What Does 1 Chronicles 15:9 Mean in the King James?

Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:

1 Chronicles 15:9 · 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

Hebron (⁨חֶבְרוֹן⁩, Ḥevron, “joining”) names the chief within association, placing leadership inside a people.

THE MEANING

You see a chief named alongside his brethren, with the whole company counted around him. Hebron (⁨חֶבְרוֹן⁩, Ḥevron, “association or joining”) carries connection in its name, while Eliel (⁨אֱלִיאֵל⁩, ʾEliʾel, “my God is God”) names the one leading. The verse holds leadership and belonging together.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that leadership requires separation from the people: the chief is named alongside his brethren.

THE ROOT

חֶבְרוֹן

Ḥevron

GROWS FROM

חבר

ḥ-b-r

To join or associate.

Hebron (⁨חֶבְרוֹן⁩, Ḥevron, “association or joining”) carries connection in its name. That makes the chief’s place beside his brethren part of the verse’s structure: authority is attached to a company, not isolated from it.

ALSO GROWS

ḥābar: To join or associate.

חָבַר

The verb gives the joining held in Hebron’s name an active form.

ḥāver: Companion or associate.

חָבֵר

This branch names a person joined to others, echoing the company gathered around the chief.

THE PATTERN

Scripture locates leadership within a community, where the leader remains related to those gathered around them.

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

Exodus 18:21 · KJVLeaders are selected from among the people and placed within a shared structure.

And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

Numbers 1:4 · KJVEach tribe has a named head within its wider family.

But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

Mark 10:43 · KJVGreatness is located among the community and expressed through service to it.

THE THREAD

All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

Genesis 14:3 · KJV

Hebron (⁨חֶבְרוֹן⁩, Ḥevron, “association or joining”) and “were joined” (⁨חָבְרוּ⁩, ḥāberu, “joined together”) grow from the root ⁨חבר⁩ (ḥ-b-r), “to join.” Here the same root describes kings forming an alliance, showing that joining names a connection without deciding what that group will do.

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