Bible Dictionary

Petition. (1.) Judah's third son (Gen. 38:2, 5, 11, 14). (2.) A son of Arphaxad (1 Chr. 1:18).

Deceitful, a town where Shelah, the son of Judah, was born (Gen. 38:5). Probably the same as Achzib (q.v.).

Whom Jehovah has set up, one of the descendants of Shelah (1 Chr. 4:22).

A shoot, a descendant of Arphaxed (Luke 3:35, 36); called also Shelah (1 Chr. 1:18, 24).

Ahijah the prophet, whose home was in Shiloh, is so designated (1 Kings 11:29; 15:29). The plural form occurs (1 Chr. 9:5), denoting the descendants of Shelah, Judah's youngest son.

Heb. shelah; i.e., "the dart", Neh. 3:15; with the art. shiloah, "sending," Isa. 8:6 (comp. 7:3)=Siloam (q.v.)

Palm. (1.) A place mentioned by Ezekiel (47:19; 48:28), on the southeastern border of Palestine. Some suppose this was "Tadmor" (q.v.). (2.) The daughter-in-law of Judah, to whose eldest son, Er, she was married (Gen. 38:6). After her husband's death, she was married to Onan, his brother (8), and on his death, Judah promised to her that his third son, Shelah, would become her husband. This promise was not fulfilled, and hence Tamar's revenge and Judah's great guilt (38:12-30). (3.) A daughter of David (2 Sam. 13:1-32; 1 Chr. 3:9), whom Amnon shamefully outraged and afterwards "hated exceedingly," thereby illustrating the law of human nature noticed even by the heathen, "Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris", i.e., "It is the property of human nature to hate one whom you have injured." (4.) A daughter of Absalom (2 Sam. 14:27).