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.
The descendants of Judah were organized by their family groups: from Shelah came the Shelanite family, from Perez came the Perezite family, and from Zerah came the Zerahite family.
This verse lists how Judah's descendants were organized into three main family groups named after his sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of the second census of the Israelites, taken by Moses in the wilderness around 1400 BC, as the nation prepared to enter the Promised Land after the previous generation had died due to disobedience. It lists the descendants of Judah's sons to organize the tribes for land inheritance, military assignments, and maintaining social order. Such genealogies were essential in ancient Israelite culture for preserving tribal identity and ensuring rightful claims to resources.
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