1 Chronicles 3 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Chronicles 3 Short Summary:

1 Chronicles 3 is a genealogy (family tree) of David and his sons. The names of David’s sons are recorded, with each son grouped by birthplace. The remainder of the chapter is a list of David’s descendants. The list includes the names of many of the kings who ascended to the throne of Judah after David’s death.

What is 1 Chronicles 3 About?

WHEN:

• 1 Chronicles is primarily a record of the reign of King David. 1 Chronicles 10 records the death of King Saul (David’s predecessor). The last chapter of 1 Chronicles records the death of David.

• Saul died in approximately 1055 B.C., after reigning over Israel for 40 years.

• David became king over Judah the same year. He reigned over Judah for 7 years and 6 months, before becoming king over all Israel. His reign over all Judah and Israel lasted 33 years.

• In this chapter, we discuss Judah’s Babylonian exile, which took place many years after David’s death, approximately 607-537 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• 1 Chronicles 3 contains a partial genealogy of the descendants of King David.

• The chapter includes a list of David’s sons. The sons are grouped based on where they were born.

WHERE:

• Six of David’s sons were born in Hebron, the rest in Jerusalem.

• Around 607 B.C. (400 years after David) the people of Judah were taken captive by the Babylonians. The Babylonians were from the far east, Mesopotamia.

OUTLINE:

• THE SONS OF DAVID (3:1-9):

  • The first 9 verses of 1 Chronicles 3 record the sons of David.

  • David spent 7.5 years as the king of Judah in Hebron. He reigned over all Israel and Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem (3:4).

  • David’s first 6 sons were born to him in Hebron.

  • His next 13 sons were born in Jerusalem.

  • David had other children with his concubines, but their names are not recorded.

• DAVID’S ROYAL LINE THROUGH SOLOMON (3:10-24):

  • The genealogy continues with a record of Solomon’s children, who inherited David’s throne. Solomon was David’s son with Bathsheba.

  • The remainder of the chapter traces Solomon’s family through the Babylonian exile, probably up to the time when the Book of Chronicles was written.

  • The kings of Judah, which we’ll read about in the later books of the Old Testament, were sons of Solomon.

APPLICATION:

• In ancient days, it was a great privilege to be born the son of a king.

• David’s children were blessed to inherit his throne and the privileges of power.

• While being born a prince or princess may be enviable, God offers all of us the opportunity to born again as His children.

• “He [Jesus] came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (1 John 1:11-13).”

• If we are faithful children of God, we will reign with Jesus forever.

• “If we endure, we will also reign with him…” (2 Timothy 2:12).