Shemed
Shemed, a son of Elpaal, who built Ono and Lod with its towns.
Biography
Shemed was a son of Elpaal, a Benjamite whose lineage is recorded in 1 Chronicles 8:12 among the genealogical registers of the tribe of Benjamin. He is credited with building the towns of Ono and Lod, two settlements of significance in the Shephelah region west of Jerusalem. This brief notice places Shemed among the founding figures of Israelite urban development during the period of the Divided Monarchy, though no narrative account of his life or deeds survives beyond this genealogical reference. His name, which may relate to a root meaning "desolation" or "destruction," is otherwise unattested. Despite the brevity of his mention, the construction attributed to him left a lasting geographical mark on the tribal inheritance of Benjamin.
Significance
Though Shemed receives only a passing mention in Scripture, his contribution to Israelite settlement underscores the broader biblical theme that God works through ordinary family lineages to accomplish practical purposes in history. The towns of Ono and Lod appear later in the post-exilic narratives (Ezra 2:33; Nehemiah 7:37), where returning exiles repopulated them, suggesting the enduring importance of the communities Shemed helped establish. His story reminds readers that faithfulness in building and cultivating community, even when unheralded, can bear fruit across generations within the unfolding story of God's covenant people.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Chr
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]