Bible Word Study
שִׁפְעִי
Shiphʻîy · Shiphi, an Israelite
שִׁפְעִי
Shiphi, an Israelite
Definition
Shiphi is a proper name of an Israelite, appearing only once in the Old Testament as the name of an individual within the genealogy of the tribe of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:37). As a personal name, it carries the meaning derived from its root, suggesting 'abundant' or 'copious.' In the biblical context, it serves solely to identify a specific person within a historical lineage, with no other narrative or descriptive details provided about his life or actions.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in 1 Chronicles 4:37, within a list of Simeonite leaders and their descendants. It functions strictly as a proper noun identifying an individual in a genealogical record. There are no other occurrences or contextual variations in its usage.
Etymology
The name Shiphi (שִׁפְעִי) is derived from the Hebrew root שֶׁפַע (shepha`, H8228), which means 'abundance,' 'plenty,' or 'copiousness.' It is a gentilic or patronymic form, meaning 'my abundance' or 'belonging to abundance,' indicating a name given with positive connotations of prosperity or plentiful blessing.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often significant and conveyed meaning or hope. A name like Shiphi, related to abundance, may have reflected parental aspirations for the child's prosperity or acknowledged God's provision. Its appearance only in a genealogy highlights the importance of lineage and tribal identity in preserving community history and inheritance rights.
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]