the branches of Japheth, Cham and Sem, then follows the sequence to Abram, identified as Abraham. It names Ismahel’s and Cetura’s families, Isaac’s sons Esau and Israel, Esau’s and Seir’s branches, and Edom’s kings before Israel had a king. After the last Adad dies, it lists dukes instead of kings.

Chapter breakdown

The opening names are Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Malaleel, Jared, Henoc, Mathusale, Lamech, Noe, Sem, Cham and Japheth. Japheth’s sons are Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Thubal, Mosoch and Thiras. Gomer’s sons are Ascenez, Riphath and Thogorma. Javan’s sons are Elisa, Tharsis, Cethim and Dodanim.

Cham’s sons are Chus, Mesrai, Phut and Chanaan. Chus’s sons are Saba, Hevila, Sabatha, Regma and Sabathaca; Regma’s sons are Saba and Dadan. Chus also begets Nemrod, who begins to be mighty upon earth. Mesraim begets Ludim, Anamim, Laabim, Nephtuim, Phetrusim and Casluim, from whom come the Philistines, and Caphtorim. Chanaan begets Sidon his firstborn, and the Hethite, Jebusite, Amorrhite, Gergesite, Hevite, Aracite, Sinite, Aradian, Samarite and Hamathite.

The sons of Sem are Elam, Asur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Hus, Hul, Gether and Mosoch. Arphaxad begets Sale, and Sale begets Heber. Heber has two sons: Phaleg, named because the earth was divided in his days, and his brother Jectan. Jectan begets Elmodad, Saleph, Asarmoth, Jare, Adoram, Usal, Decla, Hebal, Abimael, Saba, Ophir, Hevila and Jobab. All these are Jectan’s sons.

The next sequence is Sem, Arphaxad, Sale, Heber, Phaleg, Ragau, Serug, Nachor, Thare and Abram, who is Abraham. Abraham’s sons are Isaac and Ismahel. Ismahel’s generations name his firstborn Nabajoth, then Cedar, Adbeel, Mabsam, Masma, Duma, Massa, Hadad, Thema, Jetur, Naphis and Cedma. These are Ismahel’s sons.

Cetura, Abraham’s concubine, bears Zamran, Jecsan, Madan, Madian, Jesboc and Sue. Jecsan’s sons are Saba and Dadan. Dadan’s sons are Assurim, Latussim and Laomin.

Challoner explains the word concubine here by saying Cetura was Abraham’s lawful wife, but of an inferior degree. That explanation belongs to the note.

Madian’s sons are Epha, Epher, Henoch, Abida and Eldaa. All these are the sons of Cetura. Abraham begets Isaac, whose sons are Esau and Israel. Esau’s sons are Eliphaz, Rahuel, Jehus, Ihelom and Core. Eliphaz’s sons are Theman, Omar, Sephi, Gathan, Cenez and, by Thamna, Amalec. Rahuel’s sons are Nahath, Zara, Samma and Meza.

Seir’s sons are Lotan, Sobal, Sebeon, Ana, Dison, Eser and Disan. Lotan’s sons are Hori and Homam; his sister is Thamna. Sobal’s sons are Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Sephi and Onam. Sebeon’s sons are Aia and Ana, and Ana’s son is Dison.

Dison’s sons are Hamram, Eseban, Jethran and Charan. Eser’s sons are Balaan, Zavan and Jacan. Disan’s sons are Hus and Aran.

The account next names kings who reigned in Edom before there was a king over Israel’s children. Bale, son of Beor, has his city at Denaba. When Bale dies, Jobab, son of Zare of Bosra, reigns in his place. After Jobab dies, Husam from the land of the Themanites succeeds him. When Husam dies, Adad, son of Badad, reigns in his place; he defeats the Madianites in Moab, and his city is Avith.

After Adad dies, Semla of Masreca reigns in his place. Semla dies and Saul of Rohoboth near the river succeeds him. After Saul dies, Balanan, son of Achobor, reigns in his place. He also dies, and another Adad succeeds him. This Adad’s city is Phau, and his wife is Meetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab.

After Adad’s death, dukes begin in Edom instead of kings. The named dukes are Thamna, Alva, Jetheth, Oolibama, Ela, Phinon, Cenez, Theman, Mabsar, Magdiel and Hiram. These are the dukes of Edom.

The story inside

This chapter is a register of names and relationships rather than a sequence of scenes. Its opening runs from Adam to Noe, Sem, Cham and Japheth, then names families under Japheth, Cham and Sem. Within Cham’s branch, Nemrod is described as beginning to be mighty upon earth and Sidon is identified as Chanaan’s firstborn. Sem’s branch moves through Arphaxad and Sale to Heber, whose two sons are Phaleg and Jectan; the reason given for Phaleg’s name is the earth’s division in his days. After Jectan’s sons, a shorter sequence returns to Sem and follows names to Abram, identified as Abraham. Ismahel’s sons and firstborn are listed, then Cetura’s children and their branches, with Challoner’s status explanation kept separately. Abraham begets Isaac, and the register names Esau and Israel before following Esau’s branches. Seir’s sons and their children include a named sister, Thamna, and distinct Dison and Disan groups. The chapter then changes from family groups to a succession of Edom’s kings before Israel had a king. Each death leads to a named successor; fathers, places, a victory and the last Adad’s wife and her lineage add details. After that Adad’s death, dukes begin instead of kings, and their names close the chapter. The register does not explain linguistic territories, political motives or the writer’s purpose for later exiles.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The same name can occur in different groups. Saba appears under Chus, Regma, Jectan and Jecsan, while Thamna appears in a birth clause, as Lotan’s sister and among the dukes. Keeping each parent or role with the name preserves the register without assuming these entries are the same person.
2
The short explanations should remain as short as the source gives them. Nemrod begins to be mighty upon earth; the chapter does not call him a hunter here. Phaleg’s name is tied to the earth being divided in his days, without describing the division as linguistic territories. Cetura’s lawful-wife explanation is a separate Challoner note. These distinctions keep the reader from receiving added material as chapter text.
3
Edom’s list gives both succession and a change of title. The kings reign before a king over Israel’s children, and the named deaths introduce successors with particular family and place details. After the last Adad dies, dukes begin instead of kings. The source records that change but does not explain its cause or make it a comparison between political success and spiritual favour.

