חֻפִּים

𐤇𐤐𐤉𐤌

Chupim

H2650 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חפה to cover, protect, shield

Definition

Chuppim, a personal name designating a male descendant of Benjamin in the genealogies of the early Israelites. The term is a proper noun, specifically referencing a person rather than an object or general concept. While based on a root relating to covering or sheltering, in this context it serves only as a name, not conveying those semantic values directly.

Semantic Range

personal name of a Benjaminite descendant, likely eponym for a clan; in related terms, a canopy, covering, shelter

Root / Etymology

From the root חפה (ḥ-p-h), meaning 'to cover' or 'to protect'. The base word חֻפָּה (chuppah) refers to a canopy or covering. Chuppim (חֻפִּים) is likely the plural of חֻפָּה but functions as a proper name here. The formation may reflect either a familial or clan designation or a theophoric/collective form, but its exact origin as a personal name is not fully certain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֻפִּים (Chuppim) occurs in Genesis 46:21 and Numbers 26:39 as the name of one of the sons (i.e., descendants) of Benjamin, and thus a founder of a clan within the Benjaminite lineage. The plural form may suggest a clan or group identity deriving from an earlier ancestor; such plurals are typical in genealogical lists in the Hebrew Bible to indicate family heads or eponymous ancestors. English translations sometimes render the name as 'Huppim' or 'Hupham', but this does not reflect any semantic value, only the transmission through translation traditions. The connection to the root meaning 'canopy' or 'covering' is not active in the name's personal use—later traditions or symbolic interpretations are secondary to its genealogical function. No known usage of this term denotes a geographic, religious, or broader ethnic group; it is strictly a clan or individual name in the biblical genealogies.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

plural of חֻפָּה (compare חוּפָם); Chuppim, an Israelite; Huppim.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

חפה (ḥ-p-h) — to cover, protect, shield

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2644 חָפָא and they covered over
H2645 חָפָה they overlaid
H2646 חֻפָּה protective canopy
H2647 חֻפָּה to Covering

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2650-02 וְ/חֻפִּ֖ים vechupim HC/Np and Huppim and Chuppim 2
H2650-01 לְ/חֻפִּ֣ים lechupim HR/Np for Huppim to Chuppim 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2650-02 Genesis 46:21 וְ/חֻפִּ֖ים vechupim HC/Np and Huppim and Chuppim
H2650-02 1 Chronicles 7:12 וְ/חֻפִּם֙ vechupim HC/Np and Huppim and Chuppim
H2650-01 1 Chronicles 7:15 לְ/חֻפִּ֣ים lechupim HR/Np for Huppim to Chuppim