מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940) — Hebrew Lexicon

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "clan" 47 occurrences

'Clan' best matches the typical Biblical sense of מִשְׁפָּחָה as an extended kinship subdivision within a tribe. It is the most frequent rendering in the data (singular and plural), conveys the tribal/collective social unit more precisely than 'family,' and will read naturally across contexts where the term denotes a kin-group.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):

"family" (2x) "kinship-groups" (1x)

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 recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

שׁפח (mishpâchâh) — to join, to gather, to connect (root sense, though not directly attested as a verb)

Root שׁפח to join, to gather, to connect (root sense, though not directly attested as a verb)

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H8198	שִׁפְחָה	in your slave-woman

Word Forms

41 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H4940-10`	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֗/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans	83
`H4940-22`	מִשְׁפַּ֣חַת	mishepachat	`HNcfsc`	the family of	clan of	clan of	81
`H4940-27`	מִשְׁפְּח֥וֹת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of	48
`H4940-16`	מִ/מִּשְׁפַּ֣חַת	mimishepachat	`HR/Ncfsc`	from the family	from a clan of	from a clan of	10
`H4940-26`	מִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת	mishepachot	`HNcfpa`	families	kinship groups	kinship groups	8
`H4940-20`	מִ/מִּשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת	mimishepechot	`HR/Ncfpc`	from the families of	from joined clans of	from clans of	7
`H4940-03`	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּחָֽה	hamishepachah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	family	the extended kinship-group	the clan	5
`H4940-09`	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת	lemishepechot	`HR/Ncfpc`	of the families	to the clans of	to the clans of	5
`H4940-36`	וּ/מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת	umishepachat	`HC/Ncfsc`	and the family	and clan of	and clan of	5
`H4940-07`	לְ/מִשְׁפַּחַ֣ת	lemishepachat	`HR/Ncfsc`	for the family	to the joined-kin group of	to the clan of	4
`H4940-11`	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔י/ו	lemishepechotayv	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3ms`	by his families	to his clans	to his clans	4
`H4940-25`	מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖/וֹ	mishepacheto	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	his family	his clan	his clan	4
`H4940-39`	וּ/מִשְׁפְּחוֹת֙	umishepechot	`HC/Ncfpc`	and the families	and kinship-groups of	and clans of	4
`H4940-21`	מִשְׁפָּחָ֨ה	mishepachah	`HNcfsa`	family	kinship clan	clan	3
`H4940-04`	הַ/מִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹת	hamishepachot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	families	the kinship-groups	the kinship-groups	2
`H4940-12`	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵי/הֶ֔ם	lemishepechoteyhem	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their clans	to their clans	2
`H4940-13`	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתֵי/כֶ֖ם	lemishepechoteykhem	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp2mp`	according to your families	to your kinship-groups	to your kinship-groups	2
`H4940-19`	מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖/וֹ	mimishepacheto	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms`	from his family	from his clan	from his clan	2
`H4940-24`	מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑/י	mishepacheti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my family	my clan	my clan	2
`H4940-32`	וּ/לְ/מִשְׁפְּח֤וֹת	ulemishepechot	`HC/R/Ncfpc`	and to the families	and to clans of	and to clans of	2
`H4940-01`	בְּ/מִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֑/ם	bemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	in their families	in their clans	in their clans	1
`H4940-02`	בְּ/מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵי/הֶֽם	bemishepechoteyhem	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	among their families	in their clans	among their families	1
`H4940-05`	כְּ/מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת	kemishepechot	`HR/Ncfpc`	like the families	as clans of	like the families	1
`H4940-06`	לַ/מִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹת	lamishepachot	`HRd/Ncfpa`	to-the-families	to the clans	to the families	1
`H4940-08`	לְ/מִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת	lemishepachot	`HR/Ncfpa`	by families	to kinship-groups	by kinship-groups	1
`H4940-14`	ל/משפחת/ו	lmshfchtv	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3ms`	by its families	to his clans	to his clans	1
`H4940-15`	מִ/מִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה	mimishepachah	`HR/Ncfsa`	from a family	from a clan	from a clan	1
`H4940-17`	מִֽ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתָּ֡/ם	mimishepachetam	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp`	from their family	from their clan	from their clan	1
`H4940-18`	מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖/י	mimishepacheti	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs`	from my family	from my clan	from my family	1
`H4940-23`	מִשְׁפַּחְתָּ֔/ם	mishepachetam	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their family	their clan	their clan	1
`H4940-28`	מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	mishepechotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their families	their clans	their clans	1
`H4940-29`	מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֶ֖י/הָ	mishepechoteyha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her families	her kinship-groups	her families	1
`H4940-30`	וּ/לְ/מִשְׁפָּחָ֖ה	ulemishepachah	`HC/R/Ncfsa`	and a family	and to a clan	and to a clan	1
`H4940-31`	וּ/לְ/מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑/וֹ	ulemishepacheto	`HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms`	and to his family	and to his clan	and to his family	1
`H4940-33`	וּ/מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתָּ/ם֙	umimishepachetam	`HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3mp`	and from their families	and from their clan	and from their family	1
`H4940-34`	וּ/מִֽ/מִּשְׁפְּח֖וֹת	umimishepechot	`HC/R/Ncfpc`	and from the families	and from clans of	and from the clans of	1
`H4940-35`	וּ/מִשְׁפָּחָ֔ה	umishepachah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-family	and clan	and family	1
`H4940-37`	וּ/מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ/י֙	umishepacheti	`HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs`	and my family	and my clan	and my clan	1
`H4940-38`	וּ/מִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת	umishepachot	`HC/Ncfpa`	and families	and kinship-groups	and kinship-groups	1
`H4940-40`	וּ/בְ/מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑/וֹ	uvemishepacheto	`HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms`	and-against-his-family	and in his clan	and against his clan	1
`H4940-41`	וְ/הַ/מִּשְׁפָּחָ֞ה	vehamishepachah	`HC/Td/Ncfsa`	and-the-family	and the clan	and the family	1

