1 Chronicles 7:28
And their possessions and habitations were, Beth-el and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:
Original Language Analysis
וַֽאֲחֻזָּתָם֙
And their possessions
H272
וַֽאֲחֻזָּתָם֙
And their possessions
Strong's:
H272
Word #:
1 of 15
something seized, i.e., a possession (especially of land)
וּמֹ֣שְׁבוֹתָ֔ם
and habitations
H4186
וּמֹ֣שְׁבוֹתָ֔ם
and habitations
Strong's:
H4186
Word #:
2 of 15
a seat; figuratively, a site; abstractly, a session; by extension an abode (the place or the time); by implication, population
וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
also and the towns
H1323
וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
also and the towns
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
5 of 15
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
וְלַֽמַּעֲרָ֗ב
and westward
H4628
וְלַֽמַּעֲרָ֗ב
and westward
Strong's:
H4628
Word #:
8 of 15
the west (as a region of the evening sun)
וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
also and the towns
H1323
וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
also and the towns
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
10 of 15
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
also and the towns
H1323
וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
also and the towns
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
12 of 15
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
עַד
H5704
עַד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
13 of 15
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
Historical Context
Ephraim dominated the northern kingdom after Solomon's death (930 BC), with Jeroboam I (an Ephraimite) establishing rival worship centers at Beth-el and Dan. The Chronicler, writing to post-exilic Judahites, presents Ephraim's original territorial blessing as contrast to their later apostasy and Assyrian conquest (722 BC). Many Ephraimites fled south to Judah during northern kingdom's collapse, and Josiah's reforms (640-609 BC) attempted to reclaim these cities for Yahweh worship (2 Chronicles 34:6-7).
Questions for Reflection
- How does Beth-el's transformation from 'house of God' to idolatrous shrine warn against relying on past spiritual experiences without present faithfulness?
- What do Ephraim's extensive but ultimately lost territories teach about the danger of material blessing without corresponding spiritual devotion?
Analysis & Commentary
And their possessions and habitations were (וּמוֹשְׁבוֹתָם וּמוֹשְׁבֵיהֶם)—this territorial summary maps Ephraim's key settlements. Beth-el (בֵּית־אֵל 'house of God') heads the list, where Jacob dreamed of heaven's ladder (Genesis 28:19) and where Jeroboam later erected a golden calf (1 Kings 12:29), illustrating how holy places can become idolatrous shrines. The tension between Beth-el's sacred past and apostate future warns against presuming on location's holiness while abandoning covenant faithfulness.
The geographic sweep—eastward Naaran, westward Gezer—spans from Jordan Valley to coastal plain, showing Ephraim's extensive territory, the richest in northern Israel. Shechem also (שְׁכֶם) appears prominently, the first place Abraham built an altar in Canaan (Genesis 12:6-7), where Joshua renewed the covenant (Joshua 24), and later the northern kingdom's first capital (1 Kings 12:25). Shechem's recurring covenant significance makes its mention here more than geographic data—it's theological geography, sites where God revealed himself and Israel responded in worship.
Unto Gaza (עַד־עַזָּה)—this southern extension seems anomalous since Gaza was Philistine territory. Some translations read 'Ayyah' instead, a northern city, resolving the geographic puzzle. But if Gaza is correct, it claims Ephraim's maximum territorial ambitions reached to the Philistine pentapolis, goals never fully realized due to incomplete conquest (Judges 1:19, 29).