Who was Ethnan in the Bible?

Ethnan was a son of Ashhur, who was a descendant of Judah. He is listed as a member of the tribe of Judah and is noted as the father, or founder, of the town of Tekoa (1 Chronicles 4:5-7).

What is the significance of Ethnan being the father of Tekoa?

Tekoa was a significant town in Judah, later known as the home of the prophet Amos (Amos 1:1). By establishing Ethnan as its founder, the biblical genealogy connects this important place to the lineage of Judah, grounding it in Israel's tribal history.

Are there any stories or key events about Ethnan's life?

No specific stories or events from Ethnan's life are recorded in the Bible. His mention is purely genealogical, serving to trace the lineage of Judah and establish the origins of the town of Tekoa within the tribal records (1 Chronicles 4:1-7).

Ethnan

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon

Ethnan was a son of Ashhur (or 'Ashur'), the father (ie founder) of Tekoa.

Ethnan

Biography

Ethnan was a son of Ashhur, identified in 1 Chronicles 4:7 as the founder or ancestral patriarch of Tekoa, a town in the hill country of Judah later known as the hometown of the prophet Amos. Ethnan appears within the genealogical lists of the tribe of Judah preserved by the Chronicler, positioned among the descendants who helped populate and establish the territorial settlements of the tribe. His mother was Helah, one of Ashhur's two wives, and he had brothers named Zereth and Zohar. The assignment of lifespan era to the Divided Monarchy in some traditions may reflect the genealogical period the Chronicler addressed, though Ethnan himself belongs to the foundational period of Judah's tribal settlement. His name means 'gift' in Hebrew.

Significance

Ethnan's inclusion in the Chronicler's genealogies of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:7) reflects the biblical conviction that every family lineage within the covenant people carries dignity and purpose. Though no deeds or words are attributed to him, his connection to Tekoa is noteworthy: that town would later produce Amos, one of Israel's most socially passionate prophets, and also served as the home of the wise woman whom Joab employed to counsel David (2 Samuel 14). The genealogical records that preserve Ethnan's name remind readers that God's redemptive story is woven through countless ordinary households, each one part of the larger fabric of covenant history that ultimately points toward the Davidic Messiah.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 4:7

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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