Shuthelah
שׁוּתֶלַח/SHOO-theh-lah/
“Noise of breaking or fresh plant”
Summary
The firstborn son of Ephraim and ancestor of Joshua, whose descendants formed a major clan within the tribe of Ephraim.
☩Son of Ephraim
Shuthelah was the first named of Ephraim's sons and became the progenitor of the Shuthalhites, one of the principal families of Ephraim. Through Shuthelah's line came Eran, who also founded a family bearing his name. The genealogy in 1 Chronicles traces Joshua's ancestry through this line.
Key verses:Numbers 26:35-361 Chronicles 7:20-27
☩A Later Descendant
A second Shuthelah is mentioned as the son of Zabad and the father of Ezer and Elead, who were killed by the men of Gath when they went down to seize their cattle. This incident caused their father Ephraim (meaning a later descendant bearing that ancestral name) to mourn many days.
Key verses:1 Chronicles 7:21
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shuthelah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Shuthelah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).