Bible Word Study
מֻפִּים
Muppîym · Muppim, an Israelite
מֻפִּים
Muppim, an Israelite
Definition
Muppim is a proper name referring to a descendant of Benjamin, listed among the sons of Benjamin who went to Egypt with Jacob (Genesis 46:21). The name appears only in this genealogical list. In the parallel list in Numbers 26:39, the name Shephupham (שְׁפוּפָם, H8197) is used, which is considered a variant or possibly a scribal variation of Muppim. As a personal name, it identifies a specific individual within the tribe of Benjamin during the patriarchal period.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in Genesis 46:21, within a genealogical list. It functions solely as a proper name to identify one of the sons of Benjamin. There are no other contextual uses or patterns, as it is a unique personal identifier in a family record.
Etymology
The name Muppim (מֻפִּים) is a plural form, apparently derived from the root נוּף (nûph, H5130), meaning 'to wave' or 'to move to and fro.' The plural ending may imply 'wavings.' It is compared to Shuppim (שֻׁפִּים, H8206), another Benjaminite name in 1 Chronicles 7:12, 15, which may share a similar linguistic root or concept.
Semantic Range
As a personal name from the patriarchal era, 'Muppim' reflects the common Israelite practice of using meaningful words or phrases for names, often related to circumstances of birth, divine attributes, or hopes. The meaning 'wavings' is obscure but may have held a specific significance to the family at the time. Its variant in other lists (Shephupham) illustrates the fluidity in the transmission of some ancient names within biblical genealogies. Shephupham (Shephupham, H8197) — A variant name listed for the same individual in Numbers 26:39. Shuppim (Shuppim, H8206) — A similar-sounding name belonging to a different Benjaminite in later genealogies (1 Chronicles 7:12, 15).
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]