Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the term "descendant" refers to an individual who is a direct offspring or progeny of a particular ancestor. The concept of descendants is significant throughout the Bible, as it often relates to the fulfillment of God's promises, the continuation of family lines, and the unfolding of divine plans through generations.
Biblical Promises and CovenantsThe notion of descendants is central to several key biblical covenants. In
Genesis 12:2-3, God promises Abram (later Abraham), "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you." This promise is reiterated in
Genesis 15:5, where God tells Abram, "Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able. Then He told him, 'So shall your offspring be.'" Here, descendants are integral to the covenant, as they are the means through which God's blessings and purposes are realized.
Lineage of Jesus ChristThe genealogy of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, underscores the importance of descendants in the biblical narrative.
Matthew 1:1-17 traces Jesus' lineage through Abraham and David, emphasizing His rightful place in the line of promise.
Luke 3:23-38 provides a broader genealogy, linking Jesus to Adam, highlighting His role as the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan for all humanity.
Inheritance and LegacyIn the Old Testament, the concept of inheritance is closely tied to descendants. The land promised to the Israelites was to be passed down through generations, as seen in
Numbers 26:53-56, where the land is divided among the tribes of Israel according to their families. The importance of maintaining family lines and inheritance is also evident in the laws of levirate marriage (
Deuteronomy 25:5-10), which ensured that a deceased man's name and property would continue through his descendants.
Spiritual DescendantsThe New Testament expands the concept of descendants to include spiritual lineage. In
Galatians 3:29, Paul writes, "And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise." Here, the idea of being a descendant is not limited to physical ancestry but extends to those who share in the faith of Abraham, thus becoming part of God's covenant people through faith in Christ.
Role in ProphecyDescendants also play a crucial role in biblical prophecy. The promise of a Messiah is linked to the line of David, as seen in
2 Samuel 7:12-13, where God promises David, "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom." This prophecy finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the descendant of David, who establishes an eternal kingdom.
ConclusionThe concept of descendants in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing physical lineage, spiritual heritage, and the fulfillment of divine promises. Through descendants, God's purposes are carried forward, His covenants are realized, and His redemptive plan is unveiled across generations.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) An offspring, such as a child, grandchild, etc., however remotely; -- correlative to ancestor or ascendant.
Greek
1549. ekgonos -- born of, adescendant, ie a grandchild... born of, a
descendant, ie a grandchild. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration:
ekgonos Phonetic Spelling: (ek'-gon-on) Short Definition: descended, a
...3019. Leuites -- a Levite, adescendant of Levi
... a Levite, adescendant of Levi. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration:
Leuites Phonetic Spelling: (lyoo-ee'-tace) Short Definition: a Levite Definition...
67. Agrippas -- Agrippa, the name of twodescendant of Herod the...
... Agrippa, the name of twodescendant of Herod the Great. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Agrippas Phonetic Spelling: (ag-rip'-pas) Short...
2475. Israelites -- an Israelite
... Israel, a Jew. Cognate: 2475 (from 2474 , "Israel") -- an ; adescendant
of the elect-nation of Israel. 2475 ("Israelite") has a...
1080. gennao -- to beget, to bring forth
... give birth to. 1080 -- properly, beget (procreate adescendant), produce
offspring; (passive) be born, "begotten.". Word Origin from...
2466. Isachar -- Issachar.
... Issachar. Of Hebrew origin (Yissaskar); Isachar (ie Jissaskar), a son of Jacob
(figuratively, hisdescendant) -- Issachar. see HEBREW Yissaskar....
2364. thugater -- daughter
... daughter. Apparently a primary word (compare "daughter"); a female child, or (by
Hebraism)descendant (or inhabitant) -- daughter. (thugater) -- 1 Occurrence....
4690. sperma -- that which is sown, ie seed
... Word Origin from speiro Definition that which is sown, ie seed NASB Word Usage children
(7), conceive* (1),descendant (4), descendants (16), posterity (1...
1085. genos -- family, offspring
... Word Origin from ginomai Definition family, offspring NASB Word Usage birth (2),
countrymen (2),descendant (1), descent (1), family (2), kind (3), kinds (3...
Strong's Hebrew
2680. chatsi Hammanachti -- Chatsi-ham-Menachtite ordescendant of...chatsi Hammanachti. 2679, 2680. chatsi Hammanachti. 2681 . Chatsi-ham-Menachtite
or
descendant of Chatsi-ham-Menuchoth -- half of the Manahethites.
...3757. Karmi --descendant of Carmi
... Karmi. 3758 .descendant of Carmi. Transliteration: Karmi Phonetic Spelling:
(kar-mee') Short Definition: Carmites.... a Karmite ordescendant of Karmi -- Carmites...
3569. Kushi --descendant of Cush
... Kushi. 3570 .descendant of Cush. Transliteration: Kushi Phonetic Spelling:
(koo-shee') Short Definition: Cushite. Word Origin from Kush Definition desc....
440. Eloni -- adescendant of Elon
... Eloni. 441 . adescendant of Elon. Transliteration: Eloni Phonetic Spelling:
(ay-lo-nee') Short Definition: Elonites. Word Origin from Elon Definition a desc....
716. Ardi -- adescendant of Ard
... 715, 716. Ardi. 717 . adescendant of Ard. Transliteration: Ardi Phonetic Spelling:
(ar-dee) Short Definition: Ardites. Word Origin from Ard Definition a desc...
