1 Chronicles 1:48 — Word Study
WLCוַיָּ֖מָת שַׂמְלָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו שָׁא֖וּל מֵרְחֹב֥וֹת הַנָּהָֽר׃
BSAWhen SamlahSamlâh [a king of Edom] diedmûwth▸ [passed away, came to an end] ShaulShâʼûwl [meaning'desired', a personal name] from RehobothRᵉchôbôwth [a place of wide streets, in Assyria and Palestine] on the Euphratesnâhâr [a river, a flood] reignedmâlak▸ [ruled as king, advised] in his placetachath [underneath, in his stead, as his successor]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֖מָת | and he died | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| שַׂמְלָ֑ה | Samlah | Noun proper masculine |
| וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ | and he reigned | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| תַּחְתָּ֔יו | in place of him | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| שָׁא֖וּל | Shaul | Noun proper masculine |
| מֵרְחֹב֥וֹת | from Rehoboth | Preposition, noun proper |
| הַנָּהָֽר׃ | the river | Particle, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. |
| KJV | And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. |
| ASV | And Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead. |
| YLT | and Samlah dieth, and reign in his stead doth Shaul from Rehoboth of the River; |
| WEB | Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place. |
| BBE | And at the death of Samlah, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river became king in his place, |
Where they part company is in the rendering of וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces the death of Samlah, followed by details about Shaul's reign, creating a clear narrative flow.
3 commentators on this verse
Ellicott, AdamClarke, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
subjectשַׂמְלָה
verbמוּת
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 1:48
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 Succession of Edomite Kingsgenerated
1 Chronicles 1:48 describes the transition of power in Edom, highlighting the deaths of kings and their successors. This verse follows the pattern established in the preceding verses, where each king's reign is marked by their death and the rise of the next ruler. The context emphasizes the continuity of leadership in Edom's history.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 36:37 | When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וַיָּ֖מָת, vai.Ya.motgenerated
The verb מוּת (mūth) means 'to die' and encompasses a range from natural death to execution. In this verse, it indicates the end of Samlah's reign, marking a significant transition.
The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine singular shows that this action is part of a narrative flow, indicating that Samlah's death is a pivotal moment leading to the next ruler.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, and the BSB uses died, which aligns with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיָּ֖מָת governs the entire verse, with a subsequent clause detailing the new king. The structure is straightforward, reflecting a series of events in a genealogical format.
The sentence is constructed with a clear sequence: first the death of Samlah, followed by the rise of Shaul, indicating a direct succession.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיָּ֖מָת as ἀπέθανεν, which also means 'he died'. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning without additional interpretation.
The consistency in translation shows that the Greek translators understood the significance of death as a transition point in leadership.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 1:48 tells us that when Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates became king. This verse is part of a list of Edomite kings, showing how leadership passed from one ruler to another.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Shaul means 'desired' and is a personal name given to several figures in the Bible.
Rehoboth refers to a place with wide streets and is mentioned in connection with various figures in the Bible.
The Euphrates is a major river symbolizing life and prosperity, often mentioned in biblical narratives.
This verse continues the genealogical account of Edomite rulers, illustrating the succession of power and the historical context of the region.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about leadership transitions from the reigns of these kings?
- How does the concept of death and succession play a role in the history of nations?
- In what ways do names carry significance in biblical narratives?
- How does understanding the geographical context enhance our comprehension of the events described?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 1:48 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(48) Shaul.—Saul, the name of the first king of Israel. Rehoboth by the river.—Probably the same as Rehoboth Ir in Genesis 10:11, i.e., the suburbs of Nineveh. The river is Euphrates.
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 48. By the river] "Shaul of Plathiutha, a great city, built on the banks of the Euphrates." - T.
Read AdamClarke on 1 Chronicles 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges48. Rehoboth by the River] The Euphrates is meant. See Map 6 in the Cambridge Companion to the Bible.
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
When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place.
Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place.
When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place.
When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him.
Tyndale line
And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
And Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead.
And Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead.
And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
And Samlah dyed, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the riuer reigned in his stead.
