8049. Shamhuth

Lexical Summary

Shamhuth: Shamhuth

Original Word: שַׁמְהוּת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shamhuwth
Pronunciation: sham-HOOTH
Phonetic Spelling: (sham-hooth')
KJV: Shamhuth
NASB: Shamhuth
Word Origin: [for H8048 (שַׁמָּה - Shammah)]

1. desolation
2. Shamhuth, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Shamhuth

For Shammah; desolation; Shamhuth, an Israelite -- Shamhuth.

see HEBREW Shammah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a captain of Isr.
NASB Translation
Shamhuth (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

שַׁמְהוּת proper name, masculine captain of Israel 1 Chronicles 27:8, Σαλαωθ, A ᵐ5^L Σαμαωθ; prob,=II. שַׁמָּה 3b,

שְׁמוּאֵל see below שֵׁם.

שַׁמּוֺת see II. שַׁמָּה, √ שָׁמם.

שַׁמַּי see √ שׁמם. שְׁמִירָע, דָעִי#NAME?שֵׁם.

שַׁמְלַי Ezra 2:46, see שַׁלְמַי. p. 969.

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Context

Shamhuth (שַׁמְהוּת, Strong’s Hebrew 8049) appears once in the canonical text, in the roster of King David’s standing army. “The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite; in his division were 24,000” (1 Chronicles 27:8). Placed in the middle of the twelve-month rota, his name marks the transition from the spring campaigns into the long, dry summer when border security and harvest protection were critical.

Military Role in David’s Administration

1. Commander of a monthly division. Each division consisted of twenty-four thousand trained soldiers, drafted from Israel’s tribes and led by a seasoned officer. Shamhuth’s month-long command underscores the organized, national defense system introduced by David, which balanced military readiness with agricultural and civic stability.
2. An Izrahite officer. “Izrahite” probably connects him to the Zarhite branch of Judah (Numbers 26:20), suggesting a Judean noble trusted by David. His appointment reflects the unifying effect of David’s reign, integrating tribal leaders into national service.
3. Fifth-month responsibilities. The fifth Hebrew month (Ab) overlapped the heat of late summer. Garrisons guarded stored grain, trade routes, and pilgrimage roads. Shamhuth’s leadership would therefore involve both defensive vigilance and logistical oversight.

Possible Identification with a Mighty Warrior

Many scholars connect Shamhuth with “Shammoth the Harorite” (1 Chronicles 11:27) and “Shammah the Harodite” (2 Samuel 23:25). If these are variant spellings for the same man, Shamhuth joined David early, distinguished himself among the Thirty, and later rose to a division command. This trajectory from guerrilla warrior in the wilderness years to regular officer in the established kingdom illustrates how David rewarded loyalty and valor with lasting responsibility.

Historical and Spiritual Significance

• Administrative maturity. The listing of Shamhuth and the other eleven commanders shows that Israel had moved from ad-hoc tribal levies to a structured national army, foreshadowing Solomon’s centralized administration.
• Covenant faithfulness in leadership. David’s careful selection of commanders like Shamhuth modeled commitment to righteousness and justice (2 Samuel 8:15), demonstrating that competent governance supports covenant worship.
• Continuity of promise. The orderly defense system preserved the peace necessary for Israel’s liturgical life and the eventual preparation for the Temple, upholding the divine promise that Jerusalem would be the place where God’s name dwelt (Deuteronomy 12:5; 1 Kings 8:29).

Doctrinal and Practical Lessons

1. Stewardship of gifts. Shamhuth’s placement shows that individual skills are given by God for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). Leadership, discipline, and courage find proper expression when yoked to the service of God’s people.
2. Harmony between worship and work. David’s military calendar operated alongside the religious calendar, illustrating that sacred devotion and secular duty are mutually reinforcing for a covenant community.
3. Faithful service in obscurity. Though mentioned only once, Shamhuth’s faithfulness contributed to national stability and spiritual flourishing. Scripture thereby dignifies roles that remain largely unseen yet are indispensable in God’s redemptive plan.

Related References

1 Chronicles 11:27; 2 Samuel 23:25 (possible parallel names)

Deuteronomy 12:5; 2 Samuel 8:15; 1 Kings 8:29

Forms and Transliterations

שַׁמְה֣וּת שמהות šam·hūṯ šamhūṯ shamHut

Englishman's Concordance

1 Chronicles 27:8
HEB: הַחֲמִישִׁ֔י הַשַּׂ֖ר שַׁמְה֣וּת הַיִּזְרָ֑ח וְעַל֙
NAS: [was] the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite;
KJV: month [was] Shamhuth the Izrahite:
INT: the fifth captain Shamhuth the Izrahite and in

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8049
1 Occurrence

šam·hūṯ — 1 Occ.