Occurrences in Scripture

304 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H4940-12`	Genesis 8:19	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵי/הֶ֔ם	lemishepechoteyhem	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their clans	to their clans
`H4940-10`	Genesis 10:5	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-27`	Genesis 10:18	מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of
`H4940-10`	Genesis 10:20	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Genesis 10:31	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-27`	Genesis 10:32	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֧ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of
`H4940-27`	Genesis 12:3	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of
`H4940-24`	Genesis 24:38	מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑/י	mishepacheti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my family	my clan	my clan
`H4940-18`	Genesis 24:40	מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖/י	mimishepacheti	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs`	from my family	from my clan	from my family
`H4940-24`	Genesis 24:41	מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑/י	mishepacheti	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my family	my clan	my clan
`H4940-27`	Genesis 28:14	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of
`H4940-10`	Genesis 36:40	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-27`	Exodus 6:14	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	the clans of	clans of	clans of
`H4940-27`	Exodus 6:15	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	the clans of	clans of	clans of
`H4940-10`	Exodus 6:17	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽ/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their clans	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-27`	Exodus 6:19	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	the clans of	clans of	clans of
`H4940-27`	Exodus 6:24	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	the families of	clans of	clans of
`H4940-10`	Exodus 6:25	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽ/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	according to their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-13`	Exodus 12:21	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתֵי/כֶ֖ם	lemishepechoteykhem	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp2mp`	according to your families	to your kinship-groups	to your kinship-groups
`H4940-40`	Leviticus 20:5	וּ/בְ/מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑/וֹ	uvemishepacheto	`HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms`	and-against-his-family	and in his clan	and against his clan
`H4940-25`	Leviticus 25:10	מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖/וֹ	mishepacheto	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	his family	his clan	his clan
`H4940-25`	Leviticus 25:41	מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔/וֹ	mishepacheto	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	his family	his clan	his clan
`H4940-33`	Leviticus 25:45	וּ/מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתָּ/ם֙	umimishepachetam	`HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3mp`	and from their families	and from their clan	and from their family
`H4940-22`	Leviticus 25:47	מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת	mishepachat	`HNcfsc`	of the family	clan of	clan of
`H4940-19`	Leviticus 25:49	מִ/מִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖/וֹ	mimishepacheto	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms`	from his family	from his clan	from his clan
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:2	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-28`	Numbers 1:18	מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	mishepechotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their families	their clans	their clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:20	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:22	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:24	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:26	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:28	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:30	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:32	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:34	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:36	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:38	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:40	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 1:42	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their clans	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-11`	Numbers 2:34	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖י/ו	lemishepechotayv	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3ms`	by his families	to his clans	to his clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 3:15	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 3:18	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 3:19	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-10`	Numbers 3:20	לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם	lemishepechotam	`HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp`	by their families	to their joined clans	to their joined clans
`H4940-27`	Numbers 3:20	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of
`H4940-22`	Numbers 3:21	מִשְׁפַּ֨חַת֙	mishepachat	`HNcfsc`	family	clan of	clan of
`H4940-36`	Numbers 3:21	וּ/מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת	umishepachat	`HC/Ncfsc`	and family	and clan of	and clan of
`H4940-27`	Numbers 3:21	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of
`H4940-27`	Numbers 3:23	מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת	mishepechot	`HNcfpc`	families	clans of	clans of
`H4940-22`	Numbers 3:27	מִשְׁפַּ֤חַת	mishepachat	`HNcfsc`	the family	clan of	clan of

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