1 Chronicles 3:6 — Word Study
WLCוְיִבְחָ֥ר וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֖ע וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃
BSA[David’s other sons were] IbharYibchar [in addition to the previously mentioned, also known as Jebaar] ElishuaʼĔlîyshâmâʻ [or Elishama, a man of God] ElipheletʼĔlîypheleṭ [meaning God is deliverance]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְיִבְחָ֥ר | and Ibhar | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֖ע | and Elishama | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃ | and Eliphelet | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | David’s other sons were Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, |
| KJV | Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, |
| ASV | and Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, |
| YLT | also Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, |
| WEB | and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, |
| BBE | And Ibhar and Elishama and Eliphelet |
Where they part company is in the names mentioned, but the translations agree on the identity of Ibhar, Elishama, and Eliphelet.
The verse presents a main clause followed by a list of names, emphasizing the lineage of David.
6 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Poole, Trapp, Ellicott & 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 3:6
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 Sons of Davidgenerated
1 Chronicles 3:6 lists the sons of David, emphasizing his lineage and the continuation of his royal line. This verse is part of a broader genealogical account that highlights the significance of David's descendants, as seen in the context of 1 Chronicles 3:5 and 1 Chronicles 3:7.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Chronicles 14:5 | Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, |
| 2 | 2 Samuel 5:15 | Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, |
| 3 | 1 Samuel 14:5 | One cliff stood to the north toward Michmash, and the other to the south toward Geba. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִבְחָר, ve.yiv.Chargenerated
The name יִבְחָר (yivchar) refers to Ibhar, one of King David's sons, and is derived from a root meaning 'to choose.' This indicates a special selection or significance in the context of David's lineage.
In this verse, Ibhar is presented as a member of the royal family during the United Monarchy, highlighting his place in the historical narrative of Israel's kings.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, with a main clause listing David's sons: וְיִבְחָ֥ר (and Ibhar) as the subject followed by additional names. The conjunction וְ (and) connects the names in a series.
This simple list format emphasizes the continuity of David's lineage without additional commentary, reflecting the genealogical style of ancient Hebrew texts.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִבְחָר as ιβααρ, which maintains the name's identity but does not provide additional context. This choice reflects a direct rendering of the Hebrew without interpretive expansion.
The names in the Septuagint correspond closely to the Hebrew, indicating a consistent understanding of David's lineage across both texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 3:6 lists David's sons, highlighting Ibhar, Elishama, and Eliphelet. These names are part of the royal lineage of David, showing the continuation of his family line.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The verse mentions Ibhar, Elishama, and Eliphelet as sons of David.
Ibhar means 'Jehovah chooses' and signifies a chosen individual in David's lineage.
Yes, Elishama is a name shared by several individuals in the Old Testament, including a chief of the tribe of Ephraim.
Eliphelet means 'God is deliverance,' indicating a divine aspect associated with this name.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding David's lineage help us appreciate the significance of his reign?
- What can we learn from the names of David's sons about the values of his family?
- In what ways do the meanings of these names reflect the character of God?
- How can we see God's hand in the genealogies presented in Scripture?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 3:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIbhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet, Elishama, and Eliphelet - two sons of the same name are twice mentioned (1 Chronicles 3:8).
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAnd he had two other sons called by the same names, , but they were by differing wives; and probably they were then distinguished by some additional clause or title, which is here omitted, because it was now needless for us to know it; or the two first were dead before the two second were born, and therefore the names of the deceased were given to these to preserve their memory.
Read Matthew Poole on 1 Chronicles 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments1 Chronicles 3:6 Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,Ver. 6. And Elishama, and Eliphelet.] David had two Elishama’ s and two Eliphelet’ s: either because by different wives, or because these two were dead before the other were born.
