Nahshon

Biblical Record

Nahshon belonged to the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and was the son of Amminadab. Exodus 6:23 records that his sister Elisheba became the wife of Aaron and bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Nahshon was therefore Aaron's brother-in-law.

In Numbers, Nahshon appears several times as the representative of the tribe of Judah:

• Numbers 1:7: He is listed as Judah's representative among the tribal leaders who assisted with the census.
• Numbers 2:3: He is named as the chief (the head of a family or tribe) of the camp of Judah, which encamped "on the east side toward the rising of the sun."
• Numbers 7:12–17: At the dedication of the tabernacle, he was the first of the twelve tribal leaders to present his offering, doing so on the first day. Along with a silver charger, a silver bowl, and a golden spoon, he offered animals for the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the peace offerings.
• Numbers 10:14: During the march through the wilderness, he led the army of Judah, which went at the head of the procession.

1 Chronicles 2:10 calls him "prince of the children of Judah." The genealogies in Ruth 4:20 and 1 Chronicles 2:10–11 state that Nahshon begat Salmon ("Salma" in 1 Chronicles), and that the line continues through Boaz, Obed, and Jesse to David.

Significance in Scripture

Nahshon's name appears in the genealogies of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:4 and Luke 3:32 (spelled "Naasson" in the KJV). He is therefore regarded as a link in the line leading to the royal house of David and to the Messiah. Matthew 1:5 records that Nahshon's son Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab.

The "Mnason of Cyprus" mentioned in Acts 21:16, whose name is rendered "Nason" in some Korean Bible translations, was "an old disciple" in whose house Paul lodged when he went to Jerusalem. He is a different person from the Nahshon of the wilderness period.

Interpretation and Discussion

• Number of generations in the genealogy: Only five generations are recorded from Nahshon of the wilderness period to David. For this reason, some scholars suggest that biblical genealogies may not record every generation but may instead be abbreviated to focus on key figures. Other scholars read the record as it stands.
• Later traditions: Jewish rabbinic literature reportedly preserves a story that Nahshon was the first to plunge into the water at the crossing of the Red Sea. This tradition, however, is not found in the biblical text.
• Scripture does not say when or how Nahshon died.

In Korean Churches

Nahshon is mentioned chiefly in Bible read-through programs covering Numbers or in sermons on the genealogy in Matthew 1, as a figure in the line connecting David and Jesus. The fact that he was the first to present an offering at the dedication of the tabernacle is sometimes noted as well. Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted to him alone, however, appear to be few.