3459. Yishmeeli --descendant of Ishmael
... 3458, 3459. Yishmeeli. 3460 .descendant of Ishmael. Transliteration: Yishmeeli
Phonetic Spelling: (yish-maw-ay-lee') Short Definition: Ishmaelites....
2350. Chuphami --descendant of Hupham
... 2349, 2350. Chuphami. 2351 .descendant of Hupham. Transliteration: Chuphami
Phonetic Spelling: (khoo-faw-mee') Short Definition: Huphamites....
7074. Qenizzi --descendant of Kenaz
... 7073, 7074. Qenizzi. 7075 .descendant of Kenaz. Transliteration: Qenizzi
Phonetic Spelling: (ken-iz-zee') Short Definition: Kenizzite....
3482. Yisreelith -- femaledescendant of Isr.
... 3481, 3482. Yisreelith. 3483 . femaledescendant of Isr.... Israelitish. Feminine
of Yisr'eliy; a Jisreelitess or femaledescendant of Jisrael -- Israelitish....
4125. Moabi --descendant of Moab
... 4124, 4125. Moabi or Moabiyyah. 4126 .descendant of Moab. Transliteration:
Moabi or Moabiyyah Phonetic Spelling: (mo-aw-bee') Short Definition: Moabite....
Library
After Him, There Will Stand up David Worthy of hisDescendant the...
... The Doubtful Letters Of Sulpitius Severus. Chapter V. After him, there
will stand up David worthy of hisdescendant the Lord?...
Rev. Mr. Nichols's Address.
... facts about the groups: without any prearrangement, part of an American flag had
been taken on the plate; and then the only clericaldescendant of Bishop...
Moreover Isaiah Himself yet Further Says. ...
... For Jesse was thedescendant of Abraham, and the father of David; (and
David's)descendant the virgin was who conceived Christ....
Symeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, Suffers Martyrdom.
... who writes as follows: "Certain of these heretics brought accusation against Symeon,
the son of Clopas, on the ground that he was adescendant of David [876...
The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of...
... to be human as well as Divine, not only was He to be the "woman's" seed, but in
the above Scripture it was declared that He should be adescendant of Abraham...
Zephaniah and Haggai.
... Zephaniah and Haggai. Zephaniah. The Prophet. He is a son of Cushi, adescendant
of Hezekiah, and prophesied about 630 BC during the reign of Josiah....
Guiltless and Without Sin.
... The whole Scripture opposes it. Adam's guilt is imputed to his posterity. But
Christ is not adescendant of Adam. He existed before Adam....
"In the Volume of the Book it is Written of Me" (Heb. . .
... also be mighty in his person, for we are told that the Dragon shall give power unto
him (Rev.13:4). Second, in the fact that Lamech was adescendant of Cain...
The Gospel of Matthew
... the first thing which the Holy Spirit does in this Gospel is to give us the Royal
Genealogy of the Messiah, showing that as a linealdescendant of David He was...
The Close of the Theban Empire
... Adescendant of Seti I. or Ramses II., named Nakhtusit, rallied round him the forces
of the southern nomes, and succeeded, though not without difficulty, in...
Thesaurus
Descendant (32 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Descendant (32 Occurrences).
... He had a wife who was
a
descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. (WEY NIV).
...Jahath (7 Occurrences)
... ja'-hath (yachath, perhaps for yachteh, yachatheh, "he (God) will snatch up"):
(1) Son of Reaiah, son of Shobal, adescendant of Judah, and father of Ahumai...
Root (54 Occurrences)
... root (he rhiza Daueid, Revelation 5:5; Revelation 22:16): Root here means stock,
family,descendant, hence, "the Root of David" is that which descended from...
Obadiah (21 Occurrences)
... (2.) A chief of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:3). (3.) Adescendant of Saul
(1 Chronicles 8:38).... (3) Adescendant of David (1 Chronicles 3:21)....
Gershom (16 Occurrences)
... (3.) Adescendant of Phinehas who returned with Ezra from Babylon (Ezra 8:2).
(4.) The son of Manasseh (Judges 18:30), in RV "of Moses.". Int....
Daughter (320 Occurrences)
... (1.) A niece or any femaledescendant (Genesis 20:12; 24:48; 28:6).... 2. (n.) A female
descendant; a woman. 3. (n.) A son's wife; a daughter-in-law....
Ahitub (16 Occurrences)
... (2) Adescendant of Aaron through Eleazar: by this fact distinguished from Ahitub,
thedescendant of Ithamar, though nearly contemporaneous with him....
Jonathan (109 Occurrences)
... He is the lastdescendant of Eli of whom there is any record. (4.) Son of Shammah,
and David's nephew, and also one of his chief warriors (2 Samuel 21:21)....
Ezra (28 Occurrences)
... He was the son, or perhaps grandson, of Seraiah (2 Kings 25:18-21), and a lineal
descendant of Phinehas, the son of Aaron (Ezra 7:1-5). All we know of his...
Jesse (45 Occurrences)
... compare Revelation 5:5). "Why Jesse and not David?" asks Duhm; and he answers,
"Because the Messiah will be a second David, rather than adescendant of David...
Resources
Who was Obadiah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that Jesus is the son of David? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgDescendant: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
