1 Chronicles 1:2 — Word Study
WLCקֵינָ֥ן מַהֲלַלְאֵ֖ל יָֽרֶד׃
BSAKenanQêynân [Cainan, son of Enosh] MahalalelMahălalʼêl [praise of God, grandson of Cainan] JaredYered [Jered, descendant of Seth, meaning descent]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| קֵינָ֥ן | Kenan | Noun proper masculine |
| מַהֲלַלְאֵ֖ל | Mahalalel | Noun proper masculine |
| יָֽרֶד׃ | Jared | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, |
| KJV | Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, |
| ASV | Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, |
| YLT | Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, |
| WEB | Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, |
| BBE | Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, |
There is no variation in the translations of this verse.
The verse consists of a simple list of names, emphasizing the lineage without additional complexity.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 1:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of Adamgenerated
1 Chronicles 1:2 presents a brief genealogy, listing the names of Kenan, Mahalalel, and Jared. These names are part of the lineage from Adam, emphasizing the continuity of God's people through generations. This genealogy serves to connect the early history of humanity with the later narrative of Israel, as seen in other genealogies in Genesis 5:12-14 and Luke 3:37.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 5:12–14 | When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. |
| 2 | Luke 3:37 | the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, |
| 3 | Genesis 5:15–17 | When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. |
| 4 | Luke 3:37 | the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, |
| 5 | Genesis 5:18–20 | When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — קֵינָן, kei.Nangenerated
The name קֵינָן (Kenan) is a proper noun, referring to a significant figure from the antediluvian period. He is the son of Enosh and the father of Mahalalel, living before the Flood. The name means 'possession' and is derived from a root meaning 'fixed.'
In this genealogy, Kenan's mention establishes a link between generations and highlights the importance of lineage in biblical narratives.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the names listed in this verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse consists of a simple noun phrase, with the names Kenan, Mahalalel, and Jared presented in succession. Each name represents a significant figure in the genealogy of Adam.
The straightforward listing emphasizes the continuity of the lineage without additional clauses or complex grammatical structures.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates קֵינָן as καιναν, מַהֲלַלְאֵל as μαλελεηλ, and יָֽרֶד as ιαρεδ. This word choice maintains the names' integrity while adapting them into Greek.
The Septuagint's consistency with the Hebrew names indicates a careful preservation of the genealogical record.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 1:2 lists three names: Kenan, Mahalalel, and Jared. Kenan is the son of Enosh, Mahalalel is Kenan's son, and Jared is Mahalalel's son. These names connect the early history of humanity to the lineage of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Kenan is the son of Enosh and father of Mahalalel; Mahalalel is the grandson of Kenan, and Jared is the son of Mahalalel.
This genealogy shows the lineage from Adam leading to significant biblical figures, emphasizing the continuity of God's people.
These names are also found in Genesis 5:12-17 and in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:37.
The name Kenan means 'possession' and is derived from a root meaning 'fixed.'
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding the genealogy help us appreciate the biblical narrative?
- What significance do you find in the names listed in this genealogy?
- How can we see God's faithfulness through the generations mentioned here?
- Why do you think genealogies are important in the Bible?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators have noted the meanings of these names in their writings, emphasizing their significance in biblical history.
Jared, means descending or “holding together.” Malaleleel, means “the praised of God,” or “praising God.” Cainan means “lamentation,” or “their possession.”Early Church Fathers on 1 Chronicles 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 1:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryKenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. Kenan, … Jered] “Cainan, Jared,” the spellings given in Gen. (A.V.) are less correct.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jered,
Tyndale line
Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared;
Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
Kenan, Mahalaleel, Iered,
Strictly literal
Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared,
Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
Kenan, Mehalalel, Jered,
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
From the Latin
Cainan, Malaleel, Jared,
Simplified
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint both agree on the names listed in 1 Chronicles 1:2. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew text word-for-word in this instance, affirming the reliability of the genealogical record.
קֵינָ֥ן מַהֲלַלְאֵ֖ל יָֽרֶד׃
3 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 1:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קֵינָן (Qeynan) refers to Kenan, a figure from the antediluvian period, specifically the son of Enosh and father of Mahalalel. The name is associated with the meaning 'possession.' It appears in Genesis 5:9 and is also referred to as Cainan in the New Testament (Luke 3:37). The word is derived from a root meaning 'fixed.'
קֵינָן n.pr.m. a Sethite
base
H7018 קֵינָן a Sethite
7018 Qeynan kay-nawn'
from the same as 7064; fixed; Kenan, an
antediluvian:--Cainan, Kenan.
see HEBREW for 07064
קֵינָן (qe.nan) — Kenan.
