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Nahshon

Portrait of Nahshon

Nahshon was the leader of the tribe of Judah during the wilderness wanderings and the brother-in-law of Aaron. As prince of Judah he was first to present his tribe's offering at the dedication of the tabernacle and led the vanguard whenever Israel set out. He stands in the genealogy between Judah and David, and is named in the ancestry of Jesus.

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Biography

Occupation
Tribal leader
Tribe
Judah
Children
Salmon
Era
Exodus / Wilderness

Family

Nahshon
โ†“
Children
Salmon
Old Testament Numbers Exodus

Did You Know?

1

Nahshon was the prince of Judah in the wilderness and Aaron's brother-in-law (Exodus 6:23), giving the royal tribe a direct family tie to the priestly line from the very beginning.

2

As leader of Judah he presented the very first tribal offering at the tabernacle's dedication (Numbers 7:12), and Judah always marched first when Israel broke camp - a foreshadowing of the tribe's later primacy.

3

Jewish tradition celebrates Nahshon as the man who stepped into the Red Sea before it parted, and both Old and New Testament genealogies place him squarely in the ancestry of David and Jesus.

Key Chapters

Key Passages

Prince of Judah

Numbers 1:5-7

Nahshon is appointed head of the tribe of Judah, the leading tribe of Israel's camp.

A5nd these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.

6 Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 7 Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

Read full chapter: Numbers 1 โ†’

First to Offer

Numbers 7:12-17

As representative of Judah, Nahshon presents the first tribal offering at the tabernacle's dedication.

A12nd he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:

13 And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: 14 One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense: 15 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: 16 One kid of the goats for a sin offering: 17 And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

Read full chapter: Numbers 7 โ†’