1 Chronicles 1:13 — Word Study
WLCוּכְנַ֗עַן יָלַ֛ד אֶת־ צִיד֥וֹן בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־ חֵֽת׃
BSA◂And CanaanKᵉnaʻan [a son of Ham, ancestor of the Canaanites] was the father ofyâlad■ [to beget, give birth to] SidonTsîydôwn [an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast] his firstbornbᵉkôwr [the first child, holding special status] andʼêth of the HittitesChêth [descendants of Heth, an aboriginal Canaanite]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּכְנַ֗עַן | and Canaan | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| יָלַ֛ד | he fathered | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| צִיד֥וֹן | Sidon | Noun proper masculine |
| בְּכֹר֖וֹ | firstborn his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| חֵֽת׃ | Heth | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, |
| KJV | And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth, |
| ASV | And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth, |
| YLT | And Canaan begat Zidon his first born, and Heth, |
| WEB | Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth, |
| BBE | And Canaan was the father of Zidon, his oldest son, and Heth, |
Translations agree on the meaning of יָלַד as fathered.
The main clause identifies Canaan's role, with two phrases detailing his offspring.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, AdamClarke, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
subjectכְּנַעַן
verbיָלַד
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 1:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of Canaangenerated
1 Chronicles 1:13 presents a genealogy that highlights the descendants of Canaan, specifically naming Sidon as his firstborn and mentioning the Hittites. This context is part of a larger genealogical framework that connects the ancient peoples of the land to their ancestors, emphasizing the historical significance of these lineages.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 9:22–25 | And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. |
| 2 | Genesis 10:15–19 | And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, |
| 3 | Genesis 23:3–5 | Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites, |
| 4 | Genesis 27:46 | Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?” |
| 5 | Genesis 49:30–32 | The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָלַד, ya.Ladgenerated
The verb יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget. It encompasses the act of giving birth and can also refer to the role of a midwife. This word is foundational in genealogies, indicating lineage and descent.
In this verse, it specifies that Canaan is the father of Sidon, linking the identity of Canaan to his offspring. This verb emphasizes the importance of familial relationships in the biblical narrative.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יָלַד governs the sentence, identifying Canaan as the subject who begets. The structure emphasizes the genealogical relationship by placing the father first, followed by his offspring.
The sentence includes noun phrases that specify the offspring: Sidon as the firstborn and the Hittites. This construction highlights the importance of lineage in the biblical context.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint does not provide a direct equivalent for the Hebrew words in this verse, indicating a possible variation in the translation approach. The absence of a corresponding Greek term suggests a focus on the lineage without elaboration.
This difference may reflect the translators' intent to convey the significance of Canaan's descendants without the same emphasis on genealogical detail found in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 1:13 tells us that Canaan was the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and of the Hittites. This verse is part of a genealogy that connects Canaan to significant ancient peoples, highlighting the importance of family lineage.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Canaan was a son of Ham and the ancestor of the Canaanites, known for their trading and merchant activities.
The term 'firstborn' refers to Sidon being the first child of Canaan, which often carries a special status in biblical genealogies.
The Hittites were descendants of Heth, an aboriginal Canaanite, and played a significant role in the ancient Near East.
Genealogies establish lineage, heritage, and the fulfillment of God's promises through specific families, linking them to historical narratives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of family lineage from this verse?
- How does understanding Canaan's descendants help us grasp the history of the ancient Near East?
- In what ways can we see the significance of firstborn status in our own families?
- Why do you think genealogies are included in the biblical narrative?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early commentaries highlight the significance of Canaan's lineage, particularly in relation to the cities and peoples that emerged from him.
The first-born son of Chanaan was Sidon, from whom the city in Phoenicia is named Sidon. Then there was Aracaeus, who founded Arcas, a town situated over against Tripolis at the foot of Mount Lebanon.Early Church Fathers on 1 Chronicles 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 1:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth, No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersTHE SONS OF HAM, THE DARK-SKINNED OR SWARTHY (1 Chronicles 1:8-16). (8) Cush.—The Greek Meroλ, Assyrian Miluhha, or Kϋsu, south of Egypt, in our Bibles often called Ethiopia (Isaiah 19:1). The Arabic gives Habesh, i.e., Ethiopia. Mizraim.—The common Hebrew name of Egypt: strictly, “the two Miηrs”—i.e., Upper and Lower Egypt. But the name should rather be spelt Mizrim—the Egyptians; the form Mizraim being probably a mere fancy of the Jewish punctuators. The Assyrians wrote Muηum, Muηru, Muηur. The Inscription of Darius has Miηir. Maητr was the name of the wall which protected Egypt on the north-east. Hence it gave its name to the whole of Lower Egypt.—Cush and Muηur are coupled together in…
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 13. Canaan begat Zidon] "Canaan begat Bothniam, his first-born, who built Sidon." - T.