A man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.5.9;
son of: Enosh (H0583);
father of: Mahalalel (H4111); also called Cainan at Luk.3.37;
Also named: Kainan, Kainam (Καϊνάν, Καϊνάμ "Cainan" G2536H)
§ Kenan = "possession"
1) son of Enosh and father of Mahalaleel
1a) also 'Cainan'
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(possession) = CAINAN, the son of Enos. (1 Chronicles 1:2)
buyer; owner
→ See CAINAN
מַהֲלַלְאֵל (Mahalal'el) means 'praise of God' and refers to two individuals in the Old Testament: an antediluvian patriarch, the great-grandson of Seth, and a man from Judah mentioned in Nehemiah. The name is derived from roots meaning 'to praise' and 'God.' It appears in Genesis 5:12 and Nehemiah 11:4.
מַהֲלַלְאֵל n.pr.m. (praise of God)
great-grandson of Seth
a man of Judah
base
H4111 מַהֲלַלְאֵל (praise of God) . great-grandson of Seth
. a man of Judah
4111 Mahalal'el mah-hal-al-ale'
from 4110 and 410; praise of God; Mahalalel, the name of an
antediluvian patriarch and of an Israelite:--Mahalaleel.
see HEBREW for 04110
see HEBREW for 0410
מַהֲלַלְאֵל (ma.ha.lal.el) — Mahalalel.
A man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.5.12;
son of: Kenan (H7018);
father of: Jared (H3382); also called Mahalaleel (NIV: Mahalel) at Luk.3.37;
Also named: Maleleēl (Μαλελεήλ "Mahalaleel" G3121)
§ Mahalaleel = "praise of God"
1) son of Cainan and the 4th in descent from Adam in the line of Seth
2) a descendant of Perez, the son of Judah
מַהֲלַלְאֵל (ma.ha.lal.el) — Mahalalel.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.4;
father of: Shephatiah (H8203N)
§ Mahalaleel = "praise of God"
1) son of Cainan and the 4th in descent from Adam in the line of Seth
2) a descendant of Perez, the son of Judah
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
יֶ֫רֶד (Yered) refers to two individuals in the Bible: one is an antediluvian figure, son of Mahalalel and father of Enoch, while the other is a descendant of Judah, son of Mered. The name means 'descent.' The first mention is in Genesis 5:15, and the second in 1 Chronicles 4:18.
יֶ֫רֶד n.pr.m.
son of Mehall’ēl, fourth generation from Seth
man of Judah
base
H3382 יֶ֫רֶד . son of Mehall’ēl, fourth generation from Seth
. man of Judah
3382 Yered yeh'-red
from 3381; a descent; Jered, the name of an antediluvian, and
of an Israelite:--Jared.
see HEBREW for 03381
יֶ֫רֶד (ye.red) — Jared.
A man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.5.15;
son of: Mahalalel (H4111);
father of: Enoch (H2585H)
Also named: Iared (Ἰάρεδ "Jared" G2391)
§ Jered or Jared = "descent"
1) son of Mahalaleel and father of Enoch in the 4th generation from Seth
2) a descendant of Judah and father of Gedor
יֶ֫רֶד (ye.red) — Jered.
A man of the tribe of Judah(?) living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.18;
son of: Mered (H4778) and Jehudijah (H3057);
brother of: Heber (H2268I) and Jekuthiel (H3354);
half-brother of: Miriam (H4813H)(?), Shammai (H8060I)(?) and Ishbah (H3431)(?)
§ Jered or Jared = "descent"
1) son of Mahalaleel and father of Enoch in the 4th generation from Seth
2) a descendant of Judah and father of Gedor
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
ja'-red (yeredh, "descent"; pausal form, yaredh, in Ge 5:15; 1Ch 1:2, hence, English Versions of the Bible "Jared" for "Jered"; Iared): In Ge 5:15-20; 1Ch 1:2; Lu 3:37, son of Mahalaleel and father of Enoch. The King James Version has "Jered" in 1Ch 1:2.
The name is supposed by Budde to denote a degeneration of the human race, the first five generations being righteous, their successors not, except Enoch and Noah. The name has been identified with that of Irad (iradh), Ge 4:18. See Skinner, Gen, 117, 129, 131.
Jared
Descent. (1.) The fourth antediluvian patriarch in descent from Seth (Gen. 5:15-20; Luke 3:37), the father of Enoch; called Jered in 1 Chr. 1:2.
(2.) A son of Ezra probably (1 Chr. 4:18).
(descent), one of the antediluvian patriarchs, and further of Enoch (Genesis 5:15,16,18-20; Luke 3:37) In the lists of Chronicles the name is given in the Authorized Version JERED.
a ruling; commanding; coming down