And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

1 CHRONICLES 4:40KJV
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1 Chronicles 4:40 (KJV)

What does 1 Chronicles 4:40 mean?

1 Chronicles 4:40 describes how a group of people found a rich and spacious land with good pasture, where everything was peaceful and quiet. The verse notes that this area had previously been inhabited by the descendants of Ham for a long time.

This verse is part of a genealogy and historical account, where the writer is telling about the movements and settlements of the tribe of Simeon. The people being described are searching for new territory, and they discover a desirable land that was once settled by another group. The mention of the land being "quiet and peaceable" highlights its appeal as a place to live.

The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 4:40

  • "fat" (שָׁמֵן, shamen): This word means rich or fertile, especially in reference to land or pasture. It emphasizes that the land was especially good for grazing animals.
  • "wide" (רָחָב, rachav): This word means broad or spacious, suggesting that there was plenty of room for the people and their flocks.
  • "quiet" (שָׁקֵט, shaqet) and "peaceable" (שָׁלֵו, shalev): These words together stress that the land was undisturbed and safe, making it an attractive place to settle.

Why 1 Chronicles 4:40 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the Simeonites were not taking over an empty or wild place, but a land that had a history of previous inhabitants, specifically those descended from Ham.
  • The description of the land as "fat," "wide," "quiet," and "peaceable" shows what qualities were valued in a settlement at that time: fertility, space, and safety.
  • This verse connects to the broader story of Israelite tribes seeking their own places to live, and it helps explain later developments in the region’s history.

Where else these words appear

“peaceable” Hebrew H7961 · used in 8 verses

  • Job 16:12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
  • Job 21:23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
  • Jeremiah 49:31 Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the LORD, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.

“fat” Hebrew H8082 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 49:20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
  • Nehemiah 9:25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.
  • Ezekiel 34:14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

“pasture” Hebrew H4829 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 47:4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
  • Job 39:8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
  • Ezekiel 34:14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

“Ham” Hebrew H2526 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 5:32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
  • Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
  • 1 Chronicles 1:8 The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.