1 Chronicles 8:5 — Word Study
WLCוְגֵרָ֥א וּשְׁפוּפָ֖ן וְחוּרָֽם׃
BSAGeraGêrâʼ [a Benjamite descendant] ShephuphanShᵉphûwphâm [also known as Muppim] and HuramChûwrâm [a skilled architect, Hiram]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְגֵרָ֥א | and Gera | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וּשְׁפוּפָ֖ן | and Shephuphan | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְחוּרָֽם׃ | and Huram | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. |
| KJV | And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. |
| ASV | and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. |
| YLT | and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. |
| WEB | Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. |
| BBE | And Gera and Shephuphan and Huram. |
The translations agree on the names presented in this verse.
The sentence is straightforward, listing the names without additional clauses or modifiers.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 8:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of Benjamingenerated
1 Chronicles 8:5 presents a brief list of names that are part of the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin. This passage highlights Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram, who are descendants of Benjamin and play roles in the broader narrative of Israel's history. Genealogies in the Old Testament serve to establish lineage and heritage, showing the connections between various tribes and families.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 3:15 | And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 7:12 | The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, and the Hushites were descendants of Aher. |
| 3 | Numbers 26:39 | the Shuphamite clan from Shupham, and the Huphamite clan from Hupham. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חוּרָם, ve.chu.Ramgenerated
The name חוּרָם (Huram) refers to a skilled architect, often associated with the construction of Solomon's temple. The root indicates nobility, suggesting a person of high status.
In this context, Huram is noted for his craftsmanship and contributions to significant building projects, linking him to the legacy of Israel's architectural achievements.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the names presented in this verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is simple and direct, consisting of a list of names connected by conjunctions. The finite verb is absent, as is typical in genealogical records.
The order of the names emphasizes their equal status as descendants, with no additional modifiers or descriptions altering their significance.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word ωιμ to translate חוּרָם, indicating a direct correspondence in naming. This choice maintains the identity of Huram as a notable figure.
However, the Septuagint's rendering does not provide additional context or detail, focusing solely on the names as they appear.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 8:5 lists three names: Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. These individuals are part of the tribe of Benjamin and are noted for their genealogical significance in the history of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
They are descendants of Benjamin, mentioned in the genealogies of the Old Testament.
Genealogies establish lineage, heritage, and the connections between various tribes and families in Israel.
Huram is noted for his craftsmanship in building projects, particularly in connection with Solomon's temple.
They provide context for the historical and cultural background of the Israelites, linking individuals to their tribal identities.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can I learn about my own family heritage and its significance?
- How do genealogies in the Bible help us understand God's plan through history?
- What role do skilled individuals play in the building of community and culture?
- How can I honor my ancestors and their contributions to my family's story?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 8:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram. Shephuphan - Shuppim (1 Chronicles 7:12-15), or Shupham (Numbers 26:39), or Muppim (Genesis 46:21), a peculiarity of form which will be removed by annexing the
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 8 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments1 Chronicles 8:5 And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.Ver. 5. And Gera.] Who haply was the son of the former Gera; or the former might die soon, and this be called after his name.
Read John Trapp on 1 Chronicles 8 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersTHE SONS OF AND BELA (1 Chronicles 8:1-5). (See Notes on 1 Chronicles 7:6-7.) Bela his first-born.—The Hebrew word for “firstborn” in Genesis 46:21 may have been turned into the proper name Becher, by an ancient mistake of the scribes. (See Note on 1 Chronicles 7:6.) Ashbel.—Probably the same as Jediael. Aharah the same as Ahiram and Ehirosh. (2) Nohah and Rapha.—These names do not occur in either of the other lists. The present series agrees with Numbers 26:38 in assigning five sons to Benjamin, of whom Bela is the first, and Ashbel the second. Further, there is enough likeness between the name Aharah here and Ahiram there to warrant our assumption of their original identity. But we cannot…
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 8 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. Shephuphan and Huram] See 1 Chronicles 7:12, note.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 8 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
Tyndale line
And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
Strictly literal
and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.
And Gera, and Shephuphan, and Churam.
Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
From the Latin
And Gera, and Sephuphan, and Huram.
Simplified
Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
And Gera and Shephuphan and Huram.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the names listed in this verse. There are no variations in the names or their order, indicating a consistent transmission of this genealogical information.
וְגֵרָ֥א וּשְׁפוּפָ֖ן וְחוּרָֽם׃
3 of the 3 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 8:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
גֵּרָא (gera) refers to a name associated with several individuals from the tribe of Benjamin in the Old Testament. It is derived from the Hebrew word for 'grain.' The entries indicate that Gera is a son of Benjamin, and also a descendant of Bela, with various family connections mentioned. He appears in multiple contexts, including during the time of Egypt and the Wilderness.
