And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.
The verse names Jether and Jonathan as the sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, and records that Jether died without children. It belongs to the carefully preserved genealogical records in Chronicles that trace family descent, specifically the genealogy of Judah. Such family records were needed after the exile to establish hereditary claims to land and temple service. The genealogy to which it belongs is that of Judah, the tribe through which Christ came.
Its inclusion shows that genealogies are preserved for instruction, though it is not as interesting or instructive as passages such as the Gospels or the Psalms. Such long lists of names, including the brief note that Jether died without children, may hold value even when their purpose is not apparent to every reader. The preservation of Jether's name in the family record shows that God remembers people by name even when they are obscure and long forgotten by others.
The verse names Jether and Jonathan as the sons of Jada, the brother of Shammai, and records that Jether died without children. It belongs to the carefully preserved genealogical records in Chronicles that trace family descent, specifically the genealogy of Judah. Such family records were needed after the exile to establish hereditary claims to land and temple service. The genealogy to which it belongs is that of Judah, the tribe through which Christ came.
Its inclusion shows that genealogies are preserved for instruction, though it is not as interesting or instructive as passages such as the Gospels or the Psalms. Such long lists of names, including the brief note that Jether died without children, may hold value even when their purpose is not apparent to every reader. The preservation of Jether's name in the family record shows that God remembers people by name even when they are obscure and long forgotten by others.