צְלׇפְחָד
𐤑𐤋𐤐𐤇𐤃
Tselfechad
H6765 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Tsᵉlophchad is a personal name referring to a specific Israelite male from the tribe of Manasseh, known primarily as the father of five daughters whose legal case impacted Israelite inheritance law. The name itself is unique to this individual in the Hebrew Bible, and its lexical meaning is uncertain, but traditional proposals relate it to notions of 'shade' or 'protection' and 'union' or 'oneness,' though these are etymologically debated.
Semantic Range
Personal name; individual Israelite; no documented common noun usage; genealogical reference
Root / Etymology
Compound of roots צָלָף (possibly meaning 'shade' or 'protection'), and אֶחָד ('one,' 'unity'). However, the etymology is uncertain, and the precise original meaning of the name is not established. The form is consistent with compound theophoric or descriptive names common in biblical onomastics, though no direct theophoric element is evident.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Tsᵉlophchad appears exclusively in the Torah (Numbers 26–27; 36; Joshua 17) as a Manassite whose daughters' petition concerning inheritance when lacking male heirs led to an important legal and social precedent for Israelite women. The name's meaning is primarily personal and genealogical, without mythological or occupational association. Unlike many biblical names, there is no evidence Tsᵉlophchad was used to describe a group or possess a common noun usage. In English tradition, the name is sometimes rendered as 'Zelophehad,' but this is a later Anglicization. The Hebrew term does not function as an ethnic or group identity. There is no religious or political connotation beyond its genealogical role in narrative context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as צָלָף and אֶחָד; Tselophchad, an Israelite; Zelophehad.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
צָלָף, אֶחָד (Tselfechad) — shade, protection, one, unity
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6765-02 |
צְלָפְחָ֑ד | tselafechad | HNp |
Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad | 8 |
H6765-01 |
לִ/צְלָפְחָ֖ד | litselafechad | HR/Np |
to Zelophehad | to Tsᵉlophchad | to Tselfechad | 1 |
H6765-03 |
וּ/צְלָפְחָ֣ד | utselafechad | HC/Np |
Now Zelophehad | and Protected-One | and Tselfechad | 1 |
H6765-04 |
וְ/לִ/צְלָפְחָד֩ | velitselafechad | HC/R/Np |
Now to Zelophehad | and to Shade-Unity | and to Tselfechad | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6765-03 |
Numbers 26:33 | וּ/צְלָפְחָ֣ד | utselafechad | HC/Np |
Now Zelophehad | and Protected-One | and Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
Numbers 26:33 | צְלָפְחָ֔ד | tselafechad | HNp |
Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
Numbers 27:1 | צְלָפְחָ֗ד | tselafechad | HNp |
of Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
Numbers 27:7 | צְלָפְחָד֮ | tselafechad | HNp |
Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
Numbers 36:2 | צְלָפְחָ֥ד | tselafechad | HNp |
Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
Numbers 36:6 | צְלָפְחָד֙ | tselafechad | HNp |
of Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
Numbers 36:10 | צְלָפְחָֽד | tselafechad | HNp |
Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
Numbers 36:11 | צְלָפְחָ֑ד | tselafechad | HNp |
of Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-04 |
Joshua 17:3 | וְ/לִ/צְלָפְחָד֩ | velitselafechad | HC/R/Np |
Now to Zelophehad | and to Shade-Unity | and to Tselfechad |
H6765-02 |
1 Chronicles 7:15 | צְלָפְחָ֑ד | tselafechad | HNp |
was Zelophehad | Shade-of-Oneness | Tselfechad |
H6765-01 |
1 Chronicles 7:15 | לִ/צְלָפְחָ֖ד | litselafechad | HR/Np |
to Zelophehad | to Tsᵉlophchad | to Tselfechad |