Original Word: חָפְשׁוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chophshuwth
Pronunciation: khof-SHOOTH or khof-SHEETH
Phonetic Spelling: (khof-shooth')
KJV: several
NASB: separate
Word Origin: [from H2666 (חָפַשׁ - free)]

1. prostration by sickness (with H1004, a hospital)

several

And chophshiyth {khof-sheeth'}; from chaphash; prostration by sickness (with bayith, a hospital) -- several.

see HEBREW chaphash

see HEBREW bayith

Word Origin
from chaphash
Definition
freedom, separateness
NASB Translation
separate (2).

חָפְשִׁית, חפשׁות noun feminine freedom, separateness, only בֵּית הַחָפְשִׁית 2 Kings 15:5 2Chronicles 26:21 Qr (Kt החפשׁות) i.e. (si vera 1.) a separate house — a house apart (on account of his disease).

חֵץ see below חצץ.

Meaning and Scope

חָפְשׁוּת (chophshuth) denotes “freedom” or “liberty,” drawn from the root חָפְשִׁי (chophshi, free). In its two canonical appearances the word describes a dwelling set apart from normal public life. Ironically, the term of liberty is applied to a place of enforced seclusion, demonstrating that biblical freedom is not mere autonomy but a condition defined by God’s covenantal order.

Occurrences in Scripture

• 2 Kings 15:5 – King Azariah (Uzziah) “lived in a separate house” after the LORD struck him with leprosy.
• 2 Chronicles 26:21 – The Chronicler repeats the event, adding that the king “was cut off from the house of the LORD.”

Both references employ חָפְשׁוּת for the “separate” quarters to which the leprous monarch was confined.

Historical Setting

Azariah’s lengthy reign (circa 792–740 B.C.) brought military success and agricultural prosperity (2 Chronicles 26:6-15). Yet pride led him to usurp priestly prerogatives by burning incense in the temple (26:16-19). His sudden leprosy fulfilled the Mosaic penalty for encroaching on sacred space (Numbers 12:10; Leviticus 13–14). Because the disease rendered him ceremonially unclean, royal protocol required a residence outside the palace complex. This “house of freedom” likely lay within the royal precincts but isolated from communal worship and governance.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Holiness and Human Boundaries

The juxtaposition of “freedom” with quarantine underscores a covenant principle: true liberty is bounded by God’s holiness. When that boundary is transgressed, the sinner is “free” only in the sense of being released from covenant privileges (cf. Romans 6:20).

2. Leadership and Accountability

The king who once enjoyed unchallenged authority now depends on others—“Jotham his son had charge of the royal palace” (2 Kings 15:5). Scripture affirms that no office exempts one from divine discipline (James 3:1).

3. Foreshadowing Redemptive Freedom

The leper-king’s exclusion anticipates the greater liberation accomplished by Christ, who “took up our infirmities” (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17) to bring “freedom in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 2:4). The contrast between enforced isolation and the gospel’s emancipating grace heightens the glory of the new covenant.

Ministry and Pastoral Application

• Holiness and Worship – Congregational life must honor God’s standards. Leaders who violate those standards require appropriate correction (1 Timothy 5:20).
• Discipline as Mercy – Like Uzziah’s confinement, church discipline aims at restoration, not mere punishment (2 Corinthians 2:6-8).
• Freedom Defined by Obedience – Believers are exhorted, “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil” (1 Peter 2:16).
• Suffering and Service – Illness or limitation can redirect a servant of God to new forms of usefulness, as Jotham’s regency ensured covenant continuity despite his father’s incapacity.

Related Old Testament Usage of the Root

The adjective חָפְשִׁי regularly describes release from slavery (Exodus 21:2; Jeremiah 34:9-11). In contrast, חָפְשׁוּת labels a leper’s isolation. Together the root family illustrates a spectrum: freedom may be a joyful deliverance or an enforced separation, depending on one’s covenant standing.

Conclusion

חָפְשׁוּת offers a concise yet profound glimpse into biblical liberty. Real freedom flourishes within God-ordained boundaries; outside them, what is called freedom becomes estrangement. Uzziah’s account warns and instructs, driving the reader to the One who alone sets captives free “so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:5).

הַֽחָפְשִׁית֙ הַחָפְשִׁ֑ית החפשית ha·ḥā·p̄ə·šîṯ hachafeShit haḥāp̄əšîṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts