1 Chronicles 4:7 — Word Study
WLCוּבְנֵ֖י חֶלְאָ֑ה צֶ֥רֶת וְצֹ֖חַר וְאֶתְנָֽן׃
BSAThe sonsbên [descendants, offspring] of HelahChelʼâh [wife of Ashhur] [were] ZerethTsereth△ [an Israelite from Judah] ZoharYitschar [tawny, possibly referring to complexion or character] EthnanʼEthnan△ [hire of unchastity, possibly implying a complex family history]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּבְנֵ֖י | and [the] sons of | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct |
| חֶלְאָ֑ה | Helah | Noun proper feminine |
| צֶ֥רֶת | Zereth | Noun proper masculine |
| וְצֹ֖חַר | and Zohar | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְאֶתְנָֽן׃ | and Ethnan | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, |
| KJV | And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan. |
| ASV | And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. |
| YLT | And sons of Helah: Zereth, and Zohar, and Ethnan. |
| WEB | The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. |
| BBE | And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan. |
Where they part company is חֶלְאָה — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of a main clause followed by a simple list of names, reflecting the genealogical style of the text.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 5 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.
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 4:7
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 — Genealogy of the Tribe of Judahgenerated
1 Chronicles 4:7 is part of a genealogical section that traces the lineage of the tribe of Judah, emphasizing the importance of family ties and heritage in ancient Israel. This verse specifically mentions the sons of Helah, who was married to Ashhur, and highlights their names and possibly their roles within the community.
Cross References
The Key Word — בֵּן, u.ve.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) is a noun that means 'son' or 'descendant'. It can refer to a son, grandson, or even a member of a tribe. In this verse, it is used to denote the sons of Helah, establishing familial relationships and lineage within the Israelite community.
This term appears frequently in the Old Testament, often in genealogical contexts, and underscores the significance of heritage and inheritance in biblical narratives.
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 finite verb is absent, as this verse is structured as a simple listing of names under a noun phrase: וּבְנֵ֖י חֶלְאָ֑ה, and the sons of Helah. The structure indicates that the focus is on the descendants rather than on actions.
This genealogical format is common in Hebrew prose, emphasizing lineage and family connections without the need for a verb.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בֵּן as υἱοὶ, which also means 'sons'. This choice maintains the familial emphasis found in the Hebrew text.
The other names are similarly rendered, indicating a consistent approach to the genealogical record across both texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 4:7 lists the sons of Helah, who was married to Ashhur. Their names are Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan. This verse is part of a larger genealogy that shows the descendants of the tribe of Judah.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Helah was an Israelite woman from the tribe of Judah, noted as the wife of Ashhur and the mother of several children.
The name Zereth means 'splendor' and refers to an Israelite from the tribe of Judah.
Listing these names emphasizes the importance of lineage and family heritage in ancient Israelite culture.
Ethnan's name means 'hire of unchastity', suggesting a complex family history.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can I learn about the importance of family heritage from this verse?
- How do genealogies in the Bible help us understand the history of Israel?
- What significance do names hold in my own family or culture?
- In what ways can I honor my own family lineage?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 4:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the sons of Helah,....] The other wife: were Zereth, and Zoar, and Ethnan: nowhere else mentioned.
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 4 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleUnderstand here, and Coz, out of the beginning of the following verse. The like ellipses we have in the end of , and of .
Read Matthew Poole on 1 Chronicles 4 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersTHAT CAME OF ASH-HUR (1 Chronicles 4:5-7). (5) And Ashur the father of Tekoa.—See 1 Chronicles 2:24, and Notes. If Ashur means the Hurites, the two wives, Helah and Naarah, may designate two settlements of this great clan. (6) Hepher.—A district of southern Judah, near Tappuach (Joshua 12:17; 1 Kings 4:10). Temeni is a Gentilic name, formed from the word Têmân, “the south.” This clan was called “the Southrons,” and doubtless lived with the others in the south of Judah. Haahashtari is another nomen gentilicium, meaning the Ahashtarites (“muleteers;” comp. Esther 8:10). (7) The sons of Helah are unknown from other sources. Jezoar should be Zohar, according to the Hebrew margin. The Heb. text…
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 4 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. And Ethnan.] After this word we should, with the Targum, read Coz, whose posterity is mentioned in the next verse. Coz was probably the same as Kenaz.
Read AdamClarke on 1 Chronicles 4 →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
The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
Tyndale line
And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.
And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.
And the sons of Helah were , Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.
And the sonnes of Heleah were Zereth, Iezohar and Ethnan.
Strictly literal
And the sons of Helah: Zereth, and Zohar, and Ethnan.
And sons of Helah: Zereth, and Zohar, and Ethnan.
And sons of Helah: Zereth, and Zohar, and Ethnan.
And the sons of Chelah were, Zereth, and Zochar, and Ethnan.
Helah's sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
From the Latin
And the sons of Halaa, Sereth, Isaar, and Ethnan.
Simplified
The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan.
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 on the wording of this verse, with all five words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts. This consistency highlights the importance of these names in the genealogical tradition.
וּבְנֵ֖י חֶלְאָ֑ה צֶ֥רֶת וְצֹ֖חַר וְאֶתְנָֽן׃
5 of the 5 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 4:7
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.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural constructHC/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חֶלְאָה (Chel'ah) refers to Helah, a woman from the tribe of Judah. She is noted as the wife of Ashhur and the mother of several children, including Zereth and Izhar, during the time of the Divided Monarchy, as mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:5. The name Helah is associated with the meaning "rust."
