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1 Chronicles 8:14 meaning

These three names demonstrate how God values each branch of His covenant people.

“And Ahio, Shashak and Jerimoth” (v.14). In this short verse, the Chronicler continues a lengthy genealogy that traces the tribe of Benjamin. The listing of these three names—Ahio, Shashak, and Jerimoth—reveals the Chronicler’s intent to show that Benjamin’s descendants remained identifiable even after the Babylonian Exile, underscoring the tribe’s heritage and covenant identity. First Chronicles as a whole takes pains to recount these genealogies, so that God’s people would remember who they were and how they fit into His story, even when they had been scattered to foreign lands.

As part of the tribe of Benjamin’s lineage, these three men would have had ancestors who witnessed the rise of King Saul around 1050 BC, Israel’s first king—himself a Benjaminite. Centuries later, the Chronicler compiled and preserved these details (likely in the late fifth century BC), when returning exiles needed reassurance of their lineage and place among God’s people. By carefully listing names, 1 Chronicles 8 connects newer generations to the older promises of Israel’s covenant God.

Even though Ahio, Shashak, and Jerimoth remain obscure beyond their mention here, their inclusion highlights the Chronicler’s theme of the Lord’s faithfulness in maintaining a remnant. The overarching storyline points to how every family connection mattered and served a role in preparing the way for the Messiah, even from a tribe not directly in Jesus’s lineage—illustrating that all Israel shared in the larger covenant hope and purpose (Romans 9:4).

1 Chronicles 8:14