Shuthelah (also known as Shutelah) was a son of Ephraim and the founder of the Shuthelahite clan. He is mentioned in the genealogies in Numbers and 1 Chronicles as an important patriarch within the tribe of Ephraim. In 1 Chronicles, it is also told about another Shuthelah who was a descendant of the first one, and about a tragic event where some of Ephraim's sons were killed by men from Gath.
35These were the sons of Ephraim by their clans: from Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; from Becher, the Becherite clan; from Tahan, the Tahanite clan.
35These were the sons of Ephraim by their clans: from Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; from Becher, the Becherite clan; from Tahan, the Tahanite clan.
21Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and also Ezer and Elead, whom the men of Gath, born in that land, killed, for they had gone down to seize their livestock.
In connection with this family history, it is told that men from Gath killed some of Ephraim's descendants when they tried to steal their livestock, which caused great grief for Ephraim.
21Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and also Ezer and Elead, whom the men of Gath, born in that land, killed, for they had gone down to seize their livestock.
23Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son. He named him Beriah,* because disaster had struck his house. [*Footnote: The name Beriah sounds like the Hebrew phrase meaning "in misfortune."]
The Tribe of Ephraim as Part of the People of Israel
Shuthelah's descendants formed an important part of the tribe of Ephraim, which played a central role in Israel's history and settlement in the promised land.