Bible Strands
Numbers 26:42
These were the descendants of Dan by their clans: The Shuhamite clan from Shuham. These were the clans of Dan.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses records the second census of Israel in the plains of Moab, listing tribal clans to establish inheritance and military organization. The verse functions as a formal register positioned between the registrations of Benjamin in Numbers 26:41 and the Shuhamite count in Numbers 26:43.
The words — אֵ֤לֶּה ('E.leh) translates literally as "these," and מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת (mish.Pa.chat) means "clan" or "family." These terms frame the passage as a definitive catalog rather than a narrative account.
The thread — The verse appears in Numbers 26:41–43 as part of a continuous tribal census, while Genesis 46:23 identifies Hushim as Dan’s son. The parallel lists track the same family lines from patriarchal origins to the second generation in the wilderness.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of Dan’s lineage through Shuham to validate tribal allotment and corporate identity. It requires the reader to treat genealogical records as structural foundations for Israel’s covenant community rather than abstract history.
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.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
Cross-references
- Genesis 46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim.