Who was Attai in the Bible?

Attai was the grandson of Sheshan and a descendant of the tribe of Judah. He is mentioned in a genealogical record that traces the lineage of Judah's family (1 Chronicles 2:35-36).

Why is Attai mentioned in the Bible?

Attai is listed to preserve the important genealogical record of Judah, the tribe from which King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ would descend. His inclusion helps establish the continuity of the Messianic line (1 Chronicles 2:3-15).

What is the significance of Attai's family story?

Attai's lineage highlights God's faithfulness in preserving family lines, even through unconventional means. His father, Jarha, was an Egyptian servant whom Sheshan gave his daughter to in marriage to continue the family name (1 Chronicles 2:34-35).

Attai

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon of jarha

Attai was the grandson of Sheshan, a descendant of Judah (1 Chr 2:35-36).

Attai

Biography

This Attai was a member of the tribe of Judah, recorded in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 2:35-36 as the son of Jarha, an Egyptian servant of Sheshan. Sheshan, having no sons, gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha, and from that union Attai was born, a remarkable instance of ethnic and social integration within the lineage of Judah. Attai in turn fathered Nathan, continuing a genealogical line that the Chronicler preserved with care. His lineage descends from Hezron through Jerahmeel, placing him in an important branch of the tribe of Judah. His very existence challenges simplistic notions of ethnic exclusivity within Israel's covenant community.

Significance

The genealogy placing Attai as the son of the Egyptian Jarha and a daughter of Sheshan is theologically significant as a witness to the inclusive reach of Israel's covenant community. Well before the full flowering of New Testament universalism, figures like Attai, born of a foreign father integrated into Judah, demonstrate that God's redemptive purposes were never ethnically confined. The Chronicler's preservation of this mixed lineage in 1 Chronicles 2 reflects the understanding that faithful participation in Israel's community mattered more than pure descent. Attai's ancestry anticipates the New Testament vision of a people drawn from every nation into God's family.

Verse Appearances (2)

1Chr

1Chr 2:35 1Chr 2:36

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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