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מִשְׁפָּחָה

𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤇𐤄

mishpâchâh

H4940 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A social or kinship group consisting of relatives connected by descent, typically comprising an extended family within a broader clan or tribal structure. The term primarily refers to a subdivision within a tribe, indicating a group of closely related families. In specific contexts, it can also denote a grouping by kind or category (not limited to people), though its primary sense is familial. The word can be used for both human and animal groupings, and occasionally for classes or categories of objects, but its principal application throughout the Hebrew Bible is to kinship units within the Israelite tribal system.

Semantic Range

clan, extended family, kinship group, subdivision of a tribe, class or category (of animals or things), species, sort

Root / Etymology

The word derives from the root שׁפח (though not directly attested as a verb in this sense), possibly meaning 'to join' or 'to gather.' It is a feminine noun built on the pattern mišqāl. The connection with שִׁפְחָה (female servant) is morphological but not semantic; the terms developed along parallel lines but have distinct meanings. Lexical etymology ultimately uncertain, but contextually rooted in kinship terminology.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מִשְׁפָּחָה is a core kinship term in the Israelite tribal organization. In the Pentateuch, especially in genealogical lists and census accounts (e.g., Numbers, Joshua), it consistently denotes a familial grouping subordinate to the tribe (מַטֶּה, matteh) but larger than the nuclear household (בַּיִת or בֵּית־אָב, 'father's house'). This reflects a patrilineal descent group, often translated as 'clan' or 'extended family.' The meaning rarely extends to an entire 'tribe'; conflation with this broader sense is a feature of some translations but not of biblical usage. In post-exilic and later periods, the term retains its sense of kinship group but sometimes broadens metaphorically to refer to categories or classes (e.g., of animals, Genesis 8:19; of peoples, Genesis 10:5). English translations like 'family' or 'kindred' are generally accurate but may not fully capture the technical, social-organizational nuance in biblical society. Caution is needed to not confuse מִשְׁפָּחָה with terms for 'nation' (גוֹי, עַם) or 'tribe' (שֵׁבֶט). Usage remains consistent across narrative, legal, and genealogical texts, although in poetic literature and later writings, it may acquire broader figurative usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "clan" 283 occurrences

'Clan' best matches the typical Biblical sense of מִשְׁפָּחָה as an extended kinship subdivision within a tribe. It is the most frequent rendering in the data (singular and plural), conveys the tribal/collective social unit more precisely than 'family,' and will read naturally across contexts where the term denotes a kin-group.

Alternatives (21 occurrences):
"kinship-groups" (6x) "kinship groups" (6x) "family" (5x) "families" (2x) "like the families" (1x) "among their families" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁפָה (compare שִׁפְחָה); a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people; family, kind(-red).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁפח (š-p-ḥ) — to join, to gather, to connect

Root שׁפח to join, to gather, to connect (root sense, though not directly attested as a verb)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8198 שִׁפְחָה in your slave-woman

Word Forms

41 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4940-10 לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם lemishepechotam HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp according to their families to their joined clans to their joined clans 83
H4940-22 מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת mishepachat HNcfsc the family of clan of clan of 81
H4940-27 מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת mishepechot HNcfpc families clans of clans of 48
H4940-16 מִ/מִּשְׁפַּ֛חַת mimishepachat HR/Ncfsc from the family from a clan of from a clan of 10
H4940-26 מִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת mishepachot HNcfpa families kinship groups kinship groups 8
H4940-20 מִֽ/מִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת mimishepechot HR/Ncfpc from the families of from joined clans of from clans of 7
H4940-09 לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת lemishepechot HR/Ncfpc of the families to the clans of to the clans of 5
H4940-36 וּ/מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת umishepachat HC/Ncfsc and the family and clan of and clan of 5
H4940-03 הַ/מִּשְׁפָּחָֽה hamishepachah HTd/Ncfsa family the extended kinship-group the clan 5
H4940-25 מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖/וֹ mishepacheto HNcfsc/Sp3ms his family his clan his clan 4

Occurrences in Scripture

304 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4940-12 Genesis 8:19 לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵי/הֶ֔ם lemishepechoteyhem HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp according to their families to their clans to their clans
H4940-10 Genesis 10:5 לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם lemishepechotam HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp according to their families to their joined clans to their joined clans
H4940-27 Genesis 10:18 מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת mishepechot HNcfpc families clans of clans of
H4940-10 Genesis 10:20 לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם lemishepechotam HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp according to their families to their joined clans to their joined clans
H4940-10 Genesis 10:31 לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם lemishepechotam HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp according to their families to their joined clans to their joined clans
H4940-27 Genesis 10:32 מִשְׁפְּחֹ֧ת mishepechot HNcfpc families clans of clans of
H4940-27 Genesis 12:3 מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת mishepechot HNcfpc families clans of clans of
H4940-24 Genesis 24:38 מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑/י mishepacheti HNcfsc/Sp1cs my family my clan my clan
H4940-18 Genesis 24:40 מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖/י mimishepacheti HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs from my family from my clan from my family
H4940-24 Genesis 24:41 מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑/י mishepacheti HNcfsc/Sp1cs my family my clan my clan
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