Original Word: שֻׁתַלְחִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Shuthalchiy
Pronunciation: shoo-thal-KHEE
Phonetic Spelling: (shoo-thal-kee')
KJV: Shuthalhites
NASB: Shuthelahites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H7803 (שׁוּתֶלַח - Shuthelah)]

1. a Shuthalchite (collectively) or descendants of Shuthelach

Shuthalhites

Patronymically from Shuwthelach; a Shuthalchite (collectively) or descendants of Shuthelach -- Shuthalhites.

see HEBREW Shuwthelach

Word Origin
from Shuthelach
Definition
desc. of Shuthelah
NASB Translation
Shuthelahites (1).

שֻׁתַלְחִי adjective, of a people of foregoing; with article ׳הַשּׁ as substantive collective Numbers 26:35.

Name and Identification

Shuthalchi designates the clan descended from Shuthelah, the firstborn son of Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son (Numbers 26:35). The term appears once in Scripture and serves as the collective label for this family line within the tribe of Ephraim.

Genealogical Context

Jacob’s adoption and blessing of Ephraim (Genesis 48:13-20) placed Ephraim alongside Manasseh as full tribes of Israel. Shuthelah, Ephraim’s eldest, became the fountainhead of the Shuthalchi clan. Though the proper name “Shuthelah” recurs in genealogical registers (for example, 1 Chronicles 7:20-21), the clan name “Shuthalchi” occurs only in the wilderness census of Numbers 26:35, where the family is enumerated for inheritance purposes.

Historical Setting

Numbers 26 records the second wilderness census, taken on the plains of Moab shortly before Israel crossed the Jordan. Every clan name in this list functions as a legal marker for land distribution in Canaan (Numbers 26:52-56; Joshua 14:1-2). Thus the mention of the Shuthalchi ensured that, when Ephraim’s inheritance was surveyed (Joshua 16:1-10), the descendants of Shuthelah received their rightful portion among “the families of the children of Joseph.” The enumeration also marked the close of the wilderness generation and the rise of a new generation poised to possess the land.

Tribal Significance

Ephraim would later hold a place of leadership among the northern tribes. The presence of the Shuthalchi within its ranks contributes to the broader picture of Ephraimite strength. The Ephraimites supplied warriors for Israel’s early battles (Judges 8:1-3) and produced notable figures such as Joshua son of Nun (Joshua 19:49-50) and Samuel the prophet (1 Samuel 1:1). While Scripture does not single out the Shuthalchi in these narratives, their inclusion within Ephraim suggests participation in the military, civic, and spiritual life of the tribe.

Census and Inheritance Implications

“Of Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites” (Numbers 26:35) appears in a section that names 45,600 fighting-aged males from Ephraim. Each clan tabulated men twenty years and older to assign territorial boundaries proportionate to clan size (Numbers 26:54). Consequently, the Shuthalchi would have held specific allotments within Ephraimite territory—likely among the fertile hills between Bethel and Shechem—and would later share in the Levitical cities and refuge concerns defined in Joshua 21:20-22.

Spiritual Lessons and Ministry Applications

1. Faithfulness through obscurity: Though the Shuthalchi receive only a brief biblical mention, their faithfulness to remain numbered among the covenant people encourages believers who serve without public acclaim (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
2. Covenant continuity: The clan’s preservation across centuries underscores God’s fidelity to Abraham’s promise of innumerable descendants (Genesis 15:5) and to Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim.
3. Corporate identity: The Shuthalchi remind the Church that corporate identity matters. Just as each Ephraimite clan had its place, so every local congregation forms part of the larger body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
4. Preparedness for inheritance: Their inclusion in the census preceded the conquest. Likewise, believers are called to live in readiness for the promised inheritance reserved in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Intertextual Observations

• Numbers 26 belongs to the Pentateuch’s unfolding narrative of covenant, judgment, and hope. The census follows the plague of Peor (Numbers 25) and precedes Moses’ succession planning with Joshua (Numbers 27).
• The genealogy in 1 Chronicles 7:20-27, though using the personal name Shuthelah, supplies additional historical texture, including mention of Shuthelah’s descendants during the Egyptian bondage and the pre-monarchical period.
• Prophets such as Hosea later address Ephraim’s unfaithfulness (Hosea 5:3-14). The earlier census contrastively highlights God’s orderly provision and Ephraim’s original covenant standing.

See Also

Shuthelah; Ephraim; Census in the Wilderness; Tribal Allotments; Inheritance.

הַשֻּׁ֣תַלְחִ֔י השתלחי haš·šu·ṯal·ḥî hashShutalChi haššuṯalḥîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts