חֲטִיפָא
𐤇𐤈𐤉𐤐𐤀
Chatifa
H2412 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Chatipha—an individual listed among the Nethinim returning from Babylonia in the post-exilic period (Ezra 2:54; Nehemiah 7:56). The name likely conveys the sense of 'one who is seized' or 'taken,' potentially referring to an ancestral experience, status, or function. As a proper name, it is not a common noun for 'robber' but rather a personal designation, possibly reflecting a historical or occupational origin.
Semantic Range
proper name of a Nethinim; personal designation possibly meaning 'one who is seized' or 'taken away'; does not denote 'robber' or 'bandit' in context of biblical narrative
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חטף (ḥṭp), meaning 'to seize, snatch, take away quickly.' The suffix -אָה is typically indicative of a personal name formation in biblical Hebrew. Thus, חֲטִיפָא is likely a theophoric or descriptive name deriving from the root's sense of 'seizing' or 'taking.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲטִיפָא appears solely as a proper name in post-exilic lists (Ezra 2:54; Nehemiah 7:56) identifying the Nethinim, a hereditary servitor group attached to the temple in Jerusalem. The Nethinim's precise origins are debated, but they are generally considered non-Israelite or of mixed ancestry, later integrated into the community and assigned subsidiary cultic roles. Standard translations render the name as 'Hatipha' or similar, though the underlying meaning is almost always left unexplained. Despite the lexical root suggesting 'robber' or 'one who seizes,' there is no indication in the biblical text or later tradition that the individual bore such a role in a literal sense; the name likely preserves a memory of ancestral status or a descriptive epithet rather than an accusation of criminal activity. The entry is distinct from poles used in criminal or negative contexts for forms of חָטַף (ḥāṭaph, 'to snatch'), which are not attested elsewhere in proper names.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָטַף; robber; Chatipha, one of the Nethinim; Hatipha.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חטף (ḥ-ṭ-p) — to seize, snatch, take away quickly
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2414 | חָטַף | to snatch |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2412-01 |
חֲטִיפָֽא | chatifa | HNp |
Hatipha | Seized One | Chatifa | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2412-01 |
Ezra 2:54 | חֲטִיפָֽא | chatifa | HNp |
Hatipha | Seized One | Chatifa |
H2412-01 |
Nehemiah 7:56 | חֲטִיפָֽא | chatifa | HNp |
Hatipha | Seized One | Chatifa |