1 Chronicles 8:23 — Word Study
WLCוְעַבְדּ֥וֹן וְזִכְרִ֖י וְחָנָֽן׃
BSAAbdonʻAbdôwn [a place in Palestine and a personal name] ZichriZikrîy [memorial or remembrance] HananChânân [gracious or merciful]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְעַבְדּ֥וֹן | and Abdon | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְזִכְרִ֖י | and Zikri | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְחָנָֽן׃ | and Hanan | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, |
| KJV | And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan, |
| ASV | and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan, |
| YLT | and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan, |
| WEB | Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, |
| BBE | And Abdon and Zichri and Hanan |
Where they part company is in the details of the names, but the core list remains consistent across translations.
The verse consists of a simple listing of names without additional clauses or verbs.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, 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 8:23
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 Benjamingenerated
1 Chronicles 8:23 presents a brief list of names belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, highlighting their significance in the biblical narrative. This genealogical record serves to establish the lineage and heritage of the Israelites, particularly focusing on the descendants of Benjamin, a prominent tribe in Israel's history. The chronicler's meticulous documentation reflects the importance of ancestry and tribal identity in ancient Israel.
Cross References
The Key Word — עַבְדּוֹן, ve.'av.Dongenerated
The name עַבְדּוֹן (Abdon) is derived from the root meaning 'servitude,' indicating a role of service or servitude. It refers both to a personal name and a location in Palestine, associated with several figures in the Old Testament, including a judge and individuals from the tribe of Benjamin.
The parsing as a proper masculine noun indicates that Abdon is a specific name within the genealogical context, emphasizing the importance of individual identities within the broader narrative of Israel's history.
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 the verse is straightforward, consisting of a noun phrase that lists three names: וְעַבְדּ֥וֹן, וְזִכְרִ֖י, and וְחָנָֽן. This simple listing reflects the genealogical nature of the text, where each name is presented as a significant individual within the lineage.
The absence of a finite verb indicates that the focus is on the identification of these individuals rather than on actions or events, which is typical in genealogical records.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עַבְדּוֹן as αβαδων, which maintains the personal name's identity while providing a Greek rendering. This choice shows a direct correspondence without altering the meaning.
Similarly, זִכְרִי is rendered as ζεξρι and חָנָן as αναν, indicating a consistent approach in maintaining the names' identities across translations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 8:23 lists three names: Abdon, Zichri, and Hanan. These individuals are part of the tribe of Benjamin and are mentioned in genealogical records, highlighting their significance in Israel's history.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Abdon means 'servile' or 'servant' and refers to both a personal name and a location in Palestine.
Zichri was a name associated with several Israelites, meaning 'memorable' and linked to various figures in the tribes of Reuben, Judah, Levi, and Benjamin.
Hanan means 'he is merciful' and was a common name in the Bible, given to several individuals, including warriors and leaders.
Genealogies establish lineage, heritage, and identity, which are crucial for understanding the history and promises of God to His people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can I learn from the lives of these individuals mentioned in this verse?
- How does understanding genealogies in the Bible help me grasp the larger story of Israel?
- In what ways can I honor my own heritage and the legacy of those who came before me?
- How can I apply the meanings of these names to my own life and relationships?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 8:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth, No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 8 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(22-25) Eleven sons of Shashak (1 Chronicles 8:14), followed by six sons of Jeroham (Jeremoth, 1 Chronicles 8:14) in 1 Chronicles 8:26-27. The recurrence of the same names in the five groups is noticeable. Thus, a Zichri appears among the sons of Shimei (1 Chronicles 8:19), among the sons of Shashak (1 Chronicles 8:23), and among the sons of Jeroham (1 Chronicles 8:27). Of course the name may have been thus frequent among the Benjamite clans dwelling in Jerusalem. But it is possible to see in the fact an indication that, at the time when the present register was framed, some of these houses were no longer able to trace their pedigrees with certainty to one famous name rather than another.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 8 →The verse in English, compared — 16 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
Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,
Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,
Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,
Abdon, Zikri, Hanan,
Tyndale line
And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan;
And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
Strictly literal
and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,
And 'Abdon, and Zichri, and Chanan,
From the Latin
And Abdon, and Zechri, and Hanan,
Simplified
Abdon, Zicri, Hanan,
And Abdon and Zichri and Hanan
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 three names listed in this verse: וְעַבְדּ֥וֹן, וְזִכְרִ֖י, and וְחָנָֽן. There are no variations in the names between these witnesses.
וְעַבְדּ֥וֹן וְזִכְרִ֖י וְחָנָֽן׃
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 8:23
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.
עַבְדּוֹן (Abdon) refers to both a personal name and a location. It is derived from the root meaning 'servitude' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, including a judge of Israel and various individuals from the tribes of Benjamin and Gibeon. Additionally, it denotes a city in Asher, allocated to the Gershonite Levites, located near modern 'Abdeh.'
עַבְדּוֹן n.pr.
n.pr.m.
a judge
a Benjamite
son of Jehiel a Gibeonite
son of Micah
n.pr.loc. Levitical city in Asher
base
H5658 עַבְדוֹן
5658 `Abdown ab-dohn'
from 5647; servitude; Abdon, the name of a place in Palestine
and of four Israelites:--Abdon. Compare 5683.
see HEBREW for 05647
see HEBREW for 05683
עַבְדּוֹן (av.don) — Abdon.
Abdon = "servile"
a city in Asher allotted to the Gershonite Levites; located 10 miles (16 km) north of Accho; modern 'Abdeh'
Also named: ev.ron (עֶבְרֹן "Ebron" H5683)
עַבְדּוֹן (av.don) — Abdon.