Read AdamClarke on 1 Chronicles 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn] From the time of David downwards Tyre takes precedence of Zidon in any mention of the Phœnician cities in the O.T., but Zidon may still have been the older of the two cities, as indeed the Roman historian Justin (1 Chronicles 18:3) asserts. So we find the Phœnicians in the earlier books of the O.T. called Zidonians, not Tyrians (e.g. Judges 3:3; 1 Kings 5:6). Heth] i.e. the Hittites, who for centuries were the great power of Northern Syria, having their capital at Kadesh in the Orontes valley and a territory reaching from the Orontes to the Euphrates. Only an offshoot from them seems to have settled in Palestine.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth,
And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
Canaan was the father of Sidon – his firstborn – and Heth,
Tyndale line
And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,
And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and Heth,
And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth;
And Canaan begat Zidon his first-born, and Heth,
Also Canaan begate Zidon his first borne, and Heth,
Strictly literal
— And Canaan begot Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,
And Canaan begat Zidon his first born, and Heth,
And Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
And Canaan begat Zidon, his first-born, and Heth.
Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and of the Hittites.
From the Latin
And Chanaan beget Sidon his firstborn, and the Hethite,
Simplified
Canaan was the father of his firstborn son, Sidon, and of the Hittites,
And Canaan was the father of Zidon, his oldest son, and Heth,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, וּכְנַ֗עַן יָלַ֛ד אֶת־ צִיד֥וֹן בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־ חֵֽת׃. The Septuagint matches 5 of the 7 words, indicating a close relationship between the two texts, though the word order and articles differ.
וּכְנַ֗עַן יָלַ֛ד אֶת־ צִיד֥וֹן בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־ חֵֽת׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 1:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) refers to both Canaan, the son of Ham, and the land west of the Jordan River where the Israelites settled, as well as the term for merchant or trader. The word is associated with lowland and trade, particularly linked to the Canaanites and Phoenicians. There is a distinction made between its use as a proper noun and as a common noun for merchants.
כְּנַ֫עַן 90 n.pr.m. et terr. Canaan
as n. pr. m., son of Ham
land, W. of Jordan, into wh. Hebrews came, and where they settled, subduing the inhabitants
the coast, esp. Phoenicia
base
כְּנַ֫עַן n.[m.] merchant(s) (because Canaanites, esp. Phoenicians, were traders)
base
H3667a כְּנַ֫עַן Canaan . as n. pr. m., son of Ham
. . land, W. of Jordan, into wh. Hebrews came, and where they settled, subduing the inhabitants
. the coast, esp. Phoenicia
H3667b כְּנַ֫עַן merchant(s)
3667 Kna`an ken-ah'-an
from 3665; humiliated; Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country
inhabited by him:--Canaan, merchant, traffick.
see HEBREW for 03665
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) — Canaan.
§ Canaan = "lowland"
the land west of the Jordan peopled by the descendants of Canaan and subsequently conquered by the Israelites under Joshua
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) — merchant.
merchant, trader
Also means: ke.na.a.ni (כְּנַעֲנִי "merchant" H3669B)
כְּנַ֫עַן (ke.na.an) — Canaan.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.9.18;
son of: Ham (H2526);
brother of: Cush (H3568), Egypt (H4714) and Put (H6316);
father of: Sidon (H6721), Heth (H2845), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721), Zemarite (H6786) and Hamathite (H2577)
§ merchant, trader
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Canaan
(1.) The fourth son of Ham (Gen. 10:6). His descendants were under a curse in consequence of the transgression of his father (9:22-27). His eldest son, Zidon, was the father of the Sidonians and Phoenicians. He had eleven sons, who were the founders of as many tribes (10:15-18).
(2.) The country which derived its name from the preceding. The name as first used by the Phoenicians denoted only the maritime plain on which Sidon was built. But in the time of Moses and Joshua it denoted the whole country to the west of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (Deut. 11:30). In Josh. 5:12 the LXX. read, “land of the Phoenicians,” instead of “land of Canaan.”
(Ca’nan) (low, flat). The fourth son of Ham, (Genesis 10:6; 1 Chronicles 1:8) the progenitor of the Phoenicians [ZIDON, OR SIDON], and of the various nations who before the Israelite conquest people the seacoast of Palestine, and generally the while of the country westward of the Jordan. (Genesis 10:13; 1 Chronicles 1:13) (B.C. 2347.) The name "Canaan" is sometimes employed for the country itself.
1. The son of Ham, and grandson of Noah, Ge 9:18. His numerous posterity seem to have occupied Zidon first, and thence spread into Syria and Canaan, Ge 10:15-19 1Ch 1:13-16. The Jews believe that he was implicated with his father in the dishonor done to Noah, Ge 9:20-27, which was the occasion of the curse under which he and his posterity suffered, Jos 9:23,27 2Ch 8:7,8 2. The land peopled by Canaan and his posterity, and afterwards given to the Hebrews. This country has at different periods been called by various names, either from its inhabitants or some…
merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues
The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.
יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget
Qal
bear, bring forth
less often beget
of both parents
Niph. be born
Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
Pu. be born
Hiph.
beget (a father a child)
bear
Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday
Hithp. declared their pedigree
base
H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth
. less often beget
. of both parents
. be born
. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
. be born
. . beget (a father a child)
. bear
. day of one's being born = birthday
. declared their pedigree
3205 yalad yaw-lad'
a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;
medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show
lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring
forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be
delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,
labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be
the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.
