Who was Shelomi in the Bible?

Shelomi was a man from the tribe of Asher, known only as the father of Ahihud, who was a leader appointed to help divide the Promised Land among the Israelites (Numbers 34:27).

Why is Shelomi mentioned in the Bible?

Shelomi is mentioned to establish the lineage and authority of his son, Ahihud, who served as a tribal representative during a critical moment in Israel's history—the allocation of the land of Canaan.

What can we learn from Shelomi's story?

While Shelomi's own deeds aren't recorded, his inclusion highlights that God values every individual's role in His community, often working through families and appointed leaders to fulfill His promises.

Shelomi

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleLeaderFather

Shelomi, the father of Ahihud, a leader from the tribe of Asher.

Shelomi

Biography

Shelomi was a man of the tribe of Asher during the Wilderness period, identified in Numbers 34:27 as the father of Ahihud. His son Ahihud was appointed as the Asherite representative on the commission charged by God through Moses with dividing the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel. This commission, described in Numbers 34:17–29, included one leader from each of the ten tribes that would receive a territorial allotment west of the Jordan. While Shelomi himself played no active role in the proceedings, his identity was important enough to be recorded, as the tribal representatives were identified by both their own name and their father's name, conferring ancestral dignity on the appointment.

Significance

Shelomi's significance is derived from his paternal relationship to Ahihud, the Asherite commissioner appointed to oversee the equitable distribution of the Promised Land. The land-division commission of Numbers 34 was a divinely ordained process ensuring that each tribe received its inheritance according to God's covenant promise. By naming both the commissioner and his father, the text roots this sacred act of land distribution in real family histories, affirming that the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was accomplished through identifiable people embedded in community. Shelomi thus stands as a witness to the faithfulness of God in translating covenant promise into concrete territorial inheritance for His people.

Authority Records

Wikidata

ChildAhihud

Verse Appearances (1)

Numbers

Numbers 34:27

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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