1 Chronicles 4:30 briefly lists key cities belonging to the tribe of Simeon, underscoring each city’s historical and spiritual place in Israel’s heritage.
“Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,” (v.30) appears in a list that chronicles the dwellings of the tribe of Simeon during the time of the chronicler, around the late 5th century BC. The Chronicler, likely writing after Israel’s return from Babylonian exile, carefully preserved these ancestral locations to showcase the covenant faithfulness of God toward His people. In naming each site, including Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, (v.30), this passage demonstrates that every city, however minor some may appear in Scripture, carried significance in the creation of Israel’s tribal identity.
The place called Hormah stood in the Negev region of southern Israel. It was once a Canaanite city that the Israelites attempted to capture prematurely after disobeying God’s instruction (Numbers 14:44-45). Later references also show its name linked to victories in the Promised Land. According to the user’s files, it is described as a “Canaanite city in the Negev,” marking a strategic border area where some of the tribe of Simeon settled. Ziklag was another city that would eventually be associated with King David (who ruled around 1010-970 BC). At one point, David received Ziklag from the Philistines, and it became a place of refuge for him (1 Samuel 27:6), thus weaving it into the tapestry of Israel’s royal history.
Though Bethuel is not as widely documented, its inclusion underscores how every location mattered in assembling the collective heritage of the people of God. This seemingly brief verse thus continues the Chronicler’s broader aim of recounting genealogies and sites that defined Israel’s story and set the stage for God’s redemptive plan, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1).
These verses remind us that God cares about every part of His people’s history and the many places that shaped them.
Set to dark mode
1 Chronicles 4:30 meaning
“Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,” (v.30) appears in a list that chronicles the dwellings of the tribe of Simeon during the time of the chronicler, around the late 5th century BC. The Chronicler, likely writing after Israel’s return from Babylonian exile, carefully preserved these ancestral locations to showcase the covenant faithfulness of God toward His people. In naming each site, including Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, (v.30), this passage demonstrates that every city, however minor some may appear in Scripture, carried significance in the creation of Israel’s tribal identity.
The place called Hormah stood in the Negev region of southern Israel. It was once a Canaanite city that the Israelites attempted to capture prematurely after disobeying God’s instruction (Numbers 14:44-45). Later references also show its name linked to victories in the Promised Land. According to the user’s files, it is described as a “Canaanite city in the Negev,” marking a strategic border area where some of the tribe of Simeon settled. Ziklag was another city that would eventually be associated with King David (who ruled around 1010-970 BC). At one point, David received Ziklag from the Philistines, and it became a place of refuge for him (1 Samuel 27:6), thus weaving it into the tapestry of Israel’s royal history.
Though Bethuel is not as widely documented, its inclusion underscores how every location mattered in assembling the collective heritage of the people of God. This seemingly brief verse thus continues the Chronicler’s broader aim of recounting genealogies and sites that defined Israel’s story and set the stage for God’s redemptive plan, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1).
These verses remind us that God cares about every part of His people’s history and the many places that shaped them.