1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bear, bring forth
1a1a) of child birth
1a1b) of distress (simile)
1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)
1a2) to beget
1b) (Niphal) to be born
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to cause or help to bring forth
1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife
1c3) midwife (participle)
1d) (Pual) to be born
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to beget (a child)
1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)
1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)
1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Conj | DirObjM — ParticleHTo
צִידוֹן (Tsiydon) refers to Sidon, an ancient Phoenician city located on the Mediterranean coast north of Tyre. The name is associated with fishing or hunting, derived from the root meaning 'to catch fish.' Sidon is mentioned as a son of Canaan and is first noted in Genesis 10:15.
צִידוֹן and צִידֹן n.pr.loc. Sidôn, ancient Phoenician city, on coast N. of Tyre;—‘first-born’ of Canaan
base
H6721 צִידוֹן, צִידֹן Sidon, ancient Phoenician city, on coast N. of Tyre
6721 Tsiydown tsee-done'
or Tsiydon {tsee-done'}; from 6679 in the sense of catching
fish; fishery; Tsidon, the name of a son of Canaan, and of a
place in Palestine:--Sidon, Zidon.
see HEBREW for 06679
צִידוֹן (tsi.don) — Sidon.
A man of the Canaanites living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.15;
son of: Canaan (H3667);
brother of: Heth (H2845), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721), Zemarite (H6786) and Hamathite (H2577)
§ Sidon = "hunting"
ancient Phoenician city, on Mediterranean coast north of Tyre
צִידוֹן (tsi.don) — Sidon.
§ Sidon = "hunting"
ancient Phoenician city, on Mediterranean coast north of Tyre
צִידוֹן (tsi.don) — Sidon.
Sidon = "hunting"
ancient Phoenician city, on Mediterranean coast north of Tyre
Another name of tsi.don (צִידוֹן "Sidon" H6721H)
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Sidon
Fishing; fishery, Gen. 10:15, 19 (A.V. marg., Tzidon; R.V., Zidon); Matt. 11:21, 22; Luke 6:17. (See ZIDON.)
the Greek form of the Phoenician name Zidon. [ZIDON, OR SIDON]
In the Old Testament ZIDON, now called Saida, was celebrated city of Phoenicia, on the Mediterranean Sea, twenty miles north of Tyre and as many south of Beyroot. It is one of the most ancient cities in the world, Ge 49:13, and is believed to have been founded by Zidon, the eldest son of Canaan, Ge 10:15 49:13. In the time of Homer, the Zidonians were eminent for their trade and commerce, their wealth and prosperity, their skill in navigation, astronomy, architecture, and for their manufactures of glass, etc. They had then a commodious harbor, now choked with sand and inaccessible to any but the smallest vessels. Upon the division of Canaan among the tribes by Joshua, Great Zidon fell to the lot of Asher, Jos 11:8 19:28; but…
hunting; fishing; venison
בְּכוֹר (bekor) means 'first-born' and can refer to both humans and animals. It denotes the eldest son or daughter and can also be used figuratively. The word is derived from a root that emphasizes the concept of being first or chief.
בְּכוֹר 122 n.m. first-born
men and women
animals
figurative
base
H1060 בְּכוֹר first-born
1060 bkowr bek-ore'
from 1069; firstborn; hence, chief:--eldest (son),
firstborn(-ling).
see HEBREW for 01069
בְּכוֹר (be.khor) — firstborn.
1) firstborn, firstling
1a) of men and women
1b) of animals
1c) noun of relation (fig.)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
חֵת (H2845, Heth) refers to a man mentioned in Genesis 10:15, identified as a son of Canaan and the ancestor of the Hittites. The word is associated with the concept of terror and is linked to the Hittite people, often referred to in the context of their lineage.
חֵת n.pr.m. appar. represented as ancestor of Hittites
base
H2845 חֵת appar. represented as ancestor of Hittites
2845 Cheth khayth
from 2865; terror; Cheth, an aboriginal Canaanite:--Heth.
see HEBREW for 02865
חֵת (chet) — Heth.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.15;
son of: Canaan (H3667);
brother of: Sidon (H6721), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721), Zemarite (H6786) and Hamathite (H2577); also called Hittite (KJV: "of Heth") frequently
Also named: chit.ti (חִתִּי "Hittite" H2850)
§ Heth = "terror"
a son of Canaan and the progenitor of the Hittites
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Heth
Dread, a descendant of Canaan, and the ancestor of the Hittites (Gen. 10:18; Deut. 7:1), who dwelt in the vicinity of Hebron (Gen. 23:3, 7). The Hittites were a Hamitic race. They are called “the sons of Heth” (Gen. 23:3, 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20).
(terror), the forefather of the nation of the Hittites. In the genealogical tables of (Genesis 10:15) and 1Chr 1:13 Heth is a son of Canaan. (Genesis 24:3,4; 28:1,2)
trembling; fear