Question 1

Who are the sons of Dan mentioned in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The passage speaks about the “sons of Dan” and then only names Shuham. Here, “sons” does not mean several boys in a modern sense but points to Dan’s descendants or clan. Shuham is the key ancestor for this tribe’s family line at this point in Israel’s history. Everyone counted in this passage belongs to his family group. So when it says “the sons of Dan,” it is really talking about the whole tribe that came from Dan through Shuham, not a list of several individual sons.

Question 2

Why is the family of the Shuhamites singled out by name?

Accepted Answer

The family of the Shuhamites is singled out because God’s people were organized by tribes and then by family groups under a founding ancestor. Shuham’s family is the branch of Dan’s tribe that is being counted here. Naming the family helps keep track of who belongs where in Israel, especially as they prepare to enter the promised land. It shows that God cares about each family line, even when there is only one main family mentioned for a whole tribe.

Question 3

What is the meaning of the number 64,400 in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The number 64,400 is the count of men from the tribe of Dan who belonged to the family of the Shuhamites at the time of this census. It tells us that, even though Dan is traced here through one main family line, that line had grown into a very large group. This shows how God had increased His people during their time in the wilderness and had kept His promise to grow the descendants of Israel into a great nation.

Question 4

How does this census of Dan show God’s faithfulness?

Accepted Answer

This census shows God’s faithfulness by recording how a single family line within one tribe grew into tens of thousands of people. God had promised to multiply the descendants of Israel, and here we see that happening in concrete numbers. Even in the wilderness, with hardship and judgment, God continued to preserve and increase His people. The detailed listing of Dan’s family reminds readers that God knows and remembers every tribe and family He has called.

Question 5

Why does the Bible spend time listing tribal families like the Shuhamites?

Accepted Answer

The Bible lists tribal families to show that God’s people are not an anonymous crowd but a community with real names, stories, and lines of descent. For Israel, these records shaped land inheritance, camp order, and their sense of identity. Listing the Shuhamites shows that each family has a place in God’s plan. It also gives a record of how God fulfilled His promises to grow the nation, one tribe and one family at a time.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about small beginnings and growth?

Accepted Answer

This passage hints that a tribe can come from what looks like a small start. Dan is traced here through one main family, yet that family reaches 64,400 men. It reminds readers that God can bring great growth from one line that seems small at first. While the text does not give personal stories, the numbers themselves point to God’s quiet work over time, turning a single family into a large part of the nation.

Question 7

How might this list of the Shuhamites apply to believers today?

Accepted Answer

For believers today, this short list can remind us that God sees and values our family lines and communities, even when they seem ordinary. The Shuhamites are not famous for great deeds, yet they are recorded by name and number. This can encourage people to remember that faithfulness in everyday family life matters, and that God can work across generations, often in ways that are only seen clearly when we look back over time.

Numbers 26:42

¶ These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.

The Tribe of Dan

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Numbers 26:42

¶ These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.

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The Tribe of Dan

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