Shelah (Biblical Figure)

Biblical Record

Shelah appears only by name in the genealogy of Shem after the Flood. Scripture records no events from his life and no words spoken by him.

• Genesis 10:24 states, "And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber." This passage belongs to the so-called Table of Nations, which sets out the origins of various peoples.
• Genesis 11:12–15 gives the genealogy of Shem leading to Abraham. It records that Arphaxad fathered Shelah at the age of thirty-five, and that Shelah fathered Eber at thirty and then lived another 403 years, fathering other children. Together these figures total 433 years.
• The same genealogy is repeated in 1 Chronicles 1:18 and 1:24.

The name has been interpreted as meaning "sending" or "sprout," among other suggestions, but its meaning remains uncertain.

Significance Within Scripture

Shelah's son Eber has traditionally been associated with the name Hebrews. With Eber's sons, the line divides into the branches of Peleg and Joktan. Shelah serves as a link in this sequence within the genealogy that runs from Shem to Terah and Abraham.

In the New Testament, he appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:35 under the name "Sala" (the form used in the New Korean Revised Version). However, Luke 3:36 places "Cainan," who is absent from the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, between Sala and Arphaxad.

Interpretation and Issues

• The Cainan question: In Genesis 11 of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, Cainan appears between Arphaxad and Shelah. Many hold that Luke followed this tradition. The Hebrew Masoretic Text, by contrast, does not include Cainan. Some explain the name as a later addition introduced during scribal transmission, while others regard it as part of the original text. The issue is frequently discussed in debates surrounding biblical inerrancy.
• Numerical differences: The Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch differ from the Masoretic Text in their figures; for example, they give Shelah's age at the birth of Eber as 130.
• The nature of the genealogy: Some read the genealogy of Genesis 11 as a complete chronology and use it to calculate dates. Others view it as a genealogy in which intervening generations may be omitted. This difference also bears on discussions of creation and evolution.
• Scripture says nothing about Shelah's character or deeds. Any detailed stories about him have no basis in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Shelah is rarely treated as a standalone sermon text. His name usually comes up during reading through the Bible or when genealogical passages are read. In Korean, the same spelling is used for Shelah the son of Judah (Genesis 38:5) and for the musical term Selah found in the Psalms, so the three are easily confused. In the original Hebrew, however, all three words are different.