תַּחֲנִי
a Tachanite (collectively) or descendants of Tachan
Definition
The Hebrew noun תַּחֲנִי (Tachănîy) refers to the descendants of Tachan, a figure in the genealogy of the tribe of Ephraim. It functions as a collective gentilic, meaning 'the Tahanites,' identifying a specific clan or family group within the larger tribal structure of Israel. This term appears only in the context of the second census of Israel recorded in the book of Numbers, specifically in the listing of Ephraim's clans. There are no other major senses or meanings for this word in the biblical text; it is solely a patronymic identifier.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Numbers 26:35. Its usage is strictly genealogical and census-related, appearing in the list of the clans of the tribe of Ephraim recorded during the second numbering of Israel in the plains of Moab. The pattern is consistent with other gentilic names in the chapter, serving to document the familial subdivisions within the tribes as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land.
Etymology
The word תַּחֲנִי (Tachănîy) is derived patronymically from the proper name תַּחַן (Tachan, H8465). It follows a standard Hebrew grammatical pattern for forming a gentilic or demonym, where the suffix '-i' (י) is added to a name to mean 'belonging to' or 'descended from.' The root meaning of the name Tachan itself is uncertain but may be related to a word for 'camp' or 'encampment.'
Semantic Range
In its original cultural setting, this term reflects the paramount importance of genealogy and tribal lineage in ancient Israelite society. A person's identity, inheritance rights, and social standing were deeply tied to their ancestral clan. The recording of names like 'Tahanites' in the official census (Numbers 26) was not merely administrative but was a sacred act of preserving the community's structure as God's chosen people, ensuring each group received its allotted portion in the land.
מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah, H4940) — a broader term for 'family' or 'clan,' whereas תַּחֲנִי specifies a clan descended from a particular ancestor.
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.
Full methodology & sources →