A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.12.13;
son of: Hillel (H1985)
§ Abdon = "servile"
1) a judge of Israel in the time of the judges; perhaps the same as 'Bedan'
2) a Benjamite, son of Shashak
3) a Gibeonite, son of Jehiel and a grandson of Gideon
4) son of Micah in the time of king Josiah of Judah; also 'Achbor'
5) a city in Asher allotted to the Gershonite Levites; located 10 miles (16 km) north of Accho; modern 'Abdeh'
עַבְדּוֹן (av.don) — Abdon.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.23;
son of: Shashak (H8349);
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Abdon
Servile. (1.) The son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, the tenth judge of Israel (Judg. 12:13-15). He is probably the Bedan of 1 Sam. 12:11.
(2.) The first-born of Gibeon of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chr. 8:30; 9:36).
(3.) The son of Micah, one of those whom Josiah sent to the prophetess Huldah to ascertain from her the meaning of the recently discovered book of the law (2 Chr. 34:20). He is called Achbor in 2 Kings 22:12.
(4.) One of the “sons” of Shashak (1 Chr. 8:23).
(servile). A judge of Israel, (Judges 12:13,15) perhaps the same person as Bedan, in (1 Samuel 12:11) (B.C. 1233-1225). Son of Shashak. (1 Chronicles 8:23) First-born son of Jehiel, son of Gideon. (1 Chronicles 8:30; 9:35,36). Son of Micah, a contemporary of Josiah, (2 Chronicles 34:20) called Achbor in (2 Kings 22:12) (B.C. 628.) A city in the tribe if Asher, given to the Gershonites, (Joshua 21:30; 1 Chronicles 6:74) the modern Abdeh, 10 miles northeast of…
servant; cloud of judgment
The Hebrew word זִכְרִי (*Zikriy*) means 'memorable' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including members of the tribes of Reuben, Judah, Levi, and Benjamin. It encompasses various roles, such as a priest, a captain, and a mighty man of Ephraim. Notably, it is associated with a lineage that includes notable figures like Eliezer and Amasiah.
זִכְרִי n.pr.m.
a Reubenite
a Judahite
Levites
a priest
Benjamites
father of a captain in Jehoiada’s time
mighty man of Ephraim
base
H2147 זִכְרִי . a Reubenite
. a Judahite
. Levites
. a priest
. Benjamites
. father of a captain in Jehoiada’s time
. mighty man of Ephraim
2147 Zikriy zik-ree'
from 2142; memorable; Zicri, the name of twelve
Israelites:--Zichri.
see HEBREW for 02142
זִכְרִי (zikh.ri) — Zichri.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at Exo.6.21;
son of: Izhar (H3324);
brother of: Korah (H7141I), Nepheg (H5298) and Shelomith (H8019A)
§ Zichri = "memorable"
1) the father of Eliezer, the chief of the Reubenites in the reign of David
2) the father of Amasiah, a descendant of Judah
3) a son of Izhar and grandson of Kohath
4) a descendant of Eliezer the son of Moses
5) a son of Asaph, elsewhere called 'Zabdi' and 'Zaccur'
6) a priest of the family of Abijah, in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua
7) a descendant of Benjamin of the sons of Shimhi
8) a descendant of Benjamin of the sons of Shashak
9) a descendant of Benjamin of the sons of Jeroham
10) father of Joel and descendant of Benjamin
11) a father of Elishaphat, one of the conspirators with Jehoiada
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
חָנָן (Chanan) refers to a name meaning 'he is merciful.' It is associated with several individuals from the tribe of Benjamin, including warriors and leaders during the Divided Monarchy. The entries highlight various figures named Hanan, including a descendant of Saul and a Levite who assisted Ezra. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding this word.
חָנָן n.pr.m. (gracious)
one of the warriors of David
one of the heads of families of Nethinim
names of Levites
chiefs of the people
Benjamite name
head of a prophetic guild
base
H2605 חָנָן
2605 Chanan khaw-nawn'
from 2603; favor; Chanan, the name of seven
Israelites:--Canan.
see HEBREW for 02603
חָנָן (cha.nan) — Hanan.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.23;
son of: Shashak (H8349);
brother of: Ishpan (H3473), Eber (H5677J), Eliel (H0447I), Abdon (H5658I), Zichri (H2147I), Hananiah (H2608O), Elam (H5867), Anthothijah (H6070), Iphdeiah (H3301) and Penuel (H6439I)
§ Canan or Hanan = "he is merciful"
1) one of the chief people of the tribe of Benjamin
2) last of the 6 sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul
3) son of Maachah, one of David's mighty warriors
4) father of some sons who returned from exile with Zerubbabel
5) one of the Levites who assisted Ezra in his public exposition of the law
6) one of the heads of the people who also sealed the covenant with Nehemiah
7) another of the chief laymen who also sealed the covenant with Nehemiah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Hanan
Merciful. (1.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:23). (2.) One of David’s heroes (1 Chr. 11:43). (3.) Jer. 35:4. (4.) A descendant of Saul (1 Chr. 8:38). (5.) One of the Nethinim (Ezra 2:46). (6.) One of the Levites who assisted Ezra (Neh. 8:7). (7.) One of the chiefs who subscribed the covenant (Neh. 10:22).
(merciful). One of the chief people of the tribe of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 8:23) The last of the six sons of Azel, a descendant of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:38; 9:44) (B.C. 588.) "Son of Maachah," i.e. possibly a Syrian of Aram-maachah, one of the heroes of David’s guard. (1 Chronicles 11:43) (B.C. 1046). The sons of Hanan were among the Nethinim who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:46; Nehemiah 7:49) (B.C. 536). One of the Levites who assisted Ezra in his public exposition of the law. (Nehemiah 8:7) (B.C. 446.) The same person is probably mentioned in ch.…
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