Abraham’s genealogy in 1 Chronicles 1 can’t seem to get off the ground. He’s identified as father of “Isaac and Ishmael” (v. 28), but the genealogy that follows goes off with 12 sons of Ishmael (the genealogy is enclosed with Ishmael’s name, vv. 29–31) and leave Isaac behind.
Finally, we hope, we get to Isaac, but verse 32 lists the 6 sons of Keturah, and adds further generations of Jokshan and Midian. Again, the whole is enclosed by references to Keturah (“sons of Keturah” in vv 32, 33).
Finally again, verse 34 begins: “And Abraham became the father of Isaac,” but instead of giving us Israel’s genealogy—which we what we tuned in for—the Chronicler gives us a lengthy family tree for Esau (vv. 35–54), including 12 kings and a list of chiefs. Only in chapter 2 do we get to the genealogy we’ve been waiting for, that of Issac’s son Israel.
The genealogy meanders around: Abraham’s firstborn; then his sons by his second wife, Keturah; then his grandson Esau; finally the descendants of his grandson Isaac.
Two explanations are possible. First, the genealogy highlights the inversion of primogeniture that is so common in Genesis. Isaac is the most important son, the bearer of the covenant, but the important genealogy comes fourth. Second, Isaac is mentioned three times (vv. 28, 34 [2x]), but very much in passing. As in Genesis, Isaac is a transitional figure between Abraham, the tenth from Noah, and Isaac’s second son Jacob.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
