שֻׁמָתִי
𐤔𐤌𐤕𐤉
Shumâthîy
H8126 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member of the family or clan named after Shumath or Shumathi, signifying descent from an ancestor whose name was Shumath. The term is used specifically as a gentilic (clan or tribal designation) in reference to certain inhabitants of Israel living in the post-exilic period. The precise significance of the ancestral name Shumath is uncertain, though it may be etymologically linked to the root for 'garlic.'
Semantic Range
descendant of Shumath, member of the Shumathite clan or family, Shumathite
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שׁוּם (possibly 'garlic'), compounded into the gentilic form with the ending -תי (-î) indicating descent or association. The personal name שֻׁמָה (Shumah) is otherwise unattested, so the etymology of שֻׁמָתִי (Shumâthîy) ultimately depends on speculation attached to this root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term שֻׁמָתִי appears only in the genealogical lists of 1 Chronicles 2:52, designating descendants of Shumath within the Judahite context. The list situates the Shumathites among local family groupings in the region of Kiriath-jearim during the post-exilic reconstruction of genealogical identities. Their precise location or sociopolitical identity is not distinctly described elsewhere in the biblical texts, but, as with other minor genealogical groups, the name likely marked membership in a land-holding or kinship group important for legal and social functions. Some translators historically rendered this term based on uncertain etymology (e.g., suggesting 'garlic-people'), but there is no textual evidence for such an interpretation beyond the root. Unlike wider gentilic designations tied to tribes or broad clans (such as Judahite, Levite), שֻׁמָתִי refers to a localized and specific descent group and does not denote religious or ethnic identity beyond the genealogical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patronymically from an unused name from שׁוּם probably meaning garlic-smell; a Shumathite (collectively) or descendants of Shumah; Shumathites.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שום (š-w-m) — to put, to set; garlic (plant name)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7762 | שׁוּם | the garlic bulbs |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8126-01 |
וְ/הַ/שֻּׁמָתִ֖י | vehashumati | HC/Td/Ngmsa |
and the Shumathites | the Shumathite clansman | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8126-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:53 | וְ/הַ/שֻּׁמָתִ֖י | vehashumati | HC/Td/Ngmsa |
and the Shumathites | the Shumathite clansman |