Bible Word Study
חוּפָם
Chûwphâm · Chupham, an Israelite
חוּפָם
Chupham, an Israelite
Definition
Chupham (חוּפָם) is a proper noun referring to an Israelite man, the son of Benjamin and founder of the Huphamite clan, as recorded in the census of Numbers 26:39. The name appears only in this genealogical context, where it identifies one of the familial heads descended from Jacob's son Benjamin. In the parallel genealogy of 1 Chronicles 7:12, the name 'Huppim' (חֻפִּים, H2650) is likely a variant spelling or a closely related individual from the same tribal line. As a personal name, its meaning is derived from its etymological root rather than denoting a separate concept.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a proper name in the Old Testament, appearing only in Numbers 26:39 within the context of the second wilderness census. It functions solely to identify a clan founder within the tribe of Benjamin. The parallel list in 1 Chronicles 8:5 mentions 'Huppim,' which many scholars consider a textual variant or a related clan name from the same Benjaminite lineage.
Etymology
The name Chupham is derived from the same root as H2348 (חוֹף, chôph), meaning 'shore' or 'coast,' often implying a place of protection or covering. It is a gentilic or patronymic formation, meaning 'belonging to Chupham' or 'descended from Chupham.' As a personal name, it likely carried the sense of 'protected' or 'sheltered,' reflecting a hope or characteristic attributed to the individual or clan.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, personal names often held significant meaning, reflecting circumstances of birth, parental hopes, or attributes of God. As a clan name within Benjamin, Chupham signifies tribal identity and inheritance rights in the Promised Land, as detailed in the census of Numbers 26. The preservation of such names in genealogies underscored the importance of lineage and God's faithfulness to the families of Israel. Huppim (Chuppiym, H2650) — A variant or closely related clan name from the tribe of Benjamin, appearing in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 7:12.
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]