Although he was a well-known and prominent man of Israel in his time, Nahshon (also rendered Naashon and Naasson) is a relatively unknown person of Bible History who nevertheless had some very famous relatives. While of the tribe of Judah (see Children of Jacob), Nahshon's sister Elisheba was the wife of the Levite High Priest Aaron (see below). Nahshon was also a direct ancestor of King David (see below) and as such Nahshon is included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (see the Fact Finder question below).
"Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah"
After the Exodus, Nahshon was appointed by The Lord as the leader of the tribe of Judah.
"And The Lord [see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD] spake unto Moses [see also The Education Of Moses] in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers. And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you:"
"Of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur. Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab. Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni. Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran. Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel. Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan."
"These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel." (Numbers 1:1-16 KJV)
In the order of the Israelites' camp around The Tabernacle In The Wilderness (see the illustration), The Lord's instructions included that "Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah."
"And The Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch."
"And on the east side toward the rising of the sun [see also Why Did They Face East?] shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred." (Numbers 2:1-4 KJV)
Nahshon (also variously rendered Naashon and Naasson) was the brother in law of Aaron.
"And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar." (Exodus 6:23 KJV) (see also The Lines Of Eleazar and Ithamar and Nadab and Abihu)
Nahshon was a direct ancestor of King David.
"And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah; And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse. And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh" (1 Chronicles 2:10-15 KJV)
Nahshon died in the wilderness with nearly all of the rest of his generation (see A Journey Without A Destination).
"But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For The Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun." (Numbers 26:64-65 KJV)
Fact Finder: Was Nahshon (also rendered Naashon and Naasson) an ancestor of Jesus Christ? Matthew 1:1,4, Luke 3:23,32
Today's Word
The Holy Bible was primarily written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Today's Word examines the pronunciation and literal meaning of one of those actual words of the Holy Scriptures and how it is usually translated into English-language Bibles.
The Hebrew word pronounced aysh means fire. It is most often translated for use in English language Bibles as fire, burning, fiery, flaming or hot.