Numbers 26:20
And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ
H1961
וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 13
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
בְנֵֽי
And the sons
H1121
בְנֵֽי
And the sons
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
2 of 13
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יְהוּדָה֮
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָה֮
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
3 of 13
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
after their families
H4940
מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
after their families
Strong's:
H4940
Word #:
4 of 13
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
לְשֵׁלָ֗ה
were of Shelah
H7956
לְשֵׁלָ֗ה
were of Shelah
Strong's:
H7956
Word #:
5 of 13
shelah, the name of a postdiluvian patriarch and of an israelite
מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
after their families
H4940
מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
after their families
Strong's:
H4940
Word #:
6 of 13
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
הַשֵּׁ֣לָנִ֔י
of the Shelanites
H8024
הַשֵּׁ֣לָנִ֔י
of the Shelanites
Strong's:
H8024
Word #:
7 of 13
a shelanite (collectively), or descendants of shelah
מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
after their families
H4940
מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
after their families
Strong's:
H4940
Word #:
9 of 13
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
הַפַּרְצִ֑י
of the Pharzites
H6558
הַפַּרְצִ֑י
of the Pharzites
Strong's:
H6558
Word #:
10 of 13
a partsite (collectively) or descendants of perets
לְזֶ֕רַח
of Zerah
H2226
לְזֶ֕רַח
of Zerah
Strong's:
H2226
Word #:
11 of 13
zerach, the name of three israelites, also of an idumaean and an ethiopian prince
Cross References
Nehemiah 11:24And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.Genesis 46:12And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
Historical Context
Judah absorbed Simeon's territory (Joshua 19:1) and became the southern kingdom's dominant tribe. The Pharzite clan produced Nahshon (Exodus 6:23), prince of Judah during the Exodus, and eventually King David (c. 1010 BC). This census captured Judah at peak strength before the conquest—later, Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom after Solomon's death.
Questions for Reflection
- What does God's choice of Pharez's scandalous line to produce the Messiah teach about grace overcoming human sin and shame?
- How does Judah's tribal organization and numerical strength foreshadow its role as the messianic and royal tribe?
- In what ways does the inclusion of Tamar's sons (Pharez and Zerah) in the genealogy point forward to Christ's inclusion of sinners and Gentiles in His kingdom?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The sons of Judah after their families—Judah's census lists three main clans: Shelanites (from Shelah, Judah's third son by Bathshua), Pharzites (from Pharez, Judah's twin son by Tamar), and Zarhites (from Zerah, Pharez's twin). The prominence of Pharez's line is theologically significant—though born of the scandalous Tamar incident (Genesis 38), Pharez became the direct ancestor of David and Christ (Ruth 4:18-22; Matthew 1:3).
The Hebrew word mishpechōṯ (families/clans) organizes Judah's massive tribe into manageable kinship units. As the largest tribe (76,500 men), Judah's organization was crucial for both military deployment and land distribution. Jacob's blessing that 'the scepter shall not depart from Judah' (Genesis 49:10) begins fulfillment through this structured tribal dominance.