Why the detailed genealogies?
In order to affirm God’s plan for Christ to come from Adam, David, and Abraham. These names are the historical proof of the fulfilled promises of God.
Of course, we also read here of the many wives of David, which is certainly not condoned by Scripture by any means. Unfortunately, David had fallen to the custom of marrying daughters of neighboring kings in order to keep the peace.
However, it is interesting to note the names of his sons because we get a glimpse of his heart for the Lord.
Ibhar means “God chooses”Elishama means “God hears”Eliphelet means “God is deliverance”Eliada means “God knows.”
He chooses, hears, delivers, and knows. It should come as no surprise to us that David would pick these names considering what he writes about the Lord in the Psalms. A deeper dive into the historical ramifications of naming children informs us that it was customary to name your children after family history. So, it’s possible that these were the life events going on with David when his children were born.
We also experience seasons where we learn new aspects of God’s character. Let us take them to heart like David did.