What Does 1 Chronicles 1:39 Mean in the King James?

And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan’s sister.

1 Chronicles 1:39 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

Timna is not outside Lotan’s family line: the verse gives her a place in its family map by naming her as his sister.

THE MEANING

The verse holds this family in view through named relationships: Lotan’s sons are named, and Timna is named as his sister. Her place in the family record is explicit, even though the line begins with the sons.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

This verse undoes the claim that the family record names only male kin: Timna is named as Lotan’s sister.

THE ROOT

בְּנֵי

bənê

GROWS FROM

בנה

banah

Build, build up; the noun for son is traditionally associated with this root.

The word for sons carries an association with building: lineage is pictured as a household carried forward in people. The verse then names Timna through her sibling relation, giving the family map more than one kind of connection.

ALSO GROWS

banah: To build, build up.

בָּנָה

This verbal form makes the building association in the family word visible.

binyan: Building, structure.

בִּנְיָן

This noun from the same root echoes the household structure carried through a lineage.

תִּמְנָע

Timna

GROWS FROM

מנע

manaʿ

Withhold, restrain; Timna’s name is commonly associated with this root.

The name carries a possible shade of restraint that its English transliteration does not show. The verse itself identifies Timna by kinship, so this name-root connection adds an echo without assigning her a role or motive.

ALSO GROWS

manaʿ: To withhold, refrain.

מָנַע

This verb expresses the action associated with the name’s likely root.

yimnaʿ: He withholds.

יִמְנַע

This form shows the same root in an action, making the restraint association concrete.

THE PATTERN

Genealogies preserve identity by naming people and the relationships that place them within a family.

And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.

Genesis 36:22 · KJVThe same family line names Lotan’s children and Timna as his sister.

And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

Genesis 5:3 · KJVSeth’s name and relation to Adam make one family connection specific.

And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

Matthew 1:3 · KJVThe genealogy names children and their mother, keeping family relationships visible across generations.

THE THREAD

And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.

Genesis 36:22 · KJV

Genesis gives the parallel family notice with the same Hebrew ⁨בני⁩ (bənê), rendered “children” there and “sons” here. The shared wording keeps both the descendants and Timna’s sibling relation within the same family record.

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