Shebuel

Shebuel (also spelled Shubael) is the name of two Levites listed in the Davidic temple-service rosters of 1 Chronicles. The first is a descendant of Moses through Gershom, set over the treasuries; the second is a son of Heman, listed among the temple musicians. The two are distinguished by parentage and office, and the rolls keep them apart.

Shebuel the Son of Gershom

The first Shebuel stands at the head of Gershom's house in the Levite census David draws up at the close of his reign. "The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief" (1Ch 23:16). Because Gershom is Moses' son, the line places this Shebuel within Moses' own descendants. The same name appears in the parallel roster of Levitical division-heads under the variant form Shubael: "And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah" (1Ch 24:20). His office is named in the appointment of treasury-keepers: "and Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was leader over the treasures" (1Ch 26:24).

Shebuel the Son of Heman

The second Shebuel belongs to the guild of singers organized under Heman. The roster opens with the appointment itself — "Moreover David and the captains of the host set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals" (1Ch 25:1) — and then names Heman's children: "Of Heman; the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth" (1Ch 25:4). The summary that follows numbers the brothers explicitly: "And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters" (1Ch 25:5). When the singers' courses are drawn by lot, the same man surfaces again in the Shubael spelling at the thirteenth position: "for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his brothers, twelve" (1Ch 25:20).

Two Names, One Man Each

The roster shifts between Shebuel and Shubael without comment. For the Gershomite, 1Ch 23:16 and 26:24 use Shebuel while 24:20 uses Shubael; for the Hemanite, 1Ch 25:4 uses Shebuel and 25:20 uses Shubael. In each pair the lineage and office hold steady across the variant, so the two spellings represent two men, not four.