The "Begats"

Some of you may be familiar with the King James Version of the Bible, which occasionally uses language that is not quite right for the 2100s. 

If you heard, or read, a lot of that Bible, you probably remember the begats, long lists  of who parented (almost always who fathered) whom, often with little or no comment on the individuals in such lists. Here's a sample, from 1 Chronicles chapter 1:

1:1 Chronicles 1:10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth. 11 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

13 And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,

18 And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.

20 And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

34 And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.

The Bible search web page that I use says that there are 139 instances of the word, begat, in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament. That doesn't count different forms of the word, including a begotten in John 3:16. We don't use the word, begat, under ordinary circumstances. But, if used over and over again, as the King James does, it is likely to stick in our minds.

What lessons can we learn from the many begats in the Bible? One lesson is that the Bible accommodated the paternal society of the ancient Hebrews. It also has non-paternal features, such as the matter of the daughters of Zelophehad getting property - see Numbers 26-27, 36, Joshua 17:3, 1 Chronicles 7:15; the spiritual leadership of Moses's sister Miriam; the leadership of Deborah (Judges 4-5); Jesus respecting his mother in association with his first recorded miracle; the teaching ministry of Priscilla;  and the spiritual leadership of Samson's mother. God uses both paternal and maternal features. in the unfolding story of the Bible. God allowed the paternal structure of ancient societies -- He adapts His messages to His audiences.

Another lesson is that everyone is important to God. All those names were of people who were important to themselves, and important in relationships with others. They had parents, children, other relatives, and co-workers and friends. The Bible will  endure, and, at least by name, so will the Ludim and Heth and the others.

Another lesson is that God dealt with families, such as the Levites, or the descendants of David, or the Rechabites.

Another lesson is that God is not in a hurry. Presumably, He could have used a condensed list of people, making, say, Shelah and Hazarmaveth unnecessary. But He didn't.

Thanks for reading!