1 Chronicles 4:21 (DBY)

Passage

The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lechah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of byssus-workers, of the house of Ashbea,

Nearby Context

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

1 Chronicles 4:20 And the sons of Shimon: Amnon and Rinnah, Ben-hanan and Tilon. And the sons of Jishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

1 Chronicles 4:21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lechah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of byssus-workers, of the house of Ashbea,

1 Chronicles 4:22 and Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled over Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. And these are ancient things.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sons", "shelah", "judah", "father", "lechah", "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 Amnon and..." 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.