Who was Shuthelah in the bible?
Shuthelah is a name borne by two Israelites in Ephraim’s line, appearing in genealogies in 1 Chronicles 7:20–21 and in the Ephraimite families list in Numbers 26:35–36.
Tribal Family
In Ephraim’s families, “of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites” (Numbers 26:35). “These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites” (Numbers 26:36).
Learn More →Name Notes
A lexicon gloss identifies Shuthelah as “the name of two Israelites.” Strong’s name derivation links the name to ideas of rushing and “crash of breakage.”
Learn More →Shuthelah (Shuwthelach) is the name of two Israelites in the Bible’s genealogical records, associated with Ephraim and with an Ephraimite clan called the Shuthelahites. The name is linked (by lexicon explanation) with an idea of rushing and “crash” or “breakage.”
Shuthelah in Scripture
Shuthelah first appears within a genealogy of Ephraim in Chronicles, where he is listed among “The sons of Ephraim” and then followed by a line of descendants.
“The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son,” (1 Chronicles 7:20, WEB)
In the next verse, the genealogy continues and includes another person named Shuthelah as part of the same descending line, alongside a brief report of conflict and loss.
“Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock.” (1 Chronicles 7:21, WEB)
The surrounding context in the chapter keeps the focus on Ephraim’s family line and its developments. The text first places these names in a broader family setting:
“His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.” (1 Chronicles 7:18, WEB)
“The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.” (1 Chronicles 7:19, WEB)
After reporting the deaths of Ezer and Elead, the chapter describes Ephraim’s reaction and the family’s response:
“Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him.” (1 Chronicles 7:22, WEB)
The narrative then continues by noting a subsequent birth and the naming of a son in light of “trouble” within the household:
“He went in to his wife, and she conceived, and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because there was trouble with his house.” (1 Chronicles 7:23, WEB)
The chapter also mentions a daughter in Ephraim’s line and her building activity:
“His daughter was Sheerah, who built Beth Horon the lower and the upper, and Uzzen Sheerah.” (1 Chronicles 7:24, WEB)
In Numbers, Shuthelah appears in a census-style listing that identifies Ephraim’s family groupings. The text specifically names a clan descending from Shuthelah, placing that family alongside other Ephraimite families.
“These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.” (Numbers 26:35, WEB)
Numbers continues by naming a further subdivision—sons descended from Shuthelah—again in the language of family groupings:
“These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.” (Numbers 26:36, WEB)
The immediate context keeps the same census framework and totals, concluding this section by identifying these counted families as belonging to Joseph’s line.
“These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.” (Numbers 26:37, WEB)
Multiple bearers
According to the lexicon identity gloss, “Shuthelah” is borne by two Israelites, and 1 Chronicles 7 reflects two occurrences of the name within Ephraim’s recorded line. In one place, Shuthelah appears as a son of Ephraim in the list of “The sons of Ephraim” (1 Chronicles 7:20). In the next verse, a later descendant is also named Shuthelah, appearing as “Shuthelah his son” in the continuing line (1 Chronicles 7:21). Numbers 26:35–36 treats Shuthelah as the eponym of “the family of the Shuthelahites” and records that Shuthelah had descendants identified by family name through Eran (Numbers 26:35–36).
Name and Meaning
The Hebrew form is שׁוּתֶלַח, transliterated Shuwthelach and pronounced “shoo-theh’-lakh.” Lexicon explanation connects the name’s derivation with an idea of “crash” or “breakage,” and relates it to a component meaning “to rush” (with an implied sense “to desolate”) and to Telach, identified in the lexicon as an Israelite.
Observation
Across the passages, Shuthelah is remembered less through personal actions than through lineage and group identity: he stands at the head of “the family of the Shuthelahites” (Numbers 26:35) and is embedded in Ephraim’s recorded line where the text also preserves a moment of grief and “trouble with his house” (1 Chronicles 7:22–23).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Shuthelah mean?
Shuthelah is given as meaning “crash of breakage.”
How many times does Shuthelah appear in the Bible?
Shuthelah appears 4 times.
Who was Shuthelah?
Shuthelah is the name of two Israelites. He is listed among the sons of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:20; Numbers 26:35).
Who were the sons of Shuthelah?
Eran is named as a son of Shuthelah (Numbers 26:36).
Explore Further
If you found this page about Shuthelah interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.
Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
