1 Chronicles 2:14

Study note

Setting — The Chronicler records a genealogical list of Jesse’s sons, continuing the birth-order sequence from the previous verse. The narrative moment is a static catalog of family lineage preceding the introduction of David.

The words — הָֽ/רְבִיעִ֔י (ha./re.vi.'I) translates literally as “the fourth,” and הַ/חֲמִישִֽׁי (ha./cha.mi.Shi) as “the fifth.” These ordinals structurally anchor the names Nethanel and Raddai within the fixed sequence of Jesse’s offspring.

The thread — This birth-order pattern recurs in the parallel genealogies of 1 Samuel 16:10 and 1 Samuel 17:12, which also enumerate Jesse’s sons to establish David’s exact familial position. The Chronicler’s method mirrors earlier historical records to verify lineage.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to track David’s placement within a concrete family structure before any narrative of divine selection begins. The text demands attention to historical sequence, showing that David’s rise follows a documented, unbroken line of older brothers.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.