גֵּרָא n.pr.m. son of Benjamin
base
H1617 גֵּרָא son of Benjamin
1617 Gera' gay-raw'
perhaps from 1626; a grain; Gera, the name of six
Israelites:--Gera.
see HEBREW for 01626
גֵּרָא (ge.ra) — Gera.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.21;
son of: Benjamin (H1144);
brother of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Muppim (H4649), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043);
father of: Ehud (H0164)
§ Gera = "a grain"
1) a son of Benjamin
2) a son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin
3) any member of the Gera family of the Benjamite tribe
גֵּרָא (ge.ra) — Gera.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.16.5;
father of: Shimei (H8096H)
§ Gera = "a grain"
1) a son of Benjamin
2) a son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin
3) any member of the Gera family of the Benjamite tribe
גֵּרָא (ge.ra) — Gera.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.3;
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Gera
Grain. (1.) The son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin (1 Chr. 8:3, 5,7).
(2.) The father of Ehud the judge (Judg. 3:15).
(3.) The father of Shimei, who so grossly abused David (2 Sam. 16:5; 19:16, 18).
(a grain), one of the "sons," i.e. descendants, of Benjamin. (Genesis 46:21) Gera, who is named, (Judges 3:15) as the ancestor of Ehud, and in (2 Samuel 16:5) as the ancestor of Shimei who cursed David, is probably also the same person (though some consider them different persons).
pilgrimage, combat; dispute
The Hebrew word שְׁפוּפָם (*Shphuwpham*) refers to a man from the tribe of Benjamin, also known as Shephuphan. It is derived from a root meaning 'serpent-like.' This name appears in genealogical contexts, specifically in Genesis 46:21 and Numbers 26:39, and is associated with several brothers of Benjamin.
ref
H8197a שְׁפוּפָם in Benjamin H8197b שְׁפוּפָן in Benj.
8197 Shphuwpham shef-oo-fawm'
or Shphuwphan {shef-oo-fawn'}; from the same as 8207;
serpent-like; Shephupham or Shephuphan, an Israelite:--
Shephuphan, Shupham.
see HEBREW for 08207
שְׁפוּפָם (she.phu.pham) — Shephupham.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.21;
son of: Benjamin (H1144);
brother of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Shephupham (KJV, NIV: Shupham) at Num.26.39; Shephuphan at 1Ch.8.5;
Another name of mup.pim (מֻפִּים "Muppim" H4649)
§ Shephuphan or Shupham = "serpent"
son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin
שְׁפוּפָן (she.phu.phan) — Shephuphan.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.21;
son of: Benjamin (H1144);
brother of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram…
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
(an adder), one of the sons of Bela the first-born of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 8:5) His name is also written SHEPHUPNAM (authorized Version "Shupham"), (Numbers 26:39) SHUPPIM (1 Chronicles 7:12,15) and MUPPIM. (Genesis 46:21) [MUPPIM]
serpent
→ Son of Bela 1Ch 8:5
The Hebrew word חוּרָם (*chu.ram*) refers to 'Hiram' and is associated with several figures, including a king of Tyre and a chief architect of Solomon's temple. The name means 'noble born' and is linked to a Benjamite named Hiram, son of Bela. It appears in contexts related to the United Monarchy, notably in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings.
חִירָם n.pr.m. Hiram (abbr. fr. foregoing [a.ck.ax]); חִירוֹם; also חוּרָם
king of Tyre, contemp. of David & Solomon
H2361 חִירָם, חוּרָם
2361 Chuwram khoo-rawm'
probably from 2353; whiteness, i.e. noble; Churam, the name
of an Israelite and two Syrians:--Huram. Compare 2438.
see HEBREW for 02353
see HEBREW for 02438
חוּרָם (chu.ram) — Hiram.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.11
Another name of chi.ram (חִירָם "Hiram" H2438G)
§ Huram = "noble born"
1) son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin
2) king of Tyre allied with David and Solomon; alternate spelling for 'Hiram'
3) a chief architect of Solomon's temple; alternate spelling for 'Hiram'
חוּרָם (chu.ram) — Huram.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.21;
son of: Benjamin (H1144);
brother of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Muppim (H4649), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Huphamite at Num.26.39; Hupham at Num.26.39; Huram in1Ch.8.5;
Another name of chup.pim (חֻפִּים "Huppim" H2650H)
§ Huram = "noble born"
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
(noble born). A Benjamite; son of Bela, the first-born of the patriarch. (1 Chronicles 8:5) The form in which the name of the king of Tyre in alliance with David and Solomon --and elsewhere given as HIRAM, OR HURAM-- appears in Chronicles. (1 Chronicles 14:1; 2 Chronicles 2:3,11,12; 8:2,18; 9:10,21) The same Change occurs in Chronicles in the name of Hiram the artificer, which is given as HIRAM, OR HURAM in (2 Chronicles 2:13; 4:11,16) [HIRAM, OR HURAM]
their liberty; their whiteness; their hole
1. Son of Bela 1Ch 8:5
2. King of Tyre
See HIRAM
3. HURAM
See HIRAM