Which sons of David are named in Hebron and Jerusalem, and how does the family register continue through Solomon?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Six sons are named with their mothers in Hebron. In Jerusalem the chapter names four sons of Bethsabee and nine more, besides sons of the concubines, and their sister Thamar. It then follows Solomon’s family through Roboam and the later generations to Josias, Jechonias, Zorobabel, Hananias and the seven sons of Elioenai.

Chapter breakdown

David’s sons born in Hebron are Amnon his firstborn, of Achinoam the Jezrahelitess; Daniel second, of Abigail the Carmelitess; Absalom third, of Maacha, daughter of Tolmai king of Gessur; Adonias fourth, of Aggith; Saphatias fifth, of Abital; and Jethrahem sixth, of Egla his wife. These six are born in Hebron, where David reigns seven years and six months. He reigns thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem David has Simmaa, Sobab, Nathan and Solomon, four sons of Bethsabee, daughter of Ammiel. The next nine names are Jebaar, Elisama, Eliphaleth, Noge, Nepheg, Japhia, Elisama, Eliada and Elipheleth. Elisama appears twice in this list, and the forms Eliphaleth and Elipheleth are kept as written. These are David’s sons besides the sons of the concubines. They have a sister, Thamar.

Challoner explains the concubines as the inferior wives. This explanation belongs to the note.

Solomon’s son is Roboam. Roboam’s son Abia begets Asa, whose son is Josaphat. Josaphat is Joram’s father; Joram begets Ochozias, and Joas is born of Ochozias.

Joas’s son Amasias begets Azarias. Azarias’s son Joathan begets Achaz, the father of Ezechias, of whom Manasses is born. Manasses begets Amon, the father of Josias.

Josias’s sons are Johanan his firstborn, Joakim second, Sedecias third and Sellum fourth. Of Joakim are born Jechonias and Sedecias.

Jechonias’s sons are Asir, Salathiel, Melchiram, Phadaia, Senneser, Jecemia, Sama and Nadabia. Of Phadaia are born Zorobabel and Semei. Zorobabel begets Mosollam, Hananias and Salomith their sister. The next five are Hasaba, Ohol, Barachias, Hasadias and Josabhesed.

Hananias’s son is Phaltias, the father of Jeseias. Jeseias’s son is Raphaia; Raphaia’s son is Arnan, of whom Obdia is born. Obdia’s son is Sechenias.

Sechenias’s son is Semeia. Semeia’s named sons are Hattus, Jegaal, Baria, Naaria and Saphat. The verse gives the number as six.

Challoner explains the number six by counting the father in the number.

Naaria’s three sons are Elioenai, Ezechias and Ezricam. Elioenai’s seven sons are Oduia, Eliasub, Pheleia, Accub, Johanan, Dalaia and Anani.

The story inside

The chapter moves from David’s children to a longer line through Solomon. The opening six sons are grouped by birth in Hebron, with each mother named and Amnon called the firstborn. David’s reign in Hebron lasts seven years and six months; his reign in Jerusalem lasts thirty-three years. The Jerusalem group names Bethsabee and her father Ammiel with her four sons, then nine more names. That list is expressly in addition to sons of the concubines, and it names the sister Thamar. Solomon’s line then runs through Roboam, Abia, Asa, Josaphat, Joram, Ochozias and Joas, and continues through Amasias to Josias. The register gives Josias’s four sons in order and names Jechonias and Sedecias under Joakim. Jechonias’s sons lead to the Phadaia group, which includes Zorobabel and Semei. Zorobabel’s children include Mosollam, Hananias and their sister Salomith, followed by five more names. Hananias’s line leads through Phaltias, Jeseias, Raphaia, Arnan and Obdia to Sechenias and Semeia. The number six accompanying Semeia’s named sons is explained by Challoner as including the father. Naaria’s three sons and Elioenai’s seven sons close the register. The chapter supplies these names and relationships, without recounting the later destruction of Jerusalem, births in exile or a legal purpose for the list.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The grouping of David’s sons matters. Each of the six sons born in Hebron has a named mother and a stated place in the order. In Jerusalem four sons belong to Bethsabee, while nine more names follow, and sons of concubines are expressly additional. Keeping the mothers, places, order and exception preserves the family record instead of turning it into a single undifferentiated list.
2
The line through Solomon is a sequence of stated relationships. It reaches Josias, then branches into his sons and continues through Joakim, Jechonias and Phadaia to Zorobabel’s family. The source does not recount each person’s reign or declare every link an uninterrupted transfer of a throne. Reading the father and son links as written keeps those later historical claims from being added to the chapter.
3
The small details should not be smoothed away. Elisama occurs twice in the Jerusalem list, and Eliphaleth and Elipheleth have different written forms. Verse 22 names five sons and says six; Challoner explains that the father is counted. The register also names Thamar and Salomith as sisters. Keeping these details and attributing the note prevents an editor from quietly changing the names, adding a son or dropping the women.

