Catholic Public Domain Version
Numbers 26:42
“The sons of Dan by their kinships: Shuham, from whom is the family of the Shuhamites. These are the kinships of Dan by their families.”
Verse Explanation
A saved explanation for Numbers 26:42.
Plain-language explanation
Numbers 26:42 continues a record of the tribe of Dan. It lists the sons of Dan by family lines (“kinships”), naming Shuham as one of Dan’s family founders. It also notes that from Shuham come the Shuhamites—showing how each family traces its roots to a common ancestor.
Catholic context
In Catholic Bible reading, genealogies like this are not “only history”—they show God’s providence working through real people and real families. Many Catholics understand these lists as part of the Bible’s careful ordering of Israel’s community for worship, responsibility, and inheritance.
Historical background
This verse appears in a census conducted after major events in Israel’s wilderness journey. The community needed to know who belonged to each tribe and family, including Dan’s internal family groups, so the people could be properly organized as they prepared to move forward in God’s plan.
Reflection
It can be easy to skip names, but each line here reminds us that God’s covenant involves ordinary lives and households. Faithfulness is not only for “big moments”—it is also carried by families, passed down through generations.
Practical takeaway
Notice the value of your “family lines”: your responsibilities, traditions, and relationships. Pray for your household, and look for one concrete way to support and strengthen your community—through generosity, patience, or faithful service.
Prayer
Lord God, thank You for working through families and generations. Help me value the people You have given me and to live faithfully in my own place. Make our homes places of trust, unity, and charity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.