Test your recall

How does the repeated sequence from Sem lead to Abram, what reason is given for Phaleg’s name, which parent and sister links distinguish the repeated names, and how do the deaths of Edom’s kings lead through the successors to dukes instead of kings?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 41165–41184
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 1 The genealogy of the patriarchs down to Abraham: The posterity of Abraham and of Esau. 1:1. Adam, Seth, Enos, 1:2. Cainan, Malaleel, Jared, 1:3. Henoc, Mathusale, Lamech, 1:4. Noe, Sem, Cham, and Japheth. 1:5. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, Thubal, Mosoch, Thiras. 1:6. And the sons of Gomer: Ascenez, and Riphath, and Thogorma. 1:7. And the sons of Javan: Elisa and Tharsis, Cethim and Dodanim.
Lines 41185–41204
1:8. The sons of Cham: Chus, and Mesrai, and Phut, and Chanaan. 1:9. And the sons of Chus: Saba, and Hevila, Sabatha, and Regma, and Sabathaca. And the sons of Regma: Saba, and Dadan. 1:10. Now Chus begot Nemrod: he began to be mighty upon earth. 1:11. But Mesraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Laabim, and Nephtuim, 1:12. Phetrusim also, and Casluim: from whom came the Philistines, and Caphtorim. 1:13. And Chanaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and the Hethite, 1:14. And the Jebusite, and the Amorrhite, and the Gergesite, 1:15. And the Hevite, and the Aracite, and the Sinite, 1:16. And the Aradian, and the Samarite, and the Hamathite.
Lines 41205–41222
1:17. The sons of Sem: Elam and Asur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Hus, and Hul, and Gether, and Mosoch. 1:18. And Arphaxad begot Sale, and Sale begot Heber. 1:19. And to Heber were born two sons, the name of the one was Phaleg, because in his days the earth was divided; and the name of his brother was Jectan. 1:20. And Jectan begot Elmodad, and Saleph, and Asarmoth, and Jare, 1:21. And Adoram, and Usal, and Decla, 1:22. And Hebal, and Abimael, and Saba, 1:23. And Ophir, and Hevila, and Jobab. All these are the sons of Jectan.
Lines 41223–41239
1:24. Sem, Arphaxad, Sale, 1:25. Heber, Phaleg, Ragau, 1:26. Serug, Nachor, Thare, 1:27. Abram, this is Abraham. 1:28. And the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ismahel. 1:29. And these are the generations of them. The firstborn of Ismahel, Nabajoth, then Cedar, and Adbeel, and Mabsam, 1:30. And Masma, and Duma, Massa, Hadad, and Thema, 1:31. Jetur, Naphis, Cedma: these are the sons of Ismahel.
Lines 41240–41244
1:32. And the sons of Cetura, Abraham’s concubine, whom she bore: Zamran, Jecsan, Madan, Madian, Jesboc, and Sue. And the sons of Jecsan, Saba, and Dadan. And the sons of Dadan: Assurim, and Latussim, and Laomin.
Lines 41245–41246
Concubine.... She was his lawful wife, but of an inferior degree.
Lines 41247–41258
1:33. And the sons of Madian: Epha, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaa. All these are the sons of Cetura. 1:34. And Abraham begot Isaac: and his sons were Esau and Israel. 1:35. The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Rahuel, Jehus, Ihelom, and Core. 1:36. The sons of Eliphaz: Theman, Omar, Sephi, Gathan, Cenez, and by Thamna, Amalec. 1:37. The sons of Rahuel: Nahath, Zara, Samma, Meza.
Lines 41259–41266
1:38. The sons of Seir: Lotan, Sobal, Sebeon, Ana, Dison, Eser, Disan. 1:39. The sons of Lotan: Hori, Homam. And the sister of Lotan was Thamna. 1:40. The sons of Sobal: Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Sephi, and Onam. The sons of Sebeon: Aia, and Ana. The son of Ana: Dison.
Lines 41267–41271
1:41. The sons of Dison: Hamram, and Eseban, and Jethran, and Charan. 1:42. The sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Jacan. The sons of Disan: Hus and Aran.
Lines 41272–41285
1:43. Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there was a king over the children of Israel: Bale the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Denaba. 1:44. And Bale died, and Jobab the son of Zare of Bosra, reigned in his stead. 1:45. And when Jobab also was dead, Husam of the land of the Themanites reigned in his stead. 1:46. And Husam also died, and Adad the son of Badad reigned in his stead, and he defeated the Madianites in the land of Moab: the name of his city was Avith.
Lines 41286–41298
1:47. And when Adad also was dead, Semla of Masreca reigned in his stead. 1:48. Semla also died, and Saul of Rohoboth, which is near the river, reigned in his stead. 1:49. And when Saul was dead, Balanan the son of Achobor reigned in his stead. 1:50. He also died, and Adad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Phau, and his wife was called Meetabel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezaab.
Lines 41299–41308
1:51. And after the death of Adad, there began to be dukes in Edom instead of kings: duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth, 1:52. Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon, 1:53. Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar, 1:54. Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram. These are the dukes of Edom.