Original Word: חֻפְשָׁה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chuphshah
Pronunciation: khoof-shaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (khoof-shaw')
KJV: freedom
NASB: freedom
Word Origin: [from H2666 (חָפַשׁ - free)]

1. liberty (from slavery)

freedom

From chaphash; liberty (from slavery) -- freedom.

see HEBREW chaphash

Word Origin
from chaphash
Definition
freedom
NASB Translation
freedom (1).

חֻפְֿשָׁה noun feminine freedom, only לא נִתַּןלָֿהּ ׳ח Leviticus 19:20 (H) freedom had not been given to her.

Meaning and Scope

חֻפְשָׁה denotes the state of legal release from servitude, specifically the formal grant of manumission to a female slave. It is cognate with the more common adjective חָפְשִׁי (“free”) and appears once in the Hebrew canon, highlighting the carefully defined boundaries between bondage and liberty within Israel’s covenant community.

Context in Leviticus 19:20

Leviticus 19:20 addresses a case in which “a man has sexual relations with a slave girl who is promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or released.” Because the woman has not yet received her חֻפְשָׁה, the incident is judged differently than adultery involving a free wife. The passage requires “punishment” (literally, an investigation and reparation), yet specifically forbids capital penalties “because she was not free.” The statute:
• Protects an un-emancipated woman from bearing full moral culpability when her status limits consent.
• Preserves the sanctity of betrothal by requiring restitution to the offended party.
• Balances justice with mercy, reflecting Yahweh’s concern for both moral order and the vulnerable.

Freedom and Servitude in the Mosaic Law

1. Six-year release (Exodus 21:2) and Jubilee emancipation (Leviticus 25:10) establish liberty as the divine ideal, even while regulating temporary servitude.
2. חֻפְשָׁה underscores that manumission is a real, documentable event; until it occurs a slave remains under her master’s authority with limited legal agency.
3. The law’s precision precludes exploitation by delineating liability: a master cannot overlook obligations, and outsiders may not violate a servant’s person without consequence.

Theological Significance

The single appearance of חֻפְשָׁה operates as a textual hinge between Israel’s experience of redemption from Egypt and the prophetic promise of ultimate freedom. Israel’s own liberation becomes the ethical foundation for granting release to others (Deuteronomy 15:15). Thus even a marginal term like חֻפְשָׁה testifies to the consistent redemptive motif running from Exodus to the prophets and culminating in Messiah.

Foreshadowing Redemption in Christ

Just as legal freedom could be conferred on an Israelite slave, the Gospel announces a greater liberation. Jesus reads Isaiah’s proclamation of “freedom for the captives” (Luke 4:18) and fulfills it by paying the price of redemption (Mark 10:45). Paul connects the language of manumission to salvation: “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1). The Old Testament term provides the concrete background for the New Testament metaphor: believers, once slaves to sin, now possess irrevocable חֻפְשָׁה in Christ.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Advocacy: The verse calls modern disciples to protect those lacking power—trafficked persons, migrant laborers, or anyone denied basic agency.
• Sexual ethics: It underscores the seriousness of exploiting an economically dependent individual; genuine consent requires true freedom.
• Discipleship: Pastors may employ the imagery of חֻפְשָׁה to assure believers of their complete release from sin’s mastery, encouraging holy living grounded in gratitude rather than fear.

Related Hebrew Vocabulary

חָפְשִׁי (free) – describes the status of a person already emancipated (Jeremiah 34:9).

דְּרוֹר (liberty) – Jubilee freedom proclaimed nationwide (Leviticus 25:10).

גְּאֻלָּה (redemption) – the act of paying a price to secure release (Leviticus 25:24-25).

These terms complement חֻפְשָׁה, together portraying the layered biblical portrait of deliverance—legal, economic, and ultimately spiritual.

חֻפְשָׁ֖ה חפשה chufShah ḥup̄·šāh ḥup̄šāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts