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Chapter 4 continues the genealogy of Judah through his sons Pharez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal. The son of Shobal, Reaiah, had two sons, Ahumai and Lahad who formed the families of the Zorathites who returned from the Babylonian exile and settled at Zorah (Neh. 11:29). This was important to Ezra because it was the tribe of Judah and Simeon and a small part of Benjamin that eventually made up the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and it was these people that returned to Jerusalem after the captivity to continue the nation of Israel. The 10 northern tribes apparently became lost or scattered in their captivity in Assyria. The chapter ends with the descendants of Simeon.
Mentioned here is a man by the name of Jebez who called upon God to bless him and keep him from evil and God granted his wish.
Spoken of here in this chapter is a family of craftsmen. They lived in a valley called the Valley of Craftsman. Some were weavers of fine linen; some potters and others were gardeners. When they were transplanted to Babylon, they were put in places of power because of their craftsmanship.
Mentioned also is the Tribe of Simeon, though not a tribe of great note, they did increase greatly. Verse 28 lists the cities that were allotted to them which they kept until the division of the kingdom and sense these cities lay in Judah, most of the people left and went north into the Northern Kingdom of Israel where their sympathies lay. Those that went north were taken into Assyria as captives but those who remained in Judah and faithful to David, prospered.
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