Original Word: שֶׁלֶף
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: shelaph
Pronunciation: shay-lakh
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-lef)
KJV: Sheleph
Word Origin: [from H8025 (שָׁלַף - draw)]

1. extract
2. Sheleph, a son of Jokthan

Sheleph

From shalaph; extract; Sheleph, a son of Jokthan -- Sheleph.

see HEBREW shalaph

[שֶׁ֫לָף] proper name, masculine son of Joktan; — שָׁ֑לֶף Genesis 10:26 = 1 Chronicles 1:20; Σαλεφ; identification by Os^{ZMG xi (1857), 153 f.} with South Arabic tribe , compare Mordtm^{ZMG xxxix (1885), 228} Glas^{Skizze ii. 425 HomLChr 70}, and see Di Dr.

שׁלשׁ (√ of following; meaning unknown; conjectures in Dietr^{Wortforsch. 229 n}.; compare Lag^{BN 173}).

Name and Genealogical Placement

Shelaph is recorded twice in Scripture, both times within the Table of Nations: Genesis 10:26 and 1 Chronicles 1:20. He is the second‐named son of Joktan, a descendant of Eber in the Shemite line. The genealogy is: Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber → Joktan → Shelaph. His inclusion underscores the biblical concern to trace every people group back to Noah’s sons, thereby affirming the unity of the human family under God’s sovereign design.

Geographical Associations

The descendants of Joktan are linked with the southern reaches of the Arabian Peninsula. Later prophets refer to “the sons of the east” (for example, Jeremiah 49:28), and extra-biblical records place Joktanite clans in present-day Yemen and Oman. Ancient trade routes along the Red Sea and into the Indian Ocean would have allowed Shelaph’s line to influence commerce in spices, frankincense, and gold—goods frequently mentioned in Scripture (1 Kings 10:2; Revelation 18:13).

Cultural and Historical Insights

Archaeological surveys in southwestern Arabia reveal city names and tribal designations that echo several Joktanite sons. While exact identification of Shelaph’s clan is uncertain, linguistic parallels in South-Arabian inscriptions suggest an early tribal confederation that later merged into the Sabaean and Minaean kingdoms. These peoples appear in the background of the Queen of Sheba narrative (1 Kings 10:1-13), illustrating how relatively obscure genealogical names prepare for later biblical events.

Theological Significance in the Table of Nations

1. Universality of the Covenant: By linking Shelaph to Shem, Moses shows that God’s covenantal concern extends beyond Israel to all nations. Acts 17:26 affirms, “From one man He made every nation of men to inhabit the whole earth.”
2. Divine Providence in History: Even seemingly minor figures are numbered by name, witnessing to a meticulous divine record (Malachi 3:16). Shelaph’s brief mention testifies that history is not random; every clan has a place in redemptive chronology.
3. Foreshadowing of Gospel Outreach: The Arabian context anticipates New Testament scenes where Arabs are present at Pentecost (Acts 2:11). The inclusion of Shelaph signals that the gospel would one day reach his descendants.

Ministry Reflections

• Genealogies Encourage Faithfulness: Pastors and teachers can stress that God remembers the faithful; our lives, like Shelaph’s, are recorded before Him even when unnoticed by others (Hebrews 6:10).
• Missions to Unreached Peoples: Shelaph’s probable Arabian heritage invites prayer for modern Yemeni and Omani peoples, many of whom remain unreached.
• Unity in Christ: Tracing all nations back to Noah fosters a biblical basis for racial reconciliation within the church (Ephesians 2:14-16).

Scripture Quotations

“Joktan also became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah” (Genesis 10:26).

“Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah” (1 Chronicles 1:20).

Related References

Genesis 10; 1 Chronicles 1; Acts 2:11; Acts 17:26; Ephesians 2:14-16; Revelation 7:9

שָׁ֑לֶף שלף šā·lep̄ šālep̄ ShalefInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts