שֻׁמָתִי
a Shumathite (collectively) or descendants of Shumah
Definition
Shumathite refers to a clan or family group descended from Shumah, who was a descendant of Caleb through his son Hebron (1 Chronicles 2:53). The term is a collective noun, meaning it designates the group as a whole rather than an individual. It identifies a specific lineage within the tribe of Judah, recorded in the genealogical lists of 1 Chronicles. The word appears only in this genealogical context, with no other biblical usage or extended meaning.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 2:53, within a detailed genealogy of the tribe of Judah. Its usage is strictly for identifying a familial clan ('the Shumathites') among the descendants of Caleb. It follows the pattern of other clan names ending in the Hebrew patronymic suffix '-i' (meaning 'belonging to' or 'descended from').
Etymology
The name is a patronymic, derived from the personal name Shumah (שׁוּמָה). Shumah itself likely comes from the root שׁוּם (H7762, *shum*), which can mean 'to place' or 'to set,' but some lexicons suggest it may be related to a word for 'garlic' (שׁוּם, *shum*), possibly implying a characteristic like 'garlic-smell.' The suffix '-i' (ִי) indicates 'of' or 'belonging to,' thus forming 'of Shumah' or 'descendant of Shumah.'
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, genealogies like the one in 1 Chronicles were crucial for establishing tribal identity, land inheritance rights, and social standing. Being named as a distinct clan (the Shumathites) within Judah signified their recognized place in the nation's structure. This reflects the importance of family and lineage in maintaining the covenant community's identity and the distribution of the Promised Land.
Qərəṯîy (Qerethite, H7016) — another clan name with a patronymic '-i' suffix, designating a different familial group. Yəhûḏîy (Jew, H3064) — an ethnic/ tribal designation for someone belonging to Judah, whereas Shumathite specifies a sub-clan within it.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →