Boy Old Testament Rare
Shaphat
judge
שָׁפָט sha.phat
Shaphat (Hebrew: שָׁפָט, sha.phat) means “judge”, by traditional interpretation. Five men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a prophet. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Adlai in 1 Chronicles 27.
Which Shaphat?
Five men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Shaphat
father of Elisha
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Shaphat
son of Hori; father of Hori
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Shaphat
son of Adlai
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Shaphat
descendant of King David
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Shaphat
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 8 across 4 books
- Bearers
- 5 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Numbers 13:5 |
| Last appears | 1 Chronicles 27:29 |
| Cross-references | 116 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Hori co-occurrence Appears with Hori in Numbers 13.
- Shemaiah co-occurrence Appears with Shemaiah in 1 Chronicles 3.
- Adlai co-occurrence Appears with Adlai in 1 Chronicles 27.
- Joel co-occurrence Appears with Joel in 1 Chronicles 5.
- Janai co-occurrence Appears with Janai in 1 Chronicles 5.
- Shitrai co-occurrence Appears with Shitrai in 1 Chronicles 27.
- Bariah co-occurrence Appears with Bariah in 1 Chronicles 3.
- Igal co-occurrence Appears with Igal in 1 Chronicles 3.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.27.29;
son of: Adlai (H5724)
§ Shaphat = "judged" or "he hath judged"
1) son of Hori and the prince of Simeon chosen to spy out the promised land
2) father of the prophet Elisha
3) a Judaite, son of Shemaiah and descendant of Zerubbabel in the royal line of Judah
4) a chief of the tribe of Gad
5) son of Adlai and chief herdsman for David over the herds in the valleys
Shaphat, the son of Adlai, was appointed by King David as the overseer of his herds that grazed in the valleys.
The biblical story
Shaphat, mentioned in 1Ch.27.29, was an official in King David's administration who was responsible for overseeing the royal herds that grazed in the valleys. He is identified as the son of Adlai, but no further details about his family background are provided. As the overseer of the herds in the valleys, Shaphat would have been in charge of managing the livestock, ensuring their well-being, and organizing their grazing and care. The valleys likely refer to the fertile lowlands of Israel, which were suitable for grazing cattle and other livestock. Shaphat's appointment to this position indicates that he possessed the necessary skills and trustworthiness to manage this important aspect of the king's property. The mention of Shaphat in the context of David's administrative organization highlights the king's efforts to establish a well-structured and efficient system for managing his assets and resources.
Key verses
Shaphat appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai:
1 Chronicles 27:29
Show all 1 reference
1 Chronicles (1)
- 1 Chronicles 27:29