Bible Dictionary
Shapham
Shapham was a Gadite chief who held a leading position among his tribe east of the Jordan.
Definition
Shapham was a Gadite chief from Bashan who held the second place in command of his tribe.
Biblical Usage
Shapham appears in the genealogical and tribal records of the Gadites. The surrounding material associates the eastern tribes with warfare against the Hagrites.
Historical Background
The genealogical lists were recorded between approximately 750 and 740 B.C., shortly before the eastern tribes were carried into captivity. Shapham and his chief Joel may have lived in Saul’s time and shared in the war against the Hagrites.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(bold), a Gadite of Bashan. (1 Chronicles 5:12) (B.C. 750.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>sha'-fam (shapham; Sapham, Sabat): Name of a Gadite chief, who had the second place in command of his tribe (1Ch 5:12). So far as the fragmentary genealogies are intelligible, they seem to indicate that Shapham and his chief, Joel, lived in the time of Saul and shared in the war against the Hagrites (1Ch 5:7-10,18-22), but it is to be noted that these lists were first recorded between the years 750 and 740 BC, just before the eastern tribes were carried into captivity.</p>