Bible Word Study
יִשְׁפָּן
Yishpân · Jishpan, an Israelite
יִשְׁפָּן
Jishpan, an Israelite
Definition
Yishpân (Jishpan) is a proper name referring to a specific individual mentioned in the Old Testament. He is listed as a son of Shashak, a Benjamite, within a genealogical record of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:22). The name appears only in this context, and no other details about his life, actions, or significance are provided in the biblical text. As such, the entry serves primarily as a historical record of lineage within the tribe of Benjamin following the exile.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 8:22. Its usage is strictly genealogical, appearing in a list of Benjamite descendants. There are no narrative contexts or patterns of usage beyond this single occurrence in a post-exilic chronicle.
Etymology
The name Yishpân (יִשְׁפָּן) is likely derived from the root שָׁפַן (shaphan, H8227), meaning 'to hide' or 'conceal.' It is probably a verbal form meaning 'he will hide' or 'he hides.' This suggests the name carried a meaning related to protection or concealment, a common theme in Hebrew naming conventions.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often significant and descriptive. A name like Yishpân ('he will hide') may have expressed a parent's hope for divine protection for their child or reflected circumstances surrounding his birth. Its inclusion in a post-exilic genealogy (1 Chronicles 8) highlights the importance of preserving tribal and family lineages as a core part of Israel's identity and connection to God's promises, even after the disruption of the exile.
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]