This verse underscores God’s faithfulness to preserve and bless Judah’s line.
“The sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.” (Numbers 26:20). The book of Numbers records this census near the end of Israel’s forty-year journey through the wilderness (around 1406 BC), as the nation prepared to enter Canaan. Here, the tribe of Judah is counted by sub-clans, showing that God was carefully preserving each family line following the earlier wilderness rebellions (Numbers 14). Judah, who was the fourth son of Jacob (renamed Israel), fathered several children; among them, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah received prominence as the heads of distinct branches within Judah’s lineage.
The naming of these men highlights the enduring covenant God made with the patriarchs. Shelah appears elsewhere in the biblical record and becomes a recognized family branch in Judah (Genesis 38:5, 46:12; Numbers 26:20; 1 Chronicles 2:3; 4:21-23). Perez is perhaps the best-known son of Judah here, because he is a direct ancestor of King David and, ultimately, of Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1:3). Zerah also continues the tribal legacy, forming its own family line. Moses, under the LORD’s instruction, honored these families by naming them, so Israel would remember that God’s promises flowed through specific individuals, reflecting divine faithfulness despite past judgments in the wilderness.
Each family group—the Shelanites, the Perezites, and the Zerahites—would take part in Israel’s inheritance of the Promised Land, fulfilling the pledge to Abraham that his descendants would become numerous and possess blessings from God (Genesis 17:6-8). At this stage in their history, the Israelites were reminded that even though they had endured hardships and discipline, the LORD preserved His people’s heritage, in anticipation of the kingdom He would establish through David’s lineage and ultimately through Christ.
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Numbers 26:20 meaning
“The sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.” (Numbers 26:20). The book of Numbers records this census near the end of Israel’s forty-year journey through the wilderness (around 1406 BC), as the nation prepared to enter Canaan. Here, the tribe of Judah is counted by sub-clans, showing that God was carefully preserving each family line following the earlier wilderness rebellions (Numbers 14). Judah, who was the fourth son of Jacob (renamed Israel), fathered several children; among them, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah received prominence as the heads of distinct branches within Judah’s lineage.
The naming of these men highlights the enduring covenant God made with the patriarchs. Shelah appears elsewhere in the biblical record and becomes a recognized family branch in Judah (Genesis 38:5, 46:12; Numbers 26:20; 1 Chronicles 2:3; 4:21-23). Perez is perhaps the best-known son of Judah here, because he is a direct ancestor of King David and, ultimately, of Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1:3). Zerah also continues the tribal legacy, forming its own family line. Moses, under the LORD’s instruction, honored these families by naming them, so Israel would remember that God’s promises flowed through specific individuals, reflecting divine faithfulness despite past judgments in the wilderness.
Each family group—the Shelanites, the Perezites, and the Zerahites—would take part in Israel’s inheritance of the Promised Land, fulfilling the pledge to Abraham that his descendants would become numerous and possess blessings from God (Genesis 17:6-8). At this stage in their history, the Israelites were reminded that even though they had endured hardships and discipline, the LORD preserved His people’s heritage, in anticipation of the kingdom He would establish through David’s lineage and ultimately through Christ.