Shechem
Shechem, a son of Shemida, from the tribe of Manasseh.
Biography
Shechem son of Shemida was a member of the tribe of Manasseh, mentioned in the genealogical records of Numbers 26:32 and Joshua 17:2 among the clans that received territorial allotments in Canaan. As a descendant of Manasseh through Gilead and Shemida, Shechem was the eponymous ancestor of the Shechemite clan within the half-tribe of Manasseh. The careful enumeration of these Manassite clans in the census of Numbers 26 served the practical purpose of determining proportional land distribution in Canaan, as Moses instructed that larger clans receive larger inheritances and smaller clans proportionally smaller ones. Shechem's clan thus had a recognized share in the promised land.
Significance
Shechem son of Shemida, though mentioned only in genealogical and census lists, represents the biblical principle that each tribal family within Israel had a divinely apportioned inheritance in the promised land. The tribal allotment system was not merely administrative but theologically grounded in the covenant promises to Abraham, that his descendants would inherit Canaan. Each clan name in the Manassite lists reflects a family through whom that promise was parceled out into concrete, landed reality. This understanding of inherited blessing and responsibility points forward to the New Testament concept of believers as heirs of God's promises in Christ, inheriting spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms.
Verse Appearances (1)
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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]