The Meaning of 1 Chronicles 4:21 Explained

1 Chronicles 4:21

KJV: 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,

YLT: Sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er father of Lecah, and Laadah father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the service of fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;

Darby: 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,

ASV: The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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, 

What does 1 Chronicles 4:21 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 1Ch 4

1  The posterity of Judah by Caleb, the son of Hur
5  Of Ashur, the posthumous son Hezron
9  Of Jabez, and his prayer
11  The other families of the same stock
21  The sons of Shelah
24  The posterity and cities of Simeon
39  Their conquest of Gedor, and of the Amalekites in mount Seir

What do the individual words in 1 Chronicles 4:21 mean?

The sons of Shelah son of Judah [were] Er the father of Lecah and Laadah of Mareshah and the families of the house of the workers linen of the house of Ashbea
בְּנֵי֙ שֵׁלָ֣ה בֶן־ יְהוּדָ֔ה עֵ֚ר אֲבִ֣י לֵכָ֔ה וְלַעְדָּ֖ה מָרֵשָׁ֑ה וּמִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת בֵּית־ עֲבֹדַ֥ת הַבֻּ֖ץ לְבֵ֥ית אַשְׁבֵּֽעַ

בְּנֵי֙  The  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שֵׁלָ֣ה  of  Shelah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁלָה 
Sense: the youngest son of Judah slain by God for refusing to obey the law for levirate marriage with Tamar.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
עֵ֚ר  [were]  Er 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵר  
Sense: the eldest son of Judah.
אֲבִ֣י  the  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לֵכָ֔ה  of  Lecah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵכָה  
Sense: a town in Judah; site unknown.
וְלַעְדָּ֖ה  and  Laadah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַעְדָּה  
Sense: son of Shelah and grandson of Judah.
מָרֵשָׁ֑ה  of  Mareshah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרֵשָׁה 
Sense: one of the cities in the lowlands of Judah.
וּמִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת  and  the  families 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עֲבֹדַ֥ת  of  the  workers 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.
הַבֻּ֖ץ  linen 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בּוּץ  
Sense: byssus, a costly, fine white linen cloth made in Egypt.
לְבֵ֥ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אַשְׁבֵּֽעַ  of  Ashbea 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַשְׁבֵּעַ  
Sense: the patriarch of a family of Judah.