5540. Seled
Lexical Summary
Seled: Seled

Original Word: סֶלֶד
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Celed
Pronunciation: seh'-led
Phonetic Spelling: (seh'-led)
KJV: Seled
NASB: Seled
Word Origin: [from H5539 (סָלַד - rejoice)]

1. exultation
2. Seled, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Seled

From calad; exultation; Seled, an Israelite -- Seled.

see HEBREW calad

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from salad
Definition
a man in Judah
NASB Translation
Seled (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
סֶ֫לֶד proper name, masculine in Judah 1 Chronicles 2:30 (twice in verse), ᵐ5 Σαλαδ, ᵐ5L Σαλεδ.

Topical Lexicon
Name and Significance

Seled is a personal name found only within the genealogies of Judah. Though Scripture gives no narrative about his life, the chronicler’s deliberate inclusion of his name underscores that every individual—whether prominent or obscure—exists under the gaze and providence of God. The very fact that Seled’s account is reduced to a single statement about his death and lack of descendants draws attention to themes of human mortality and the sovereignty of God over lineage.

Biblical Occurrences

1 Chronicles 2:30 records both occurrences:

“The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim; Seled died without children.”

Genealogical Context

Seled belongs to the Jerahmeelite line, a branch of Judah traced through Hezron (1 Chronicles 2:9–33). Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron, produced several sons, among them Nadab, whose sons were Seled and Appaim. Because Seled left no offspring, the Jerahmeelite descent continued through his brother. This brief mention clarifies why later tribal listings omit Seled: his line ends with him, demonstrating how genealogies explain both continuity and cessation within Israel’s family records.

Theological Themes

1. Human Frailty and Divine Purpose: Seled’s childlessness accentuates the contrast between human plans and God’s overarching purposes (compare Proverbs 19:21). In Scripture, infertility or the end of a family line often frames God’s power to preserve His covenant by unconventional means (e.g., Genesis 21; Ruth 4), yet in Seled’s case it simply marks an end—reminding readers that not every life fits a dramatic pattern, but each still serves the divine narrative.
2. The Value of Every Name: Chronicles catalogs hundreds of names, many without additional detail. Their presence affirms that God’s redemptive history includes people whose accounts remain untold (cf. Hebrews 11:39–40). Seled stands among those silent witnesses, encouraging believers that obscurity before men does not equal insignificance before God.
3. The Continuity of the Messianic Line: Although Seled’s branch ceases, the chronicler’s meticulous record ultimately supports Judah’s royal promise culminating in David and, prophetically, in Christ (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:33). Each recorded termination highlights the miraculous preservation of the messianic thread elsewhere.

Historical and Cultural Insights

Genealogies in ancient Israel secured tribal inheritance, land rights, and temple service qualifications after the exile (Ezra 2; Nehemiah 7). Listing Seled guards the integrity of these registers by noting gaps as well as continuities. His childlessness would have practical implications: property or duties originally expected to pass through him were redirected, probably to the descendants of Appaim, clarifying communal responsibilities. Chronicles, compiled after the Babylonian exile, reassured returning Judeans that their identity and covenant standing were intact—even when some family lines, like Seled’s, had vanished.

Ministry Applications

• God does not measure worth by fame or productivity. A believer who, like Seled, seems to leave no visible legacy is still counted and remembered by the Lord (Malachi 3:16).
• Churches should honor every member, including those whose contributions are quiet or unseen, modeling the chronicler’s inclusive record (1 Corinthians 12:22).
• The fleeting reference to Seled invites reflection on spiritual posterity. While not all are granted physical descendants, every disciple can invest in a spiritual legacy through evangelism and discipleship (2 Timothy 2:2).
• Genealogies provide continuity, anchoring faith in historical reality. Teaching even brief entries such as Seled’s helps believers appreciate the reliability of Scripture and the meticulous fulfillment of God’s covenant promises.

Seled’s life, summarized in a single verse, thus offers enduring lessons on God’s providence, the dignity of every person, and the unfolding redemptive plan that Scripture traces from Genesis to Revelation.

Forms and Transliterations
סֶ֖לֶד סֶ֣לֶד סלד se·leḏ Seled seleḏ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Chronicles 2:30
HEB: וּבְנֵ֥י נָדָ֖ב סֶ֣לֶד וְאַפָּ֑יִם וַיָּ֥מָת
NAS: of Nadab [were] Seled and Appaim,
KJV: of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim:
INT: the sons of Nadab Seled and Appaim died

1 Chronicles 2:30
HEB: וְאַפָּ֑יִם וַיָּ֥מָת סֶ֖לֶד לֹ֥א בָנִֽים׃
NAS: and Appaim, and Seled died
KJV: and Appaim: but Seled died
INT: and Appaim died and Seled without sons

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5540
2 Occurrences


se·leḏ — 2 Occ.

5539
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