Mered

At a Glance

A Judahite genealogical figure mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4.

Key Points

• Appears in the Judah genealogies of 1 Chronicles 4.
• The biblical text gives only limited family details.
• His mention helps preserve Israel’s tribal and household records.

Description

Mered is a minor biblical person named in the genealogy of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4. The Chronicler preserves only a short notice about him, along with family connections that are not fully transparent at first reading. Because the passage is concise and syntactically compressed, interpreters should avoid pressing the details beyond what the text clearly says. Mered is not developed as a narrative character or theological figure; his significance lies in the preservation of Judah’s family records within the Chronicler’s history.

Biblical Context

The book of Chronicles often records names, clans, and family lines to show the continuity of Israel’s covenant history after the exile. Mered appears in that setting as one of the lesser-known figures preserved in Judah’s genealogy.

Historical Context

Chronicles was written to strengthen the identity, memory, and covenant awareness of the post-exilic community. Genealogies such as this one safeguarded tribal continuity and ancestral memory, even when the named individuals themselves played no major narrative role.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In the ancient world, genealogies served important social and covenant functions: they preserved inheritance lines, clan identity, and historical continuity. Mered’s brief notice fits that broader biblical pattern.

Primary Key Texts

• 1 Chronicles 4:17-18

Secondary Key Texts

• 1 Chronicles 1–9 (genealogical framework of Chronicles)

Original Language Note

Hebrew: מֶרֶד (Mered). The name is commonly connected with a root meaning “rebellion” or “revolt,” but the etymology should be held with caution and not treated as doctrinally significant.

Theological Significance

Mered has no major doctrinal role, but his inclusion in Scripture reflects God’s care for historical particulars and ordinary people within the covenant community. The genealogy also underscores the Bible’s concern for continuity, identity, and remembered lineage.

Philosophical Explanation

A brief genealogical notice such as Mered’s highlights the Bible’s insistence that real people and family histories matter. Scripture does not only preserve kings and prophets; it also records lesser-known individuals within the larger story of redemption.

Interpretive Cautions

The wording in 1 Chronicles 4:17-18 is compressed, and the exact relationships described are not easy to reconstruct with certainty. Do not build doctrine from the passage, and avoid overconfident claims about every family connection.

Major Views

Most interpreters treat Mered as a minor Judahite figure whose importance is historical rather than theological. Discussion usually concerns the genealogy’s structure and wording, not any doctrinal dispute.

Doctrinal Boundaries

No doctrine depends on a precise reconstruction of Mered’s family relationships. The safest approach is to affirm the text’s basic historical notice without speculating beyond it.

Practical Significance

Mered reminds readers that Scripture preserves the names of obscure people as part of God’s larger covenant history. Even brief and hidden lives are not forgotten in the biblical record.

Related Entries

• 1 Chronicles
• Judah
• Genealogy
• Bithiah
• Eshtemoa

See Also

• Chronicles
• Judahites
• Genealogies in Scripture
• Minor biblical figures