מוֹפַעַת
Mophaath or Mephaath, a place in Palestine
Definition
Mophaath (also spelled Mephaath) was a city in the territory of the tribe of Reuben, east of the Jordan River. It was designated as one of the Levitical cities given to the Merarite clan of Levites (Joshua 21:37, 1 Chronicles 6:79). Later, it appears in a prophetic oracle against Moab, indicating it was under Moabite control by the time of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 48:21). The name itself means 'illuminative' or 'splendor,' suggesting it may have been a place of some prominence or beauty.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun is used exclusively as a geographical location. It appears in two main contexts: in historical lists allocating cities to the tribes of Israel (Joshua 13:18, Joshua 21:37, 1 Chronicles 6:79) and in a prophetic judgment against the nation of Moab (Jeremiah 48:21). Its usage in Jeremiah shows a shift in territorial control, as a city originally allotted to Israel is later counted among Moab's possessions.
Etymology
The name מוֹפַעַת (Môwphaʻath) derives from the Hebrew root יָפַע (yāphaʻ, H3313), meaning 'to shine, to send out light.' This root gives the name a sense of 'illuminative,' 'splendor,' or 'shining place.' The variant spellings (מֵיפַעַת and מֵפַעַת) found in the biblical text are simply alternate forms of the same place name.
Semantic Range
As a geographical place name, Mophaath itself does not carry direct theological significance. However, its inclusion in the Levitical city lists (Joshua 21, 1 Chronicles 6) highlights God's provision for the priestly tribe who received no land inheritance. Its mention in Jeremiah 48:21 within a prophecy of judgment against Moab serves as a historical marker of Israel's loss of territory due to unfaithfulness, connecting geography to the consequences of covenant breaking.
In the ancient Near East, city names often described a location's physical characteristic or expressed a hope for its nature. A name meaning 'shining' or 'splendor' likely indicated Mophaath was a notable or desirable settlement. Its assignment as a Levitical city placed it among 48 cities set apart for the religious and instructional ministry of the Levites throughout Israel.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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