1 Chronicles 4:38 (GNV)

Passage

These were famous princes in their families, and increased greatly their fathers houses.

Nearby Context

1 Chronicles 4:36 And Elionai, and Iaakobah, and Ieshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Iesimiel, and Benaiah,

1 Chronicles 4:37 And Ziza the sonne of Shiphei, the sonne of Allon, the sonne of Iedaiah, the sonne of Shimri, the sonne of Shemaiah.

1 Chronicles 4:38 These were famous princes in their families, and increased greatly their fathers houses.

1 Chronicles 4:39 And they went to the entring in of Gedor, euen vnto the East side of the valley, to seeke pasture for their sheepe.

1 Chronicles 4:40 And they found fat pasture and good, and a wide land, both quiet and fruitfull: for they of Ham had dwelt there before.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "famous", "princes", "families", "increased", "greatly", "fathers", and "houses". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "famous" and "princes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "And Ziza the sonne of Shiphei the..." into verse 39's "And they went to the entring in...", so "famous" and "princes" 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 "famous" and "princes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.