And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.
The verse belongs to the long lists of names that open Chronicles, forming part of the carefully preserved genealogical record of the tribe of Judah that shows the continuity of Judah's line. Shallum, Jekamiah, and Elishama were ordinary people who lived out their lives unknown to others and were forgotten for thousands of years. These records of hereditary descent were needed after the exile to restore land to its proper owners and to resume temple service through those with hereditary duties. As part of Judah's genealogy, the verse stands in the tribal line through which Christ came.
The verse exemplifies how Scripture contains details whose value is not equally apparent to every reader, yet such passages can reward deeper study. The preservation of each name shows that God remembers every person by name, whether prosperous or a failure. Because God does not change, this remembrance still holds, assuring the downhearted that their own name is kept safe and sure in God's lists.
The verse belongs to the long lists of names that open Chronicles, forming part of the carefully preserved genealogical record of the tribe of Judah that shows the continuity of Judah's line. Shallum, Jekamiah, and Elishama were ordinary people who lived out their lives unknown to others and were forgotten for thousands of years. These records of hereditary descent were needed after the exile to restore land to its proper owners and to resume temple service through those with hereditary duties. As part of Judah's genealogy, the verse stands in the tribal line through which Christ came.
The verse exemplifies how Scripture contains details whose value is not equally apparent to every reader, yet such passages can reward deeper study. The preservation of each name shows that God remembers every person by name, whether prosperous or a failure. Because God does not change, this remembrance still holds, assuring the downhearted that their own name is kept safe and sure in God's lists.