Strictly literal
And Samlah died; and Saul of Rehoboth on the river reigned in his stead.
and Samlah dieth, and reign in his stead doth Shaul from Rehoboth of the River;
and Samlah dies, and Shaul from Rehoboth of the River reigns in his stead;
And Samlah died, and there reigned in his stead Saul of Rechoboth by the river.
When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth on the river reigned in his place.
From the Latin
Semla also died, and Saul of Rohoboth, which is near the river, reigned in his stead.
Simplified
When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the River took over as king.
And at the death of Samlah, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river became king in his place,
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 and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, maintaining the same sequence of events and names, which reinforces the historical account of Edomite kings.
וַיָּ֖מָת שַׂמְלָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו שָׁא֖וּל מֵרְחֹב֥וֹת הַנָּהָֽר׃
7 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 1:48
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.
מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.
מוּת vb. die
Qal
die, of natural or other causes
die as a penalty = be put to death
Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
Hiph.
abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
subj. God, by inflicting penalty
of animals killing men
bring to a premature death
Hoph. be killed, put to death
base
H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes
. die as a penalty = be put to death
. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
. subj. God, by inflicting penalty
. of animals killing men
. bring to a premature death
. be killed, put to death
4191 muwth mooth
a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);
causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,
man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,
be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,
slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.
מוּת (mut) — to die.
1) to die, kill, have one executed
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to die
1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death
1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)
1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)
1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch
1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be killed, be put to death
1d1a) to die prematurely
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
שַׂמְלָה (Samlah) refers to a figure from Edom, specifically a king mentioned in the context of the lineage of Edomite rulers. The name is linked to the Hebrew word for 'garment,' but the entries primarily focus on Samlah as a proper name without extensive detail on its meaning or significance.
שַׂמְלָה n.pr.m. kg. of Edom
base
H8072 שַׂמְלָה kg. of Edom
8072 Samlah sam-law'
probably for the same as 8071; Samlah, an Edomite:--Samlah.
see HEBREW for 08071
שַׂמְלָה (sam.lah) — Samlah.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.36.36
§ Samlah = "garment"
a king of Moab and successor of Hadad or Hadar
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
sam'-la (samlah; Salama): One of the kings of Edom, of the city of Masrekah. He reigned before the Israelites had kings (Ge 36:36,37; 1Ch 1:47,48). The fact that the city is mentioned in connection with the name of the king suggests that Edom was a confederacy at this time and the chief city was the metropolis of the whole country.
(garment), (Genesis 36:36,37; 1 Chronicles 1:47,48) one of the kings of Edom, successor to Hadad or Hadar.
his raiment; his left hand; his astonishment
מָלַךְ (malak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to reign, become king or queen, or to counsel. It encompasses various forms, including Qal (to reign), Hiphil (to make someone king), and Niphal (to consider). The word appears in contexts related to royalty and governance, with a notable reference in Daniel 9:1 for its use in the passive form.
H4427a מָלַךְ vb. denom. be, or become king, or queen, reign H4427b מָלַךְ counsel, advise—only Niph. Impf.
4427 malak maw-lak'
a primitive root; to reign; inceptively, to ascend the
throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; hence (by
implication) to take counsel:--consult, X indeed, be (make,
set a, set up) king, be (make) queen, (begin to, make to)
reign(-ing), rule, X surely.
מָלַךְ (ma.lakh) — to reign.
1) to be or become king or queen, reign
1a) (Qal) to be or become king or queen, reign
1b) (Hiphil) to make one king or queen, cause to reign
1c) (Hophal) to be made king or queen
מָלַךְ (ma.lakh) — to advise.
1) to counsel, advise
1a) (Niphal) to consider
Aramaic equivalent: me.lakh (מְלֵךְ "counsel" H4431)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
תַּחַת (tachath) refers to the concept of being underneath or below. It can function as a noun meaning 'the under part,' or as an adverb and preposition indicating position or substitution, such as 'instead of' or 'for the sake of.' The word encompasses various uses, including physical placement and metaphorical meanings related to subjection or exchange.
