Shelah

Judah's youngest son and his descendants

A written article for Shelah is still to come. Below and alongside: where Shelah appears in Scripture, with the original words and any dates on record.

  • 1900 BC
    1400 BC
  • Shelah
    1752 BC to 1452 BC

Original word

  • שֵׁלָה shelah
    H7956
Relationships
Son: Er Son: Joash Son: Jokim Father: Judah Son: Laadah Son: Saraph Mother: Bath-shua Mother: Daughter of Shuah Brother: Er Brother: Onan Brother: Perez Brother: Zerah Born in: Chezib Member of: Tribe of Judah
Citations
“Shelah.” Theographic Bible Metadata (Viz.Bible). theographic-bible-metadata. Theographic Bible Metadata · CC BY-SA 4.0 Accessed 2026-08-29.
Data credits & licenses

Where Shelah appears in Scripture

Genesis 38

וַתֹּסֶף עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ שֵׁלָה וְהָיָה בִכְזִיב בְּלִדְתָּהּ אֹתֽוֹ׃
5
And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה לְתָמָר כַּלָּתוֹ שְׁבִי אַלְמָנָה בֵית-אָבִיךְ עַד-יִגְדַּל שֵׁלָה בְנִי כִּי אָמַר פֶּן-יָמוּת גַּם-הוּא כְּאֶחָיו וַתֵּלֶךְ תָּמָר וַתֵּשֶׁב בֵּית אָבִֽיהָ׃
11
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
וַתָּסַר בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ מֵֽעָלֶיהָ וַתְּכַס בַּצָּעִיף וַתִּתְעַלָּף וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם אֲשֶׁר עַל-דֶּרֶךְ תִּמְנָתָה כִּי רָֽאֲתָה כִּֽי-גָדַל שֵׁלָה וְהִוא לֹֽא-נִתְּנָה לוֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
14
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
וַיַּכֵּר יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר צָֽדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי כִּֽי-עַל-כֵּן לֹֽא-נְתַתִּיהָ לְשֵׁלָה בְנִי וְלֹֽא-יָסַף עוֹד לְדַעְתָּֽה׃
26
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

Genesis 46

וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה עֵר וְאוֹנָן וְשֵׁלָה וָפֶרֶץ וָזָרַח וַיָּמָת עֵר וְאוֹנָן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וַיִּֽהְיוּ בְנֵי-פֶרֶץ חֶצְרֹן וְחָמֽוּל׃
12
And 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.

Numbers 26

וַיִּֽהְיוּ בְנֵֽי-יְהוּדָה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְשֵׁלָה מִשְׁפַּחַת הַשֵּׁלָנִי לְפֶרֶץ מִשְׁפַּחַת הַפַּרְצִי לְזֶרַח מִשְׁפַּחַת הַזַּרְחִֽי׃
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.

1 Chronicles 2

בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה עֵר וְאוֹנָן וְשֵׁלָה שְׁלוֹשָׁה נוֹלַד לוֹ מִבַּת-שׁוּעַ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִית וַיְהִי עֵר׀ בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וַיְמִיתֵֽהוּ׃
3
The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

1 Chronicles 4

בְּנֵי שֵׁלָה בֶן-יְהוּדָה עֵר אֲבִי לֵכָה וְלַעְדָּה אֲבִי מָֽרֵשָׁה וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת בֵּית-עֲבֹדַת הַבֻּץ לְבֵית אַשְׁבֵּֽעַ׃
21
The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,