דברי הימים א, פרק ג׳, פסוק כ״א

Genealogical records serve as a bridge across time, tracing a continuous chain of generations to preserve family heritage. Following Hananiah, the lineage flows steadily through Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, extending into the generations that succeed them [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

As the list of names unfolds, the text adopts a highly condensed style to map out the descendants. Commentators generally agree that the phrasing reflects a deliberate abbreviation, though they offer different perspectives on how to interpret the missing details. One approach suggests that when the record refers to offspring, it is actually functioning in a singular sense. In this reading, the genealogy describes a direct, unbroken father-to-son sequence. For example, Jeshaiah was followed by his son Rephaiah, who was followed by his son Arnan, and so forth. The author relies on the reader to naturally grasp the straightforward structure of the family tree from the surrounding context [מצודת דוד].

Alternatively, another approach understands the brevity of the record as a direct result of its source material. Rather than a simple father-son chain, this account serves as a condensed excerpt drawn from a much larger, more comprehensive book of genealogy. In those original archives, the fathers were listed alongside a complete breakdown of all their offspring. The author of the current text chose to streamline the information, providing only the primary family heads and the beginnings of each genealogical branch. By doing so, the record captures the essential lineage without detailing the individual names of every child [מלבי״ם].