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נְפִיסִים

𐤍𐤐𐤉𐤎𐤉𐤌

Nᵉphîyçîym

H5304 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (proper noun; possible clan or ethnic group name)

Definition

A proper noun referring to a specific group or clan among the Nethinim (Temple servants) returned from Babylonian exile. The precise meaning of the name is uncertain, but it denotes a family or lineage associated with post-exilic Temple service.

Semantic Range

a clan among the Nethinim, a family group of Temple servants, post-exilic household lineage

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology uncertain. The form appears to be a plural proper noun with an -im ending, suggesting a group identity. The suggestion of derivation from an unused root meaning 'to scatter' is unattested in extant Hebrew. The relation to 'expansions' is based on speculative connections and not supported by clear root evidence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The word נְפִיסִים (Nᵉphîyçîym) occurs in Ezra 2:50 and Nehemiah 7:52 as the name of a group counted among the Nethinim, a class of Temple servants who were distinct from Levites and played a subordinate role in Temple maintenance and service in the post-exilic period. This group is listed as returning from the Babylonian exile, indicating importance for community lineage and religious function during the Second Temple period. In some English translations, a variant form 'Nephusim' appears, reflecting textual differences between Ezra and Nehemiah or the margin notes of ancient scribes. The origin and meaning of the name are obscure; it does not appear with the same sense elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, and no independent tradition regarding its etymology survives. The identification of the Nethinim with non-Israelite or foreign groups is inferred from later readings but is debated by scholars. The term was never applied to Israelites proper or to Judahites in earlier periods, and its usage is confined to post-exilic texts. Later translations and traditions sometimes generalize the role or ethnic status of the Nethinim, but in the biblical context, Nephisim specifically designates a clan name within this group.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

plural from an unused root meaning to scatter; expansions; Nephisim, a Temple-servant; Nephusim (from the margin).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; clan name; group identity

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5304-01 נְפִֽישְׁסִֽים nefishesim HNgmpa Nephishesim Nephisim 1
H5304-03 נפיסים nfysym HNgmpa Nephusim Nephisim clan 1
H5304-02 נְפוּסִֽים nefusim HNgmpa Nephusim Nephisim clan 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5304-03 Ezra 2:50 נפיסים nfysym HNgmpa Nephusim Nephisim clan
H5304-02 Ezra 2:50 נְפוּסִֽים nefusim HNgmpa Nephusim Nephisim clan
H5304-01 Nehemiah 7:52 נְפִֽישְׁסִֽים nefishesim HNgmpa Nephishesim Nephisim
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