חֲתֻנָּה
𐤇𐤕𐤍𐤄
chăthunnâh
H2861 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A wedding ceremony or event; the ritual and celebration marking the formal establishment of a marriage between a man and a woman. The term emphasizes the occasion itself—the social and communal aspects of marriage—rather than the legal or covenantal bond. In some contexts, may refer more broadly to the process or period of entering into marriage.
Semantic Range
wedding ceremony, wedding festival, marriage celebration, the occasion of marriage
Root / Etymology
From the root חָתַן (ḥāthan), meaning 'to marry, join by marriage, become a son-in-law.' The noun חֲתֻנָּה (chăthunnâh) is a feminine derivative, signifying the event or celebration associated with marriage rather than a person. It is a nominal formation emphasizing the occasion or process tied to the root's core meaning of forming a matrimonial connection.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲתֻנָּה is a relatively rare term in the Hebrew Bible, appearing primarily in poetic and wisdom literature (e.g., Song of Songs 3:11) to describe the joyful celebration or festive aspects of a wedding. In biblical contexts, marriage customs centered around extended family and community, making the wedding a significant social and economic event. The word does not refer to the marriage contract (which is better designated by קֶרֶת or בְּרִית in some contexts), nor to the legal institution of marriage itself. Over time, חֲתֻנָּה became the common Hebrew word for 'wedding' in post-biblical and Modern Hebrew usage, but in biblical Hebrew, related terms such as חתן (ḥāthan, bridegroom) and כלה (kallāh, bride) occur more frequently. Standard English translations typically render חֲתֻנָּה as 'wedding,' but this may obscure the richness of the ancient communal event. No direct anachronistic use of 'espousal,' which in English sometimes means betrothal, is intended in the Hebrew term; the focus is on the wedding celebration itself.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָתַן; a wedding; espousal.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חתן (ḥ-t-n) — to marry, join by marriage, become related through marriage
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2859 | חָתַן | his marriage-alliance-forming woman |
| H2860 | חָתָן | marriage-allied man |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2861-01 |
חֲתֻנָּת֔/וֹ | chatunato | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of his wedding | his wedding celebration | his wedding celebration | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2861-01 |
Song of Songs 3:11 | חֲתֻנָּת֔/וֹ | chatunato | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of his wedding | his wedding celebration | his wedding celebration |