1 Chronicles 4:21 (KJV)

Passage

The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,

Nearby Context

1 Chronicles 4:19 And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

1 Chronicles 4:20 And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth.

1 Chronicles 4:21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,

1 Chronicles 4:22 And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.

1 Chronicles 4:23 These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sons", "shelah", "judah", "father", "lecah", "laadah", and "mareshah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sons" and "shelah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And the sons of Shimon were Amnon..." into verse 22's "And Jokim and the men of Chozeba...", so "sons" and "shelah" belong inside that flow. In 1 Chronicles context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sons" and "shelah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.