1 Chronicles 4:40

There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The chronicler records a Simeonite expedition that has journeyed to the entrance of Gedor to locate grazing land for their flocks. The narrative pauses to describe the specific terrain they have reached before detailing their subsequent military action.

The words — שָׁמֵן (sha.Men) translates literally as "fertile" or "rich," describing the quality of the pasture they discovered. יָדַ֔יִם (ya.Da.yim) means "both hands," forming the Hebrew idiom רַחֲבַת יָדַ֔יִם (ra.cha.Vat ya.Da.yim) for "spacious" or "broad."

The thread — The text notes the former Hamite inhabitants, linking to Genesis 10:6 and Genesis 9:22 regarding Ham's lineage. The description of secure, quiet land parallels Judges 18:7, where a people are noted for living securely before displacement.

Why it lands — It establishes that territorial acquisition follows a pattern of divine provision and historical succession. The reader is asked to recognize that settlement and military action are recorded together as factual outcomes of God's provision of land.

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.

The Hebrew words

וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּva/i.yim.tze.'Uand/ they found מִרְעֶה֙mir.'Ehpasture שָׁמֵ֣ןsha.Menfertile וָט֔וֹבva./Tovand/ good וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ve./ha./'A.retzand/ the/ land רַחֲבַ֣תra.cha.Vat[was] broad of יָדַ֔יִםya.Da.yimboth hands וְשֹׁקֶ֖טֶתve./sho.Ke.tetand/ at peace וּשְׁלֵוָ֑הu./she.le.Vahand/ at ease כִּ֣יkifor מִן־min-[were] from חָ֔םChamHam הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥יםhai./yo.she.Vimthe/ inhabitants שָׁ֖םshamthere לְפָנִֽים׃le./fa.Nim<to>/ before

King James Version

And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

Cross-references

Judges 18:7 So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside.
Genesis 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
Psalms 78:51 He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.
Psalms 105:23 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.