Av 1 – Shamhuth the Izrahite – Today in the Bible

Av 1 – Shamhuth the Izrahite

August 4, 2024

Av 1 5784; from sunset August 4, 2024, to sunset August 5, 2024

(The first day of the fifth month)

Our featured image for today is from the top of the fortress Masada. We’ve chosen to use this location when remembering the men whom King David selected to protect the kingdom. As the last hold-out after Rome destroyed Jerusalem, Masada has become a symbol of Jewish resistance. In modern times, IDF recruits would complete a pre-dawn climb to its summit and, there, took an oath of allegiance to the nation of Israel. Though this practice has largely ended, Masada’s symbolism lives on.

This is the name Shamhuth as it appears in the Aleppo Codex, from the one and only time it appears in the Bible.

It’s a new month and that means a new military commander; King David set up a military guard that rotated every month. Each month had a leader and 24,000 men. Today in the Bible, Asahel passes leadership to Shamhuth.

And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:1

The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:8 (NKJ)

Shamhuth is also called “Shammoth the Harorite”

Now the mighty men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite – 1 Chronicles 11:26-27

and “Shammah the Harodite”

Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite – 2 Samuel 23:24-25

Scholars connect the Izrahites to the descendants of Zerah, one of the sons of Judah and Tamar.

And Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. And the sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara; five of them in all. And the son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who violated the ban. And the son of Ethan was Azariah.

Now the sons of Hezron, who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. And Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah; Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz, Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse; and Jesse became the father of Eliab his first-born, then Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh. – 1 Chronicles 2:4-15

From these verses we may conclude that Shamhuth was probably a shirt-tail relative of David.

As with many names in the Bible, there is not a consensus on the meaning of the name Shamhuth. Some say it comes from the root “shamam” which means “to be desolate.”

Others see it as a combination of “shem” meaning “name” (which can be associated with fame, as in “he made a name for himself”), and “huth,” which means “to shout.” Shamhuth could mean “Famous Shouter” or “Here’s A Shout.”

The NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads “Desolation” while the Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names lists “Deserts.”

To read all of our posts on King David’s military leaders, please click on the image above.