Bible Word Study
בֶּן־זוֹחֵת
Ben-Zôwchêth · Ben-Zocheth, an Israelite
בֶּן־זוֹחֵת
Ben-Zocheth, an Israelite
Definition
Ben-Zocheth is a proper name meaning 'son of Zocheth,' referring to an Israelite individual listed in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. The name appears only in 1 Chronicles 4:20, where he is mentioned as a descendant of Shobal. As a genealogical entry, the name serves to establish lineage and tribal identity within the biblical record. No other meanings or senses are associated with this specific name in Scripture.
Biblical Usage
This name is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in the genealogical lists of 1 Chronicles 4:20. It functions solely as a personal identifier within the chronicler's record of Judah's descendants. There are no narrative contexts or patterns of usage beyond this single genealogical notation.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'Ben' (בֵּן, H1121), meaning 'son of,' and 'Zocheth' (זוֹחֵת, H2105), which is a proper name of uncertain meaning. It follows the common Hebrew patronymic naming pattern, indicating familial descent.
Semantic Range
The name reflects the common Israelite practice of using patronymics (identifying a person as the 'son of' their father) in personal names. Genealogies like the one in 1 Chronicles were vital for establishing tribal lineage, inheritance rights, and, for the tribe of Judah, the royal Davidic line. The inclusion of such names underscores the biblical importance of community and covenantal identity passed through family lines.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]