Hezron

Biblical Record

Hezron was the son of Perez and the grandson of Judah, the son of Jacob. His brother was Hamul (1 Chronicles 2:5).

• Migration to Egypt: Genesis 46:12 includes Hezron and Hamul, the sons of Perez (KJV "Pharez"), in the list of Jacob's household that went down to Egypt.
• Ancestor of a clan: Numbers 26:21 records that in the wilderness census the descendants of Perez included "the family of the Hezronites." Here "family" refers to a clan descended from a common ancestor.
• Children: 1 Chronicles 2 gives the fullest account. Verse 9 names his sons as Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. Verse 18 mentions "Caleb the son of Hezron," whom many identify with Chelubai. According to 2:21–23, Hezron married the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead when he was sixty years old, and she bore him Segub. Verse 24 records that after Hezron died in Caleb-ephratah, his wife Abiah bore him Ashur the father of Tekoa.
• Genealogy: Ruth 4:18–19 records a genealogy leading to David that begins, "Pharez begat Hezron, And Hezron begat Ram."

Others of the Same Name

Scripture also uses the name Hezron for others besides this figure.

• Hezron son of Reuben: Hezron was one of the four sons of Reuben, along with Hanoch, Pallu, and Carmi (Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:6; 1 Chronicles 5:3). He is a different person from Hezron of the tribe of Judah.
• Hezron as a place name: Joshua 15:3 uses the name for a point on the southern border of the territory of Judah, and 15:25 uses it in the name of the town "Kerioth-hezron."

Significance within Scripture

Scripture records almost nothing about the events of Hezron's life. He nevertheless holds an important place in the genealogies because major branches of the tribe of Judah descended from him. The royal house of David traces its line back to him through Ram.

In the New Testament, Matthew 1:3 ("Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram") and Luke 3:33 include his name in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. In the Korean Revised Version, New Edition (Gaeyeok Gaejeong), Luke 3:33 gives the generation after Hezron as "Arni" rather than Ram. This difference is explained as arising from variations among manuscripts.

Interpretation and Issues

• The list of those who migrated to Egypt: Interpreters differ over why Genesis 46 includes Hezron, who belonged to the generation of Jacob's great-grandchildren, in the list of those who migrated to Egypt. Some take the list as a record of those actually present at the time of the migration, while others regard it as a representative list that also includes those who later became the ancestors of clans.
• The text of 1 Chronicles 2:24: The Hebrew text of this verse is difficult, and translations render it in different ways. Some, such as those in the Korean Revised (Gaeyeok) tradition, read "Caleb-ephratah" as a place name. Others follow the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) and take the verse to mean that "after Hezron died, Caleb went in to Ephrathah, his father's wife."
• The two Calebs: Caleb the son of Hezron is usually regarded as a different person from Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who was among those sent to spy out Canaan. Scholars are, however, divided over the relationship between the two.
• "Sons" in 1 Chronicles 4:1: This verse lists Hezron among "the sons of Judah." Here "son" is generally understood in the broader sense of "descendant."

In the Korean Church

Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted specifically to Hezron are rare. Korean Christians encounter his name mainly when reading 1 Chronicles or Ruth in the course of reading through the Bible, and when the genealogy in Matthew 1 is read during the Christmas season.