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אֱלִישָׁפָט

𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤔𐤐𐤈

Elishafat

H478 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אשפ to judge, govern, pronounce a decision

Definition

Elishaphat is a personal name meaning 'El (God) has judged' or 'My God has judged.' As a theophoric name, it invokes the deity 'El' in conjunction with the verb 'to judge' or 'to pronounce a decision.' The semantic range encompasses the use of the name as a marker of divine justice or as a declaration of having been judged (in a positive or neutral sense) by God. The name occurs in genealogical records as the designation of specific individuals within Israelite history.

Semantic Range

personal name invoking judgment by God, marker of divine justice or vindication, individual identity ascribed to descendants of Israelite lineage

Root / Etymology

From אֵל (El, 'God') + י (possessive or connective element) + שָׁפָט (shaphat, 'to judge'). The name thus derives from the root שָׁפַט, carrying the sense 'to judge, to govern, to decide,' prefixed by the divine name El. The actual lexical meaning differs from the root sense by forming a compound that expresses a theological assertion or hope regarding divine action in judgment or vindication.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אֱלִישָׁפָט appears as a personal name for several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, most notably a musician appointed by King Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 17:18) and an official of King Jehoash (2 Kgs 12:22). The structure is typical of theophoric Hebrew names which attribute actions or roles to a deity. In the biblical context, 'God has judged' may convey a sense of divine vindication or protection, though the precise nuance would depend on the circumstances of the individual's life. English translations often use the transliterated 'Elishaphat,' but sometimes render elements into interpretive phrases. The semantic scope does not include later religious or ethnic connotations that developed in the Second Temple or rabbinic periods. The name's formation parallels other theophoric names such as 'Jehoshaphat' (יְהוֹשָׁפָט, 'YHWH has judged'), but utilizes El rather than YHWH, possibly reflecting different archaic naming traditions.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אֵל and שָׁפַט; God of judgment; Elishaphat, an Israelite; Elishaphat.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שפט (š-p-ṭ) — to judge, govern, pronounce a decision

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3092 יְהוֹשָׁפָט to YHWH-has-judged
H4941 מִשְׁפָּט according to your ruling
H8196 שְׁפוֹט Pronounce judgment!
H8199 שָׁפַט in his being judged
H8200 שְׁפַט judging ones

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H478-01 אֱלִישָׁפָ֥ט elishafat HNp Elishaphat El has judged 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H478-01 2 Chronicles 23:1 אֱלִישָׁפָ֥ט elishafat HNp Elishaphat El has judged
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