תַּחַת n.[m.] the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
base
H8478 תַּחַת the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
8478 tachath takh'-ath
from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only
adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix
underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat,
in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead
of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore,
with.
see HEBREW for 08430
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: under.
: under/below
1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m
1a) the under part adv accus
1b) beneath prep
1c) under, beneath
1c1) at the foot of (idiom)
1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig)
1c3) of subjection or conquest
1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands
1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun)
1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense)
1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged)
conj
1e) instead of, instead of that
1f) in return for that, because that in compounds
1g) in, under, into the place of (after verbs of motion)
1h) from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, under, beneath
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: instead.
: instead/in_place/exchange
Prep | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
שָׁאוּל (Sha'uwl) means 'asked' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. The entries indicate that the name can refer to multiple individuals, including an early king of Edom and a Levite. The name is derived from a passive participle form, suggesting a connection to the act of asking.
שָׁאוּל n.pr.m. (= asked)
397 1st king of Isr.
a king of Edom
a son of Simeon
a Levite
base
H7586 שָׁאוּל (= asked)
7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool'
passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an
Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.
see HEBREW for 07592
שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Saul.
A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;
son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);
father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)
§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"
1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel
2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah
3) a son of Simeon
4) a Levite, son of Uzziah
שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Shaul.
A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;
son of: Simeon (H8095) and Canaanite_woman (H3669);
brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Zerah (H2226L);
father of: Shallum (H7967K)
Also named: sha.u.li (שָׁאוּלִי "Shaulite" H7587)
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(asked). The son of Simeon by a Canaanitish woman, (Genesis 48:10; Exodus 6:15; Numbers 26:13; 1 Chronicles 4:24) and founder of the family of the Shaulites. (B.C. 1712.) One of the kings of Edom. (1 Chronicles 1:48,49) In the Authorized Version of (Genesis 36:37) he is less accurately called SAUL.
Saul, asked; lent; a grave
רְחֹבוֹת (Rechoboth) refers to 'wide places or streets' and is a plural form of another Hebrew word. It denotes several locations, including a city near Nineveh, a well dug by Isaac, and a home of an Edomite king. The entries highlight its geographical significance in both Assyria and Palestine.
רְחֹבוֹת n.pr.loc.
near Nineveh
name of well
home of a king of Edom
base
H7344 רְחֹבוֹת . near Nineveh
. name of well
. home of a king of Edom
7344 Rchobowth rekh-o-both'
or Rchoboth {rekh-o-both'}; plural of 7339; streets;
Rechoboth, a place in Assyria and one in Palestine:--
Rehoboth.
see HEBREW for 07339
רְחֹבוֹת (re.cho.vot) — Rehoboth.
§ Rehoboth = "wide places or streets"
the 3rd of a series of wells dug by Isaac in the territory of the Philistines
רְחֹבוֹת (re.cho.vot) — Rehoboth.
§ Rehoboth = "wide places or streets"
a city of Saul or Shaul, one of the early kings of the Edomites
רְחֹבוֹת (re.cho.vot) — Rehoboth.
Rehoboth = "wide places or streets"
one of the 4 cities built by Asshur or by Nimrod in Asshur located close to Nineveh
Another name of nin.veh (נִינְוֵה "Nineveh" H5210)
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
re-ho'-both, re-ho'-both (rehobhoth, "broad places"; Euruchoria): One of the wells dug by Isaac (Ge 26:22). It is probably the Rubuta of the Tell el-Amarna Letters (Petrie, numbers 256, 260; see also The Expository Times, XI, 239 (Konig), 377 (Sayce)), and it is almost certainly identical with the ruin Ruchaibeh, 8 hours Southwest of Beersheba. Robinson (BR, I, 196-97) describes the ruins of the ancient city as thickly covering a "level tract of 10 to 12 acres in extent"; "many of the dwellings had each its cistern, cut in the solid rock"; "once this must have been a city of not less than 12,000 or 15,000 inhabitants. Now it is a perfect field of ruins, a scene of unutterable desolation, across which the passing stranger can with difficulty find his way." Huntington (Palestine and Its Transformation, 124) describes considerable…
Rehoboth
Broad places. (1.) A well in Gerar dug by Isaac (Gen. 26:22), supposed to be in Wady er-Ruheibeh, about 20 miles south of Beersheba.
