1 Chronicles / Question
The text lists six sons born to David in Hebron (1 Chronicles 3:1–4). It then lists additional children born in Jerusalem and sums them as “nine” in that set, along with a note about a sister (1 Chronicles 3:5–9).
1 Chronicles 3:1–4 lists six sons born to David while he was in Hebron, naming each son and the mother connected with him. The list moves in birth order from the firstborn to the sixth. It also notes one mother’s royal family ties outside Israel. This passage sits in a larger set of genealogies that map Israel’s tribes and key families, with special attention to royal and leadership lines. The writer narrows from broader family trees to David’s household, presenting names and relationships in a straightforward register.
This paragraph functions like a family-and-timeline anchor. It names six sons born to David during his Hebron reign, gives their birth order, and connects each son with his mother. It then ties David’s early family growth to a specific stage of his kingship: seven and a half years in Hebron, followed by a longer reign in Jerusalem.
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with 1 Chronicles 3:1-4, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
1Now these were the sons of David, who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess;
2the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
3the fifth, Shephatiah of Abital; the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife:
4six were born to him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months. In Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years;