Shiphtan

Shiphtan (meaning: judicial or judge-like) was an Ephraimite, the father of Kemuel who was appointed as the representative of the tribe of Ephraim to assist Moses and Eleazar in the division of the promised land among the tribes (Numbers 34:24). Like many of the tribal leaders listed in Numbers 34, Shiphtan himself held no listed office; he is known entirely through his son Kemuel's appointment to the land-division commission.

Kemuel's role as Ephraim's commissioner in the land allotment reflects the significant status of Ephraim among the tribes — as the leading tribe of the house of Joseph, Ephraim received a generous territorial inheritance in the central highlands. Shiphtan's name, suggesting judicial authority, was perhaps fitting for a man whose son was appointed to an adjudicative role in determining tribal boundaries. Beyond this single genealogical reference, Shiphtan does not appear elsewhere in Scripture.