1 Chronicles 1: Group Study Handout

Overview

Adam, Seth, and Enosh are listed as part of the ancestry in verses 1 to 4, culminating with Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Verses 5 to 10 continue with the sons of Japheth, identifying Gomer, Magog, and others, and recount how Cush, a son of Ham, fathered Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth.

Key verse

“The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.”

1 Chronicles 1:8 (WEB)

Outline

1. 1 Chronicles 1:1–4 Adam to Noah's Descendants
2. 1 Chronicles 1:5–10 Shem, Ham, and Japheth
3. 1 Chronicles 1:11–16 Descendants of Ham
4. 1 Chronicles 1:17–23 Lineage of Shem
5. 1 Chronicles 1:24–27 Abraham's Lineage
6. 1 Chronicles 1:28–34 Sons of Ishmael and Keturah
7. 1 Chronicles 1:35–54 Edom's Kings and Chiefs

Discussion questions

1. In v10, who is described as beginning to be a mighty one in the earth?
2. What names are listed as the sons of Esau in v35?
3. The phrase 'the earth was divided' in v19: what could this imply about the time of Peleg?
4. In v43, why does the text mention kings who reigned in Edom before Israel had kings?
5. When have you felt a connection to your heritage or ancestry, like the lineages in this chapter?

Go deeper

Passages that echo 1 Chronicles 1: Genesis 36, Genesis 10, Luke 3.

Before next time: read 1 Chronicles 2.