And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

1 CHRONICLES 7:16KJV
Know the Bible

1 Chronicles 7:16 (KJV)

What does 1 Chronicles 7:16 mean?

1 Chronicles 7:16 records that Maachah, the wife of Machir, gave birth to a son named Peresh, and also mentions his brother Sheresh, along with Sheresh’s sons Ulam and Rakem. This verse is part of a genealogical listing, tracing family lines within the tribe of Manasseh.

The verse appears in a section where the chronicler is documenting the descendants of the tribes of Israel, specifically focusing here on Machir’s family. The names and relationships help establish the lineage and connections among the clans, which was important for tribal identity, inheritance, and historical record-keeping in ancient Israel.

The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 7:16

  • מָעֲכָה (Maachah, transliterated "Ma‘akhah") is a personal name, here identifying the wife of Machir. The mention of her by name highlights her significance in the genealogy.
  • יָלַד (bare, transliterated "yalad") means "to give birth." The use of this word emphasizes Maachah’s role as the mother in this family line.
  • פֶּרֶשׁ (Peresh, transliterated "Peresh") and שֶׁרֶשׁ (Sheresh, transliterated "Sheresh") are the names of the sons, included to preserve the specific branches of Machir’s descendants.

Why 1 Chronicles 7:16 matters

  • This verse clarifies the family structure within the tribe of Manasseh, showing not just the male lineage but also naming a significant woman, Maachah.
  • By listing both sons and grandsons, the verse helps readers understand how tribal groups and clans were organized and remembered in Israel’s history.
  • The careful recording of these names ties into the broader biblical theme of remembering ancestry and fulfilling promises made to the patriarchs about their descendants.

Where else these words appear

“Ulam” Hebrew H198 · used in 4 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 7:17 And the sons of Ulam; Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.
  • 1 Chronicles 8:39 And the sons of Eshek his brother were, Ulam his firstborn, Jehush the second, and Eliphelet the third.
  • 1 Chronicles 8:40 And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valour, archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, an hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.

“Rakem” Hebrew H7552 · used in 6 verses

  • Numbers 31:8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
  • Joshua 13:21 And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:43 And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.

“Machir” Hebrew H4353 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 50:23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.
  • Deuteronomy 3:15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
  • 2 Samuel 9:5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

“Maachah” Hebrew H4601 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 22:24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
  • 1 Kings 15:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
  • 1 Chronicles 11:43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,