Test your recall

How do the birthplaces and mothers divide David’s sons, which father and son links lead from Solomon to Josias and from Phadaia to Zorobabel, and why does Challoner say six when Semeia’s list names five sons?

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 41482–41499
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 3 The genealogy of the house of David. 3:1. Now these were the sons of David that were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn Amnon of Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, the second Daniel of Abigail the Carmelitess. 3:2. The third Absalom the son of Maacha the daughter of Tolmai king of Gessur, the fourth Adonias the son of Aggith, 3:3. The fifth Saphatias of Abital, the sixth Jethrahem of Egla his wife. 3:4. So six sons were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem he reigned three and thirty years.
Lines 41500–41511
3:5. And these sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Simmaa, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four of Bethsabee the daughter of Ammiel. 3:6. Jebaar also and Elisama, 3:7. And Eliphaleth, and Noge, and Nepheg, and Japhia, 3:8. And Elisama, and Eliada, and Elipheleth, nine: 3:9. All these the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines: and they had a sister Thamar.
Lines 41512–41513
The concubines.... The inferior wives.
Lines 41514–41519
3:10. And Solomon’s son was Roboam: whose son Abia begot Asa. And his son was Josaphat, 3:11. The father of Joram: and Joram begot Ochozias, of whom was born Joas:
Lines 41520–41525
3:12. And his son Amasias begot Azarias. And Joathan the son of Azarias 3:13. Begot Achaz, the father of Ezechias, of whom was born Manasses. 3:14. And Manasses begot Amon the father of Josias.
Lines 41526–41530
3:15. And the sons of Josias were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Joakim, the third Sedecias, the fourth Sellum. 3:16. Of Joakim was born Jechonias, and Sedecias.
Lines 41531–41540
3:17. The sons of Jechonias were Asir, Salathiel, 3:18. Melchiram, Phadaia, Senneser and Jecemia, Sama, and Nadabia. 3:19. Of Phadaia were born Zorobabel and Semei. Zorobabel begot Mosollam, Hananias, and Salomith their sister: 3:20. Hasaba also, and Ohol, and Barachias, and Hasadias, Josabhesed, five.
Lines 41541–41544
3:21. And the son of Hananias was Phaltias the father of Jeseias, whose son was Raphaia. And his son was Arnan, of whom was born Obdia, whose son was Sechenias.
Lines 41545–41547
3:22. The son of Sechenias was Semeia, whose sons were Hattus, and Jegaal, and Baria, and Naaria, and Saphat, six in number.
Lines 41548–41549
Six.... Counting the father in the number.
Lines 41550–41555
3:23. The sons of Naaria, Elioenai, and Ezechias, and Ezricam, three. 3:24. The sons of Elioenai, Oduia, and Eliasub, and Pheleia, and Accub, and Johanan, and Dalaia, and Anani, seven.