← H4558 H4560 →

מִסְפֶּרֶת

𐤌𐤎𐤐𐤓𐤕

Miseperet

H4559 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ספר to count, to enumerate, to recount

Definition

Personal name: Mispereth, attested as the name of a post-exilic individual in genealogical records. The word is a proper noun used exclusively as a personal name and does not carry an independent lexical meaning apart from its referent; it is not otherwise used as a common noun in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

Proper name: Mispereth, personal or ancestral name in post-exilic genealogical lists; no common noun usage in the Hebrew Bible.

Root / Etymology

Root סָפַר (ספר), meaning 'to count, recount, enumerate.' The form מִסְפֶּרֶת appears to be a feminine noun formation, but in usage here it functions strictly as a proper name. Its verbal root is distinct from מַלְכוּ (kingship) referenced in the Strong's gloss, which seems to be an error; etymologically, it relates to enumeration rather than royalty.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Mispereth is listed in post-exilic genealogies as a family head whose descendants returned from Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 7:7; parallel 1 Esdras 5:11). The name likely reflects a mnemonic or descriptive reference related to 'numbering' or 'enumeration,' possibly signifying an ancestor connected with census activity or record-keeping. Unlike common nouns built from the root ספר, such as מִסְפָּר ('number'), the form here appears only as a personal name, and its exact connotation—whether simply 'the counted one,' 'enumeration,' or, by extension, 'family of the counted'—is not further explicated in the biblical context. English versions transliterate rather than translate the name, and traditional renderings like 'Mispereth' preserve its proper noun status. The Strong's comparison to מֶלְתָּחָה is misleading as that word has a different root and meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of מַלְכוּ; enumeration; Mispereth, an Israelite; Mispereth. Compare מֶלְתָּחָה.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ספר (s-p-r) — to count, to enumerate, to recount

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4557 מִסְפָּר in counted number of
H4558 מִסְפָּר counted total
H5601 סַפִּיר in the blue precious stones
H5608 סָפַר I will recount
H5609 סְפַר in a written-record of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4559-01 מִסְפֶּ֥רֶת miseperet HNp Mispereth Mispereth 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4559-01 Nehemiah 7:7 מִסְפֶּ֥רֶת miseperet HNp Mispereth Mispereth
← H4558 Hebrew Lexicon H4560 →