Shemida
Shemida, a son of Gilead and great-grandson of Manasseh, who was the ancestor of the Shemidaite clan.
Biography
Shemida was a son of Gilead and great-grandson of Manasseh, son of Joseph, whose name appears in the tribal genealogies of Numbers 26:32 and Joshua 17:2. He became the progenitor of the Shemidaite clan, one of the recognized family divisions within the half-tribe of Manasseh that received territorial allotments in Canaan following the conquest under Joshua. His lineage traces back through Gilead to the tribe of Manasseh, and his descendants formed a recognized sub-clan entitled to a share of the Promised Land. The genealogical notices that mention Shemida reflect the careful tribal record-keeping that governed land inheritance in ancient Israel during the Egypt and Wilderness period and beyond.
Significance
Shemida's significance is primarily genealogical and territorial, yet it touches on deep theological themes of covenant inheritance. As a descendant of Joseph through Manasseh, he stands within the lineage of promise, the children of Israel who received the land pledged to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The existence of the Shemidaite clan (Numbers 26:32) as a numbered group eligible for land distribution demonstrates how God's covenant faithfulness extended to every family within Israel. Shemida's descendants illustrate that God's promises were not abstract but practical, worked out in the specific allotment of land to real families across generations of Israelite life.
Verse Appearances (3)
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]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]