מִשְׁפָּחָה
𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤇𐤄
mishpâchâh
H4940 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A social or kinship group consisting of relatives connected by descent, typically comprising an extended family within a broader clan or tribal structure. The term primarily refers to a subdivision within a tribe, indicating a group of closely related families. In specific contexts, it can also denote a grouping by kind or category (not limited to people), though its primary sense is familial. The word can be used for both human and animal groupings, and occasionally for classes or categories of objects, but its principal application throughout the Hebrew Bible is to kinship units within the Israelite tribal system.
Semantic Range
clan, extended family, kinship group, subdivision of a tribe, class or category (of animals or things), species, sort
Root / Etymology
The word derives from the root שׁפח (though not directly attested as a verb in this sense), possibly meaning 'to join' or 'to gather.' It is a feminine noun built on the pattern mišqāl. The connection with שִׁפְחָה (female servant) is morphological but not semantic; the terms developed along parallel lines but have distinct meanings. Lexical etymology ultimately uncertain, but contextually rooted in kinship terminology.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מִשְׁפָּחָה is a core kinship term in the Israelite tribal organization. In the Pentateuch, especially in genealogical lists and census accounts (e.g., Numbers, Joshua), it consistently denotes a familial grouping subordinate to the tribe (מַטֶּה, matteh) but larger than the nuclear household (בַּיִת or בֵּית־אָב, 'father's house'). This reflects a patrilineal descent group, often translated as 'clan' or 'extended family.' The meaning rarely extends to an entire 'tribe'; conflation with this broader sense is a feature of some translations but not of biblical usage. In post-exilic and later periods, the term retains its sense of kinship group but sometimes broadens metaphorically to refer to categories or classes (e.g., of animals, Genesis 8:19; of peoples, Genesis 10:5). English translations like 'family' or 'kindred' are generally accurate but may not fully capture the technical, social-organizational nuance in biblical society. Caution is needed to not confuse מִשְׁפָּחָה with terms for 'nation' (גוֹי, עַם) or 'tribe' (שֵׁבֶט). Usage remains consistent across narrative, legal, and genealogical texts, although in poetic literature and later writings, it may acquire broader figurative usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁפָה (compare שִׁפְחָה); a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people; family, kind(-red).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁפח (š-p-ḥ) — to join, to gather, to connect
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8198 | שִׁפְחָה | in your slave-woman |
Word Forms
41 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4940-10 |
לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם | lemishepechotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
according to their families | to their joined clans | 83 |
H4940-22 |
מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת | mishepachat | HNcfsc |
the family of | clan of | 81 |
H4940-27 |
מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת | mishepechot | HNcfpc |
families | clans of | 48 |
H4940-16 |
מִ/מִּשְׁפַּ֛חַת | mimishepachat | HR/Ncfsc |
from the family | from a clan of | 10 |
H4940-26 |
מִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת | mishepachot | HNcfpa |
families | kinship groups | 8 |
H4940-20 |
מִֽ/מִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת | mimishepechot | HR/Ncfpc |
from the families of | from joined clans of | 7 |
H4940-09 |
לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת | lemishepechot | HR/Ncfpc |
of the families | to the clans of | 5 |
H4940-36 |
וּ/מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת | umishepachat | HC/Ncfsc |
and the family | and clan of | 5 |
H4940-03 |
הַ/מִּשְׁפָּחָֽה | hamishepachah | HTd/Ncfsa |
family | the extended kinship-group | 5 |
H4940-25 |
מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖/וֹ | mishepacheto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his family | his clan | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
304 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4940-12 |
Genesis 8:19 | לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵי/הֶ֔ם | lemishepechoteyhem | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
according to their families | to their clans |
H4940-10 |
Genesis 10:5 | לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם | lemishepechotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
according to their families | to their joined clans |
H4940-27 |
Genesis 10:18 | מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת | mishepechot | HNcfpc |
families | clans of |
H4940-10 |
Genesis 10:20 | לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם | lemishepechotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
according to their families | to their joined clans |
H4940-10 |
Genesis 10:31 | לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם | lemishepechotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
according to their families | to their joined clans |
H4940-27 |
Genesis 10:32 | מִשְׁפְּחֹ֧ת | mishepechot | HNcfpc |
families | clans of |
H4940-27 |
Genesis 12:3 | מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת | mishepechot | HNcfpc |
families | clans of |
H4940-24 |
Genesis 24:38 | מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑/י | mishepacheti | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my family | my clan |
H4940-18 |
Genesis 24:40 | מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖/י | mimishepacheti | HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs |
from my family | from my clan |
H4940-24 |
Genesis 24:41 | מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑/י | mishepacheti | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my family | my clan |