Person Old Testament
Shammah
Shammah was a son of Reuel and a grandson of Esau, and he became a chief of Edom. Mentioned in 3 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 36:13.
Why it matters. Son of Reuel, grandson of Esau
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Shammah
Shammah, mentioned in Gen.36.13,17 and 1Ch.1.37, was a descendant of Esau, the twin brother of Israel (or 'Jacob'). He was the son of Reuel, who was one of Esau's sons. Shammah is listed among the chiefs of Edom, indicating that he held a position of authority and leadership within the Edomite tribe. The Edomites were descendants of Esau who settled in the region southeast of Judah. The text does not provide any specific details about Shammah's life or his role as a chief. However, his inclusion in the genealogical record of Esau's descendants highlights the importance of family lineage and the development of tribal structures in the ancient Near East. The mention of Shammah as a chief suggests that he played a significant role in the political and social organization of the Edomites.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Parents
- Reuel
Appears in Scripture
Named in 3 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.