1 Chronicles 1:9, commentary and pictures

The verse names Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabtecha as the sons of Cush, and Sheba and Dedan as the sons of Raamah. It belongs to a genealogy that was preserved by the direction of God's Spirit and forms an inspired part of the Bible given for instruction. The genealogical records preserve hereditary descent, which was needed after the exile to establish claims to land and to hereditary duties in temple service. The lists in the chapter preserve information about the origin and distribution of races, which can interest students of ethnology.

The record of family lines was necessary to the development and certainty of the gospel. Inspired status does not mean every part of Scripture is of equal value, for genealogies are not as interesting or instructive as the Gospels and need not be read as often as passages such as John 14 or Romans 8, just as the genealogy of Esau in Genesis 36 is less often memorized than Psalm 23.

As one of the name lists, the verse can be difficult to read, but it shows that God is particular. The keeping of genealogies points to a faithful record of every soul kept in heaven.