דברי הימים א, פרק ז׳, פסוק כ׳

Tracing the family line of a prominent biblical figure often involves unraveling a complex web of names and generations. In the genealogy of the tribe of Ephraim, a continuous chain of individuals is presented, prompting a discussion about the exact structure of this family tree. The central question is whether the individuals listed are all direct children of Ephraim or if they represent a long, multi-generational lineage.

Since biblical terms for children are frequently used to denote later descendants, one perspective views this list as a continuous, father-to-son dynasty. In this reading, Shuthelah was born to Ephraim, followed by his son Bered, who in turn had a son named Tahath, continuing down through the generations [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Similarly, other scholars maintain that only Shuthelah was Ephraim's immediate son, while every subsequent name belongs to grandsons and great-grandsons extending further into the future [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].

An alternative understanding suggests a broader immediate family structure. According to this view, the first three individuals mentioned—Shuthelah, Bered, and Tahath—were all direct sons of Ephraim rather than a sequence of descendants [רלב״ג]. This aligns with the census of Ephraim's family recorded earlier in the Book of Numbers, where these exact three sons appear, albeit with slight variations in their names. While Shuthelah is called by the same name, Bered is identified as Becher, and Tahath is known as Tahan [רד״ק, רלב״ג].

Beyond these primary three sons, the additional descendants of Ephraim who follow in the family record are identified as the very individuals who met a tragic fate. They were killed by the men of Gath during an ill-fated expedition to seize local livestock [רלב״ג].