This verse shows how Abraham's marriage to Keturah contributed to a broader lineage, fulfilling God’s promise to expand Abraham’s descendants into many peoples.
In 1 Chronicles 1:33, we read, “The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.” (v.33) This verse continues the genealogical record begun in the opening of 1 Chronicles, highlighting those born to Abraham through his wife Keturah. Abraham lived approximately from 2166 to 1991 BC, and after the death of his wife Sarah, he married or took Keturah as a concubine. Through Keturah, Abraham fathered six sons, one of which was Midian, whose descendants settled in the southeastern Sinai and northwestern Arabia, near the Gulf of Aqaba. The region of Midian was later the setting where Moses fled from Pharaoh and encountered Zipporah, who became his wife, tying this lineage to other important narratives in Scripture.Midian’s five sons—Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah—underscore how Abraham truly became “a father of many nations,” as God promised (Genesis 17:4). Although these Midianite lines did not carry forward the specific covenant inheritance given through Isaac, they still formed legitimate branches of Abraham’s expanding family tree. Throughout the Old Testament, Midianites appear at various points, reflecting both distant kinship with Israel and at times sharp opposition. The Chronicles writer includes them here to emphasize that God’s work extended beyond Isaac’s lineage, illustrating the fuller tapestry of peoples descending from Abraham.
Keturah herself is significant because she demonstrates God’s blessing upon Abraham even in his later years, and the genealogy testifies to His abundance for those who submit to His plan. While the Chronicles genealogies ultimately concentrate on highlighting the line that leads to King David and, prophetically, to Jesus the Messiah, they also pay homage to the broader reach of Abraham’s family and God’s sovereignty over all nations.
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1 Chronicles 1:33 meaning
In 1 Chronicles 1:33, we read, “The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.” (v.33) This verse continues the genealogical record begun in the opening of 1 Chronicles, highlighting those born to Abraham through his wife Keturah. Abraham lived approximately from 2166 to 1991 BC, and after the death of his wife Sarah, he married or took Keturah as a concubine. Through Keturah, Abraham fathered six sons, one of which was Midian, whose descendants settled in the southeastern Sinai and northwestern Arabia, near the Gulf of Aqaba. The region of Midian was later the setting where Moses fled from Pharaoh and encountered Zipporah, who became his wife, tying this lineage to other important narratives in Scripture.Midian’s five sons—Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah—underscore how Abraham truly became “a father of many nations,” as God promised (Genesis 17:4). Although these Midianite lines did not carry forward the specific covenant inheritance given through Isaac, they still formed legitimate branches of Abraham’s expanding family tree. Throughout the Old Testament, Midianites appear at various points, reflecting both distant kinship with Israel and at times sharp opposition. The Chronicles writer includes them here to emphasize that God’s work extended beyond Isaac’s lineage, illustrating the fuller tapestry of peoples descending from Abraham.
Keturah herself is significant because she demonstrates God’s blessing upon Abraham even in his later years, and the genealogy testifies to His abundance for those who submit to His plan. While the Chronicles genealogies ultimately concentrate on highlighting the line that leads to King David and, prophetically, to Jesus the Messiah, they also pay homage to the broader reach of Abraham’s family and God’s sovereignty over all nations.