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שְׁפָם

𐤔𐤐𐤌

Shefam

H8221 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁפה to be bare, made smooth, exposed

Definition

Shepham is a toponym referring to a specific location mentioned in the biblical account as part of a geographical boundary. The word does not carry an inherent lexical meaning apart from its identification as a place name. In context, it likely refers to a site with an exposed or open landscape, though the precise location is not established.

Semantic Range

proper name of a location; possible connotation of bare, open, or exposed location only by inference from the root; geographic border marker

Root / Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root שָׁפָה (shafah), meaning 'to be bare, smooth, leveled, or exposed.' The form שְׁפָם exhibits a nominal pattern typical of place names but is otherwise attested only as a proper noun in biblical texts. The development from the root suggests the meaning 'bare place,' but this is inferred; the actual location is otherwise unattested outside its biblical mention.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Shepham appears solely in Numbers 34:10-11 as one of the northern boundary markers of the territorial allotment east of the Jordan River, describing the border assigned to the Israelite tribes. Little is known about the historical or archaeological identification of Shepham. The term is used without further elaboration on the physical characteristics or sociopolitical significance of the site. The translation 'bare spot' or similar is inferred from the root meaning but does not indicate a community or cult site. English translations generally render it merely as the proper name 'Shepham,' as its specific location and contextual nuance are unclear. It should not be confused with later or unrelated place names.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from שָׁפָה; bare spot; Shepham, a place in or near Palestine; Shepham.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁפה (sh-p-h) — to be bare, smooth, exposed, leveled

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3472 יִשְׁפָּה and Yishpah
H4942 מִשְׁפָּת the twin livestock-enclosures
H8192 שָׁפָה the stripped-bare one
H8195 שְׁפוֹ Bare-One
H830 אַשְׁפֹּת the refuse-heap

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8221-01 מִ/שְּׁפָ֛ם mishefam HR/Np from Shepham from Shepham 1
H8221-02 שְׁפָֽמָ/ה shefamah HNp/Sd to Shepham toward Shepham 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8221-02 Numbers 34:10 שְׁפָֽמָ/ה shefamah HNp/Sd to Shepham toward Shepham
H8221-01 Numbers 34:11 מִ/שְּׁפָ֛ם mishefam HR/Np from Shepham from Shepham
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