1 Chronicles 3:20
“and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab Hesed, five.”
What does 1 Chronicles 3:20 mean?
This verse is part of a genealogical listing of King David's descendants, specifically the sons of Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin), who was a king of Judah taken into exile in Babylon. The writer simply counts and names five sons born to Jeconiah during his captivity, preserving their memory in Israel's family records. For people reading genealogies, it can feel like names without much context, but these records meant something important to the returning exiles. They were evidence that God's promises to David's line continued even through exile and hardship. These were real people with real names, and their existence proved that the royal family survived when everything seemed lost.