Read John Trapp on 1 Chronicles 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) Ibhar.—“He” (i.e., God) “chooseth.” Elishama.—Spelt Elishua in both of the parallel passsages. (See Note on 1 Chronicles 3:5.) The recurrence of Elishama (“God heareth”) in 1 Chronicles 3:8 is no argument against the name here. Eliphelet (“God is deliverance”) also occurs twice, and David may have chosen to give names so expressive of his own peculiar faith and trust to the sons of different wives. (See Psalms 18:2; Psalms 18:6.) This Eliphelet (called Elphalet—Heb., Elpèlet, 1 Chronicles 14:5; a by-form, as Abram is of Abiram, or Absalom of Abishalom, or Abshai of Abishai) is omitted in Samuel. So also is Nogah (brightness, i.e., of the Divine Presence, Psalms 18:13—a hymn which is…
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. Elishama, and Eliphelet] this and the eighth verse these two names occur twice; some think this is a mistake, but others suppose that two persons of these names died young, and that the next born received the name of the deceased. - See Jarchi.
Read AdamClarke on 1 Chronicles 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. Elishama] in 1 Chronicles 14:5 and 2 Samuel 5:15 Elishua, no doubt the right reading, for otherwise (cp. 1 Chronicles 3:8) we have two sons of David named Elishama. Eliphelet] in 1 Chronicles 14:5 (R.V.) Elpelet; in 2 Samuel 5:15 the name is wanting. Eliphelet cannot be right, for it re-occurs as the name of the thirteenth son in 1 Chronicles 3:8. On the other hand Elpelet may be right here and Eliphelet in 1 Chronicles 3:8, for according to Hebrew custom two brothers might bear names of similar sound and significance.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 3 →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
David’s other sons were Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,
and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet,
David’s other sons were Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,
The other nine were Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
Tyndale line
Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
and Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
and Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet;
Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphalet,
Strictly literal
and Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
also Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
Also Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
And Yibchar, and Elishama', and Eliphelet,
David's other nine sons were: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,
From the Latin
Jebaar also and Elisama,
Simplified
In addition there were also Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,
And Ibhar and Elishama and Eliphelet
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 agree in listing the names of David's sons as וְיִבְחָ֥ר וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֖ע וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃. There are no significant variations between these witnesses regarding this verse.
וְיִבְחָ֥ר וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֖ע וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃
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 3:6
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.
יִבְחָר (yibchar) refers to a man named Ibhar, one of King David's sons, noted in 2 Samuel 5:15. The name means 'Jehovah chooses' and is derived from the root meaning 'choice.' The entries consistently identify Ibhar as a member of the tribe of Judah during the United Monarchy.
יִבְחָר n.pr.m. (He (Ēl or י׳) chooses) son of David
base
H2984 יִבְחָר
2984 Yibchar yib-khar'
from 977; choice; Jibchar, an Israelite:--Ibhar.
see HEBREW for 0977
יִבְחָר (yiv.char) — Ibhar.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.15;
son of: David (H1732);
brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)
§ Ibhar = "Jehovah chooses"
one of the sons of David, born in Jerusalem
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
ib'-har (yibhchar, "He (God) chooses"; in Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, Ebear, in Chronicles, Codex Vaticanus, Baar; Codex Alexandrinus, Iebaar): One of David's sons, born at Jerusalem; son of a wife and not of a concubine (1Ch 3:6; 2Sa 5:15); otherwise unknown. His name in all three lists follows Solomon's.' In the Peshitta, "Juchabar."
Ibhar
Chosen, one of David’s sons (1 Chr. 3:6; 2 Sam. 5:15).
(whom God chooses), one of the sons of David, (2 Samuel 5:15; 1 Chronicles 3:6; 14:6) (born in Jerusalem. B.C. after 1044.)
election; he that is chosen
אֱלִישָׁמָע (Eliyshama) means "my God has heard" and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a chief of the tribe of Ephraim, a son of David, and a scribe under Jehoiakim. The name is built from the elements for God and hearing. It appears in various contexts, including leadership and priesthood.
אֱלִישָׁמָע (God has heard)
chief of Ephraim
son of David
scribe of Jehoiakim
one of the royal seed
a man of Judah
a priest
base
H476 אֱלִישָׁמָע
476 'Eliyshama` el-ee-shaw-maw'
from 410 and 8085; God of hearing; Elishama, the name of
seven Israelites:--Elishama.
see HEBREW for 0410
see HEBREW for 08085
אֱלִישָׁמָע (e.li.sha.ma) — Elishama.
