Judah's youngest son and his descendants
Shelah
Named in 8 verses across 3 books, first in Genesis 38:5.
שֵׁלָהShelah
שֵׁלָנִיShelanite
Also called Shelanite.
The name means “that breaks; that unties; that undresses.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
About Shelah Written by AI
Shelah was the third and youngest son of Judah, born to him in Chezib (Genesis 38:5). After the deaths of his older brothers, Er and Onan, Judah promised Tamar, Er's widow, that Shelah would marry her when he grew up. However, Judah did not keep this promise (Genesis 38:11). Shelah's descendants were called Shelanites (Numbers 26:20) and were one of the clans of Judah. They were included in the census of the tribe of Judah in the wilderness (Numbers 26:20) and in the genealogies of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:3). Shelah's descendants included potters and linen workers who lived in Judah (1 Chronicles 4:21 to 23).
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
This entry is on the name Shelah, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.
Petition. (1.) Judah’s third son (Gen. 38:2, 5, 11, 14).
(2.) A son of Arphaxad (1 Chr. 1:18).
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
Where the Bible names him
- Genesis 38:5
Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.
- Genesis 38:11
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.
- Genesis 38:14
she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.
- Genesis 38:26
Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.
- Genesis 46:12
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
- Numbers 26:20
These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah.
- 1 Chronicles 2:3
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death.
- 1 Chronicles 4:21
The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea,
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.