דברי הימים א, פרק ג׳, פסוק כ״ב

Biblical genealogies often contain numerical puzzles that require a closer look at family structures. In tracing the lineage of Shecaniah, a striking mathematical contradiction emerges. The family record names five sons born to Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat. Yet, it totals them as six.

The primary approach among commentators resolves this by looking at the broader family tree rather than just a single generation. According to this view, the total does not refer exclusively to the sons of Shemaiah, but rather summarizes the descendants of the grandfather, Shecaniah. Because Shemaiah's sons were raised by their grandfather, they were considered as his own children. Therefore, the count combines Shemaiah and his five sons, reaching a total of six descendants attributed directly to Shecaniah [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

An alternative explanation maintains that the number six does indeed apply only to Shemaiah's sons. In this view, at the time the record was written, Shemaiah's wife was pregnant. Through divine inspiration, Shemaiah foresaw that a sixth son would be born. Consequently, this unborn child is included in the final count in advance, even though he had not yet been given a name [מצודת דוד]. This pattern of listing five names but concluding with a total of six is not an isolated occurrence. The exact same structure appears later in the Book of Chronicles regarding the sons of Jeduthun, where only five names are detailed, yet the total number of sons is recorded as six [רש״י, מצודת דוד].