SHUAL (shū'al, Heb. shû‘āl, fox)

One of the eleven sons of Zophah from the tribe of Asher (1Chr.7.36).1Sam.13.17 refers to the “[[Land of Shual]].” It is named as one of the places invaded by one of the marauding tribes of Philistines. It probably lies a few miles NE of Bethel.

SHUAL shōō’ əl (שׁוּעָ֖ל, fox). 1. One of the sons of Zophah of the tribe of Asher (1 Chron 7:36).

2. A region in the vicinity of Ophrah, to which one of three detachments of Philistines went while encamped at Michmash (1 Sam 13:17). The three-pronged maneuver was part of the retaliation of the Philistines for Jonathan’s attack on their outpost at Geba. Two of the detachments went W and E, while the third headed N in the direction of Ophrah. Since the land of Shual lay in the direction of Ophrah, it was evidently a region N of Michmash. Shual (“fox”) may be identified with Shaalim (“foxes”), the country through which Saul passed in seeking the lost asses of his father Kish (1 Sam 9:4).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

An Asherite (1Ch 7:36).