Shebuel

Biblical Record

Shebuel is a Levite who appears only in 1 Chronicles. When David, having grown old, made his son Solomon king and divided the Levites into their courses of service, Shebuel was recorded as the chief among the descendants of Gershom, the son of Moses: "Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief" (1 Chronicles 23:16). In 1 Chronicles 26 he is introduced as "the son of Gershom, the son of Moses," and appears as the officer in charge of the treasuries of the house of God, that is, the storehouses where offerings and goods dedicated to the temple were kept: "And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures" (1 Chronicles 26:24).

Scripture records nothing further about his deeds or words. Some, however, identify "Shubael" of the sons of Amram in 1 Chronicles 24:20 as the same person, on the grounds that the Hebrew forms of the two names are similar. Shebuel the son of Heman, one of those appointed to lead in song, who is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:4, is regarded as a different person who merely shares the same name.

Significance Within Scripture

Shebuel appears in the account of David organizing the system of offices as he prepared for the building of the Temple in Jerusalem and for its worship. He shows that, within the tribe of Levi, the family of Moses was entrusted with the important responsibility of overseeing the temple finances. He is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

Because several generations separated Gershom of Moses' time from Shebuel of David's time, the expression "son of Gershom" is generally understood to mean a descendant rather than a direct son. In Hebrew genealogies, "son" often refers to a descendant in the broader sense.

The name is commonly interpreted as meaning "captive of God" or "return to God," but opinions differ regarding its etymology.

Jewish rabbinic tradition preserves an account identifying Shebuel with Jonathan the son of Gershom, the priest who served the graven image of the tribe of Dan in Judges 18:30. According to this interpretation, Jonathan later returned to God, received a new name, and was placed in charge of the temple treasuries. This, however, is not stated in the biblical text itself but is a later interpretation, and Protestant commentators generally either reject it, citing factors such as the gap in time between the two figures, or present it only as a tradition.

In the Korean Church

Shebuel is rarely the subject of sermons or Sunday school lessons in his own right. Readers most often encounter him while reading through the Bible, when they come to the lists of Levites in 1 Chronicles. Because his office involved overseeing the temple's treasures, he is sometimes cited as an example when discussing the responsibility of those who handle church finances.