(2.) An ancient city on the Euphrates (Gen. 36:37; 1 Chr. 1:48), “Rehoboth by the river.”
(3.) Named among the cities of Asshur (Gen. 10:11). Probably, however, the words “rehoboth’ir” are to be translated as in the Vulgate and the margin of A.V., “the streets of the city,” or rather “the public square of the city”, i.e., of Nineveh.
(wide places , i.e. streets). The third of the series of wells dug by Isaac, (Genesis 26:22) in the Philistines’ territory, lately identified as er-Ruheibeh , 16 miles south of Beersheba. One of the four cities built by Asshur, or by Nimrod in Asshur, according as this difficult passage is translated. (Genesis 10:11) Nothing certain is known of its position. The city of a certain Saul or Shaul, one of the early kings of the Edomites. (Genesis 36:37; 1 Chronicles 1:48) The affix "by the river" fixes the situation of Rehoboth as on the Euphrates.
נָהָר (nahar) means 'stream' or 'river' and can refer to various water bodies, including the Nile and Euphrates. It also has a figurative sense of prosperity. The word is derived from a root meaning related to flowing water and has an Aramaic equivalent, נְהַר (ne.har).
נָהָר 120 n.m. stream, river
base
H5104 נָהָר stream, river
5104 nahar naw-hawr'
from 5102; a stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile,
Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:--flood, river.
see HEBREW for 05102
נָהָר (na.har) — River.
This name means stream, river
Another name of pe.rat (פְּרָת "Euphrates" H6578)
נָהָר (na.har) — river.
1) stream, river
1a) stream, river
1b) (underground) streams
Aramaic equivalent: ne.har (נְהַר "river" H5103H)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun properHTd/Npl
riv'-er:
(1) The usual word is nahar (Aramaic nehar (Ezr 4:10, etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (Ge 2:10-14), often of the Euphrates (Ge 15:18, etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (2Ki 5:12), the river of Gozan (2Ki 17:6), the river Chebar (Eze 1:1), the rivers (canals?) of Babylon (Ps 137:1), the rivers of Ethiopia (Isa 18:1; Ze 3:10). Compare nahr, the common Arabic word for "river."
River
(1.) Heb. ‘aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2 Sam. 22:16), translated “brook,” “river,” “stream,” but not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13).
(2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a “torrent,” in summer a “wady” or valley (Gen. 32:23; Deut. 2:24; 3:16; Isa. 30:28; Lam. 2:18; Ezek. 47:9).
These winter torrents sometimes come down with great suddenness and with desolating force. A distinguished traveller thus describes his experience in this matter…
In the sense in which we employ the word viz. for a perennial stream of considerable size, a river is a much rarer object in the East than in the West. With the exception of the Jordan and the Litany, the streams of the holy land are either entirely dried up in the summer months converted into hot lanes of glaring stones, or else reduced to very small streamlets, deeply sunk in a narrow bed, and concealed from view by a dense growth of shrubs. The perennial river is called nahar by the Hebrews. With the definite article, "the river," it signifies invariably the Euphrates. (Genesis 31:21; Exodus 23:31; Numbers 24:6; 2 Samuel 10:16) etc. It is never applied to the fleeting…
This word answers in our Bible to various Hebrew terms, of which the principal are the following:
1. Yeor, an Egyptian word signifying river. It is always applied to the Nile and its various canals, except in Job 28:10 Da 12:5,6,7 2. Nahar, applied, like our word river, to constantly flowing streams, such as the Euphrates. In our version this word is sometimes rendered "flood," Jos 24:2,3, etc.
3. Nahal, a torrent-bed, or valley through which water flows in the rainy season only, Nu 34:5, etc; frequently rendered "brook," Nu 13:28 Job 6:15, etc. Such streams are to the…