צְפוֹן
𐤑𐤐𐤅𐤍
Tsefon
H6827 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Zephon; a personal name designating an individual among the descendants of Esau, specifically listed as a leader or chieftain of Edom. The word functions as a proper noun referring to a person rather than carrying independent semantic meaning in biblical usage.
Semantic Range
proper name (Zephon), associated with Edomite lineage; does not occur with a non-proper noun sense
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. Though the Masoretic spelling suggests a relationship to the root צפן (ts-f-n, 'to hide, treasure, store up'), in this name form the etymology is obscure and possibly unrelated to the root's core meaning. The similarity to צִפְיוֹן (Ziphion) elsewhere indicates that 'Zephon' may represent an alternate or dialectical spelling of the same tribal or clan name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Genesis 36:11, Tsᵉphôwn (Zephon) is listed as a son of Eliphaz, son of Esau (thus an Edomite leader), paralleling the name Ziphion (צִפְיוֹן) found in Genesis 46:16 among the descendants of Gad. The possible relationship or confusion between these names in different tribal lists points to either a textual variant or an adoption of names across tribal boundaries. The term does not occur elsewhere with an independent lexical sense. English translations generally use 'Zephon,' which reflects the Hebrew form directly, though some traditions have rendered it 'Zepho' or confused it with 'Ziphion.' The name itself does not appear to encode ethnic, religious, or geographic meaning beyond its identification with an Edomite clan.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably for צִפְיוֹן; Tsephon, an Israelite; Zephon.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צפן (ts-p-n) — to hide, to store up, to treasure
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4710 | מִצְפֻּן | his concealed stores |
| H6828 | צָפוֹן | in the north |
| H6829 | צָפוֹן | and Zaphon |
| H6830 | צְפוֹנִי | the Northerner |
| H6831 | צְפוֹנִי | the Tsephonite clansman |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6827-01 |
לִ/צְפ֗וֹן | litsefon | HR/Np |
of Zephon | to Zephon | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6827-01 |
Numbers 26:15 | לִ/צְפ֗וֹן | litsefon | HR/Np |
of Zephon | to Zephon |