Numbers 26:39

Study note

Setting — Moses records the second census of Israel in the plains of Moab, specifically detailing the clan divisions descending from Benjamin's lineage.

The words — מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת (mishpaḥat) denotes a clan or family unit, while לִ/שְׁפוּפָ֕ם (li-Shuphām) identifies the ancestral patriarch from whom the Shuphamite group derives.

The thread — Genesis 46:21 lists Huppim as one of Benjamin’s sons, establishing the patriarchal origin for the Huphamite clan named here. Numbers 26:38–40 frames this entry within the broader tribal census following the wilderness wanderings.

Why it lands — Track tribal lineage to understand how Israel’s social structure preserved patriarchal names across generations. Verify genealogical claims against the provided ancestral lists rather than assuming all names appear in every census record.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.