Who was Ishpah in the Bible?

Ishpah was a man from the tribe of Benjamin, specifically listed as a son of Beriah and a grandson of Elpaal (1 Chronicles 8:16). He is mentioned only in a genealogical record, so no specific events from his life are recorded.

Why is Ishpah mentioned in the Bible?

Ishpah's inclusion in the genealogy of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8) shows God's faithfulness in preserving the lineage of His people. His mention helps establish the continuity and identity of the tribe from which Israel's first king, Saul, would later come.

What can we learn from Ishpah's story?

While no personal story is given, Ishpah reminds us that every individual in God's family has significance, even if their role seems small. His name is preserved in Scripture, highlighting that God values and remembers all His people within His larger story of redemption.

Ishpah

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon of beriah

Ishpah was a descendant of Benjamin through Beriah (1Ch.8.16).

Ishpah

Biography

Ishpah was a Benjaminite, listed in the genealogical records of 1 Chronicles 8:16 as a descendant of Beriah, himself a son of Elpaal, within the broader tribal lineage of Benjamin. The genealogy in which Ishpah appears traces Benjaminite clans that had settled in specific territorial areas, providing the post-exilic community with a record of family ancestry and land heritage. The era associated with Ishpah is identified as Egypt and the Wilderness, suggesting he belongs to the early generations of the Benjaminite tribal families, possibly among those who descended to Egypt with Jacob's household or were born during the wilderness period. His name, of uncertain etymology, is unique in the biblical record, shared by no other figure.

Significance

Ishpah's appearance in the Benjaminite genealogy, though without narrative elaboration, serves the Chronicler's larger theological agenda: to demonstrate that Israel's tribal identity stretches back in an unbroken chain to the patriarchal era. For the post-exilic community reading these records, the inclusion of figures like Ishpah, linked to the foundational period of Egypt and the Wilderness, provided a sense of deep historical rootedness. This genealogical continuity functioned as a form of theological assurance: the same God who had called, sustained, and multiplied the families of Israel through slavery and wilderness was still at work in their restoration. Ishpah's name, preserved for millennia, quietly testifies to that divine faithfulness.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 8:16

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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