A man of the tribe of Ephraim living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.10;
son of: Ammihud (H5989);
father of: Nun (H5126)
§ Elishama = "my God has heard"
1) an Ephraimite chief in the wilderness
2) a son of David
3) Jehoiakim's secretary
4) a priest who taught the law
5) a man of Judah
אֱלִישָׁמָע (e.li.sha.ma) — Elishama.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.16;
son of: David (H1732);
brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
e-lish'-a-ma ('elishama`, "God has heard"):
(1) Grandfather of Joshua and son of Ammihud; prince of the tribe of Ephraim in the Exodus (Nu 1:10; 7:48,53; 1Ch 7:26).
(2) A son of David, born in Jerusalem (2Sa 5:16; 1Ch 3:8).
(3) By textual corruption in 1Ch 3:6 for Elishua, another of David's sons; compare 2Sa 5:15.
Elishama
Whom God hears. (1.) A prince of Benjamin, grandfather of Joshua (Num. 1:10; 1 Chr. 7:26). (2.) One of David’s sons (2 Sam. 5:16). (3.) Another of David’s sons (1 Chr. 3:6). (4.) A priest sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the people the law (2 Chr. 17:8).
(whom God hears). The "prince" or "captain" of the tribe of Ephraim in the wilderness of Sinai. (Numbers 1:10; 2:18; 7:48; 10:22) (B.C. 1491.) From (1 Chronicles 7:26) we find that he was grandfather to the great Joshua. A son of King David. (1 Samuel 5:16; 1 Chronicles 3:8; 14:7) Another son of David, (1 Chronicles 3:6) who in the other lists is called ELISHUA. (B.C. after 1044.) A descendant of Judah. (1 Chronicles 2:41) The father of Nethaniah and grandfather of Ishmael. (2 Kings 25:25;
God hearing
The Hebrew word אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט (*Eliyphelet*) means 'God is deliverance' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, primarily linked to the tribe of Judah and the lineage of King David. It is associated with David's youngest son, a mighty warrior, and a Benjamite descendant of Jonathan. The name appears in various contexts, including 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning or usage.
אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט n.pr.m. (God is deliverance)
son of David
one of David’s heroes
a Benjamite
one of the line of Adonikam
of the line of Hashum
base
H467 אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט
467 'Eliyphelet el-ee-feh'-let
or (shortened) Elpelet {el-peh'-let}; from 410 and 6405; God
of deliverance; Eliphelet or Elpelet, the name of six
Israelites:--Eliphalet, Eliphelet, Elpalet.
see HEBREW for 0410
see HEBREW for 06405
אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט (e.li.phe.let) — Eliphelet.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.16;
son of: David (H1732);
brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)
§ Elpalet or Eliphalet or Eliphelet = "God is deliverance"
1) David's youngest son
2) one of David's mighty warriors
3) a Benjamite descendant of Jonathan
4) a leader of the clan of Adonikam
5) one of the line of Hashum
אֲלִיפֶ֫לֶט (e.li.phe.let) — Eliphelet.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Sa.23.34;
son of: Ahasbai (H0308)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
e-lif'-e-let.
See ELIPHALAT; ELIPHAL.
Eliphelet
God his deliverance. (1.) One of David’s distinguished warriors (2 Sam. 23:34); called also Eliphal in 1 Chr. 11:35.
(2.) One of the sons of David born at Jerusalem (1 Chr. 3:6; 14:5); called Elpalet in 1 Chr. 14:5. Also another of David’s sons (1 Chr. 3:8); called Eliphalet in 2 Sam. 5:16; 1 Chr. 14:7.
(3.) A descendant of king Saul through Jonathan (1 Chr. 8:39).
(the God of deliverance). The name of a son of David, one of the children born to him after his establishment in Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 3:6) (B.C. after 1044.) Another son of David, belonging also to the Jerusalem family, and apparently the last of his sons. (1 Chronicles 3:8) One of the thirty warriors of David’s guard. (2 Samuel 23:34) Son of Eshek, a descendant of King Saul through Jonathan. (1 Chronicles 8:39) (B.C. before 536.) One of the leaders of the Bene-Adonikam who returned from Babylon with Ezra. (Ezra 8:13) (B.C. 459.) A man of the Bene-Hushum in the time of Ezra who had married a foreign wife. (