Bible Word Study
חֻפָּה
Chuppâh · Chuppah, an Israelite
חֻפָּה
Chuppah, an Israelite
Definition
Chuppah is a proper noun referring to an Israelite priest who served during the reign of King David. He is listed as the head of the thirteenth priestly division (1 Chronicles 24:13). The name is identical to the common noun חֻפָּה (chuppâh, H2646), which means 'canopy' or 'covering,' often associated with a wedding chamber or a protective shelter. In its sole biblical occurrence, it functions solely as a personal name, with no indication that the meaning of the common noun directly informs the character's role or narrative.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 24:13. It appears in a purely administrative and genealogical context, listing the heads of the twenty-four priestly divisions established by David for temple service. There are no narrative stories or other usages associated with this individual.
Etymology
The name Chuppah is derived from the identical common noun חֻפָּה (chuppâh, H2646), meaning 'canopy,' 'chamber,' or 'covering.' This root is associated with protection and enclosure, famously used in contexts like the wedding canopy (as in Psalm 19:5 and Joel 2:16). As a personal name, it likely carried symbolic or aspirational meaning related to shelter or blessing, a common practice in Hebrew onomastics.
Semantic Range
While the individual Chuppah is not theologically significant, his inclusion highlights the theme of orderly worship and priestly service established under David. It reflects God's concern for structured, representative ministry within the covenant community (1 Chronicles 24). Understanding this as a personal name, distinct from the common noun, prevents symbolic misinterpretation of the verse. In ancient Israel, names were often meaningful words or phrases. Bearing a name like Chuppah ('canopy') may have conveyed hopes for divine protection, blessing, or perhaps even connection to joy and marriage. Its use as a priest's name in a formal roster shows how ordinary Hebrew words were integrated into personal identity. As a proper name, it has no direct synonyms. The related common noun is: חֻפָּה (chuppâh, H2646) — the common noun meaning 'canopy' or 'covering,' from which this personal name is derived.
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]