חֶלְאָה n.pr.f. (meaning dub.)—wife of Ashhur (of Judah) ‘father’ of Tekoah
base
H2458 חֶלְאָה
2458 Chel'ah khel-aw'
the same as 2457; Chelah, an Israelitess:--Helah.
see HEBREW for 02457
חֶלְאָה (chel.ah) — Helah.
A womanof the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.4.5; married to Ashhur (H0806);
mother of: Zereth (H6889), Izhar (H3328), Ethnan (H0869) and Koz (H6976)
§ Helah = "rust"
one of the two wives of Ashur, father of Tekoah
N-proper — Noun proper feminineHNpf
he'-la (chel'ah): A wife of Ashhur, father of Tekoa (1Ch 4:5,7).
Helah
Rust, (1 Chr. 4:5, 7), one of the wives of Ashur.
(rust), one of the two wives of Ashur, father of Tekoa. (1 Chronicles 4:5)
→ A wife of Asher 1Ch 4:5
צֶ֫רֶת (tse.ret) refers to an individual named Zereth, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:7. The name is linked to the meaning 'splendor' and is derived from a root that suggests brightness. The entries consistently identify Zereth as a descendant of Ashhur and provide details about his family connections.
צֶ֫רֶת n.pr.m. in Judah 1Ch 4:7
ref
H6889 צֶ֫רֶת
6889 Tsereth tseh'-reth
perhaps from 6671; splendor; Tsereth, an Israelite:--Zereth.
see HEBREW for 06671
צֶ֫רֶת (tse.ret) — Zereth.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.7;
son of: Ashhur (H0806) and Helah (H2458);
brother of: Haahashtari (H0326), Izhar (H3328), Ethnan (H0869) and Koz (H6976);
half-brother of: Ahuzzam (H0275), Hepher (H2660) and Temeni (H8488)
§ Zereth = "splendour"
son of Ashur, the founder of Tekoa, by his wife Helah
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
ze'-reth (tsereth, meaning unknown): A Judahite (1Ch 4:7).
(splendor), son of Ashur, the founder of Tekoa, by his wife Helah. (1 Chronicles 4:7) (B.C. 1440.)
same as Zer
→ Son of Ashur 1Ch 4:7
צֹ֫חַר (tsochar) refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including the father of Ephron the Hittite and a son of Simeon. The name is associated with the meaning 'whiteness' or 'tawny.' It appears in genealogical contexts, particularly in Genesis and Numbers, highlighting its connections to the tribes of Israel.
צֹ֫חַר n.pr.m.
father of Ephron the Hittite
son of Simeon
name in Judah
base
H6714 צֹ֫חַר . father of Ephron the Hittite
. son of Simeon
. name in Judah
6714 Tsochar tso'-khar
from the same as 6713; whiteness; Tsochar, the name of a
Hittite and of an Israelite:--Zohar. Compare 3328.
see HEBREW for 06713
see HEBREW for 03328
צֹ֫חַר (tso.char) — Zohar.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.23.8;
father of: Ephron (H6085)
§ Zohar = "tawny"
1) a Judaite, son of Ashur by wife Helah
2) father of Ephron the Hittite
3) one of the sons of Simeon; also 'Zerah'
צֹ֫חַר (tso.char) — Zohar.
A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;
son of: Simeon (H8095);
brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Shaul (H7586H); also called Zerah at Num.26.13,20; 2x27.11,13;
Another name of ze.rach (זֶ֫רַח "Zerah" H2226L)
§ Zohar = "tawny"
1) a Judaite, son of Ashur by wife Helah
2) father of Ephron the Hittite
3) one of the sons of Simeon; also 'Zerah'
HC/Npm — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
zo'-har (tsochar, meaning uncertain):
(1) Father of Ephron the Hittite (Ge 23:8; 25:9).
(2) "Son" of Simeon (Ge 46:10; Ex 6:15) = "Zerah" of Nu 26:13; 1Ch 4:24.
See ZERAH, 4.
(3) In 1Ch 4:7, where the Qere is "and tsochar" for the Kethibh is yitschar, the Revised Version (British and American) "Izhar," the King James Version wrongly "Jezoar."
Zohar
Brightness. (1.) The father of Ephron the Hittite (Gen. 23:8).
(2.) One of the sons of Simeon (Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15).
(light). Father of Ephron the Hittite. (Genesis 23:8; 25:9) (B.C. before 1860.) One of the sons of Simeon (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15) called ZARAH, OR ZERAH, ZERAH in (1 Chronicles 4:24)
אֶתְנַן (Ethnan) refers to a man from the tribe of Judah, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:7. He is described as the son of Helah and a grandson of Ashur. The name is noted to mean 'hire of unchastity.' The entries indicate Ethnan's familial connections but do not provide extensive details beyond this.
אֶתְנַן n.pr.m. son of Helah, 1 Ch 4:7.
done
H869 אֶתְנַן, אֶתְנַן
869 'Ethnan eth-nan'
the same as 868 in the sense of 867; Ethnan, an
Israelite:--Ethnan.
see HEBREW for 0868
see HEBREW for 0867
אֶתְנַן (et.nan) — Ethnan.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.7;
son of: Ashhur (H0806) and Helah (H2458);
brother of: Haahashtari (H0326), Zereth (H6889), Izhar (H3328) and Koz (H6976);
half-brother of: Ahuzzam (H0275), Hepher (H2660) and Temeni (H8488)
§ Ethnan = "hire of unchastity"
a grandson of Ashur
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
eth'-nan ('ethnan, "gift" or "hire"; Ethnadi):
A Judahite (1Ch 4:7).
(hire), one of the sons of Helah the wife of Ashur. (1 Chronicles 4:7)
gift
→ Grandson of Ashur 1Ch 4:7