The Chronicler puts aside the descendants of Hezron's son Ram for a while (to be resumed with David in 1 Chronicles 3:1) and focuses on the first of three accounts of the descendants of Hezron’s third son, Caleb (1 Chronicles 2:18–20, 1 Chronicles 2:24; 1 Chronicles 2:42–55; 1 Chronicles 4:1–8).
The descendants of Caleb (spelled Chelubai
in 1 Chronicles 2:9) are now listed. The Caleb here is different from the Caleb of the wilderness period (Numbers 13:6), a son of Jephunneh.1 That Caleb comes up in a different context (1 Chronicles 4:15). The lineage of Caleb son of Hezron provides the ancestry of another important character in the Chronicler’s perspective, namely, Bezalel (1 Chronicles 2:20) who, along with Oholiab, supervised the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings (Exodus 31:2–5). In order to fulfil this immense responsibility, he was filled…with the Spirit of God
(Exodus 31:1–5; Exodus 35:30 – 36:2). The Chronicler focuses on the family of this tabernacle craftsman to express his belief in the close interconnection between the throne of David and temple worship as central institutions in Israel.2
The only other mention of Bezalel is in 2 Chronicles 1:5, which references the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made.
On that altar, Solomon offered burnt offerings prior to God’s appearing and granting him wisdom, later to be exercised in building the temple. The tasks of Bezalel and Solomon, the building of the tabernacle and temple, respectively, are brought together, both enabled by God.
The structure of Caleb’s family is provided through his wives and concubines. There were at least four of them; his wives Azubah (1 Chronicles 2:18–19) and Ephrath (1 Chronicles 2:19, 1 Chronicles 2:24, 1 Chronicles 2:50; 1 Chronicles 4:4) who was probably his father’s widow (see 1 Chronicles 2:24), and his concubines Ephah (1 Chronicles 2:46) and Maacah (1 Chronicles 2:48). It seems best to understand Jerioth as the daughter of Caleb and Azubah (NEB, NJB), not another concubine or wife (NIV, ESV). Azubah bore three sons, Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon, whose lines are not traced further.
Instead, the focus is placed on the Chronicler’s marriage to Ephrath which produced Hur, whose line will be picked up in the later Caleb accounts (1 Chronicles 2:50–55; 1 Chronicles 4:1–4). For now, the Chronicler traces the line through Uri, the son of Hur, to Bezalel, a contemporary of Moses.
18 Caleb the son of Hezron fathered children by his wife Azubah, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.