1 Chronicles 1:16 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶת־ הָאַרְוָדִ֥י וְאֶת־ הַצְּמָרִ֖י וְאֶת־ הַֽחֲמָתִֽי׃ ס
BSAthe ArvaditesʼArvâdîy [citizens of Arvad, descendants of Arvad] the ZemaritesTsᵉmârîy [a Canaanite tribe, related to other tribes] and the HamathitesChămâthîy [people from Hamath, a Canaanite city]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הָאַרְוָדִ֥י | the Arvadite[s] | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַצְּמָרִ֖י | the Zemarite[s] | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| הַֽחֲמָתִֽי׃ ס | the Hamathite[s] | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. |
| KJV | And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. |
| ASV | and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. |
| YLT | and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. |
| WEB | the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. |
| BBE | And the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite. |
The translations agree on the identification of the tribes listed in this verse.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by two subordinate noun phrases, listing the tribes in succession.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge, Barnes & more — read them ›
clause
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 1:16
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 Descendants of Canaangenerated
1 Chronicles 1:16 is part of a genealogical record that traces the lineage of the Canaanites. This verse specifically mentions three groups: the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites, all of whom are descendants of Canaan. This genealogy serves to establish the heritage of these tribes and their connections to the broader narrative of the Israelites.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 34:8 | and from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath, then extend to Zedad, |
| 2 | 1 Kings 8:65 | So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more days—fourteen days in all. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אַרְוָדִי, ha.'ar.va.Digenerated
The term אַרְוָדִי (Arvadiy) identifies a member of the Arvadite tribe, a group descended from Arvad, who is listed among the Canaanite peoples in the Old Testament. The name signifies a connection to the land of Arvad, which is part of the historical geography of the Canaanites.
This word is a noun in the masculine singular form, indicating a specific group of people. The Arvadites are first mentioned in Genesis 10:18, linking them to the Canaanite lineage and emphasizing their role in the ancient Near Eastern context.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this verse, the Berean Standard Bible translates the names directly, maintaining the original Hebrew terms.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, listing three noun phrases that serve as the direct objects of the verb implied in the context. The finite verb is not explicitly stated but is understood as part of the genealogy listing.
Each noun phrase is connected by the conjunction וְאֶת־, indicating a continuation of the list. The order emphasizes the equal status of each group within the genealogy.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 1:16 lists the Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites as descendants of Canaan. These names represent different tribes or groups within the Canaanite lineage, showing their connections to the ancient peoples of the region.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The Arvadites are descendants of Arvad, a son of Canaan, and are mentioned as part of the Canaanite lineage.
A Zemarite is a member of a Canaanite tribe descended from a place called Zemar, related to other tribes in the region.
Hamath is a Canaanite city, and the Hamathites are the people descended from this city, indicating their heritage within the Canaanite family.
These tribes are listed to trace the genealogy of the Canaanites and to provide context for their relationships with the Israelites.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do these names tell us about the diversity of the Canaanite tribes?
- How can understanding genealogies in the Bible help us grasp the historical context of Israel?
- What significance do these tribes hold in the narrative of the Old Testament?
- How does this verse connect to the broader themes of lineage and inheritance in Scripture?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 1:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, No JFB commentary on these verses.
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 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5–23. The “Genealogy” of the Nations The table which follows is taken from Genesis 10:2-29. In the A.V. several variations between Gen. and Chron. occur in the spelling of proper names. In the R.V. the spelling has been made uniform. The table is geographical rather than ethnological, i.e. neighbouring nations are regarded as having the same descent. The world, as known to the writer, is divided into three zones, of which the Northern is assigned to the Sons of Japheth (5–7), the Southern to the Sons of Ham (8–16), and the Central to the Sons of Shem (17–23). Had the arrangement been according to descent the Semitic Zidonians and the (probably Mongoloid) Hittites would not have been equally…
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe Zemarite - See Genesis 10:18 note. The inscriptions of the Assyrian monarch, Sargon, (720 B.C.) mention Zimira, which is joined with Arpad (Arvad); and there can be little doubt that it is the
Read Albert Barnes 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
the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
Tyndale line
And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
And the Aruadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
Strictly literal
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Chamathite.
Arvadites, Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
From the Latin
And the Aradian, and the Samarite, and the Hamathite.
Simplified
Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
And the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite.
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 lists the same names: וְאֶת־ הָאַרְוָדִ֥י וְאֶת־ הַצְּמָרִ֖י וְאֶת־ הַֽחֲמָתִֽי׃ ס. There are no variations in this verse among the available witnesses.
וְאֶת־ הָאַרְוָדִ֥י וְאֶת־ הַצְּמָרִ֖י וְאֶת־ הַֽחֲמָתִֽי׃ ס
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 1:16
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.
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
אַרְוָדִי (Arvadiy) refers to an Arvadite, a descendant of Arvad, who is listed among the Canaanite peoples in the Old Testament. The term is derived from a root associated with Canaan and is mentioned in Genesis 10:18. The lexicons agree that Arvadites are linked to the broader Canaanite lineage.
אַרְוָדִי adj.gent. mentioned among Canaanites
base
H721 אַרְוָדִי mentioned among Canaanites
721 'Arvadiy ar-vaw-dee'
patrial from 719; an Arvadite or citizen of
Arvad:--Arvadite.
see HEBREW for 0719
אַרְוָדִי (ar.va.di) — Arvadite.
Someone descended from Arvad(?) of the Canaanites, first mentioned at Gen.10.18; descended from Canaan (H3667); along with Sidon (H6721), Heth (H2845), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Zemarite (H6786) and Hamathite (H2577)
§ Arvadites = "I shall break loose"
the descendants of Arvad, a son of Canaan
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa
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
צְמָרִי (tsemariy) refers to the Zemarites, a group descended from Canaan, specifically from a place called Zemar. This term is linked to the Canaanite tribes mentioned in Genesis 10:18, indicating a connection to various other tribes in the region. The lexicons suggest it denotes a people associated with an unknown Canaanite city.
צְמָרִי adj.gent. (people of the city called Ṣimirra by As.)
base
H6786 צְמָרִי (people of the city called Ṣimirra by As.)
6786 Tsmariy tsem-aw-ree'
patrial from an unused name of a place in Palestine; a
Tsemarite or branch of the Canaanites:--Zemarite.
צְמָרִי (tse.ma.ri) — Zemarite.
Someone descended from Zemar(?) of the Canaanites, first mentioned at Gen.10.18; descended from Canaan (H3667); along with Sidon (H6721), Heth (H2845), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721) and Hamathite (H2577)
§ Zemarite, of Zemar "double woolens"
one of the Hamite tribes descended from Canaan and inhabitants of an unknown Canaanite city
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa
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
חֲמָתִי (Chamathiy) refers to a Hamathite, someone descended from Hamath, a region associated with the Canaanites. The term emphasizes a connection to Canaan and is linked to other Canaanite groups mentioned in Genesis 10:18. The entries consistently identify this word as relating to the descendants of Canaan.
חֲמָתִי adj.gent. c. art. = subst., as descendants of Canaan
base
H2577 חֲמָתִי as descendants of Canaan
2577 Chamathiy kham-aw-thee'
patrial from 2574; a Chamathite or native of
Chamath:--Hamathite.
see HEBREW for 02574
חֲמָתִי (cha.ma.ti) — Hamathite.
Someone descended from Hamath(?) of the Canaanites, first mentioned at Gen.10.18; descended from Canaan (H3667); along with Sidon (H6721), Heth (H2845), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721) and Zemarite (H6786)
§ Hamathite , of Hamath
one of the families descended from Canaan
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa