Bible Word Study
שֵׁלָנִי
Shêlânîy · a Shelanite (collectively), or descendants of Shelah
שֵׁלָנִי
a Shelanite (collectively), or descendants of Shelah
Definition
The term 'Shelanite' refers to a member of the clan descended from Shelah, the third son of Judah (Genesis 38:5). It denotes a specific familial and tribal identity within the larger tribe of Judah. The word is used exclusively in a genealogical and census context to identify this sub-group. Its only biblical occurrence is in the census of the Israelites recorded in Numbers 26:20.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Numbers 26:20, within the context of the second wilderness census. It functions as a gentilic noun (a name for a people group) to categorize the descendants of Shelah, son of Judah, for the purpose of military enrollment and tribal allotment. The usage is purely administrative and genealogical, with no narrative or poetic instances.
Etymology
Derived from the proper name Shelah (שֵׁלָה, H7956), the third son of Judah by the daughter of Shua (Genesis 38:5, 1 Chronicles 2:3). The suffix '-î' (י) is a standard Hebrew gentilic ending, meaning 'belonging to' or 'descended from,' thus forming 'Shelanite' (one of the Shelah group).
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a simple genealogical marker, its inclusion in the Numbers 26 census underscores the theological importance of lineage, covenant identity, and the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham to make his descendants numerous. It highlights how every family unit within Israel was accounted for in God's organized plan for inheritance and community structure. Understanding this term reinforces the meticulous record-keeping that preserved tribal identities central to the messianic lineage of Judah. In ancient Israelite society, one's identity was deeply tied to their tribe and clan. Being identified as a 'Shelanite' established a person's social standing, inheritance rights, and military obligations within the tribe of Judah. This clan-based categorization was essential for land distribution and maintaining the tribal structure God instituted. Yehudi (יְהוּדִי, H3064) — A broader term for a member of the tribe or kingdom of Judah. Shelanite specifies a sub-clan within Judah.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]