Lexical Summary Chephri: Chephri Original Word: חֶפְרִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Hepherites Patronymically from Chepher; a Chephrite (collectively) or descendants of Chepher -- Hepherites. see HEBREW Chepher NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Chepher Definition desc. of Hepher NASB Translation Hepherites (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֶפְרִי adjective, of a people of I. חֵפֶר a; only with article as proper name collective ׳הַח Numbers 26:32. Topical Lexicon Name and Lineage חֶפְרִי designates the clan descended from Hepher, a great-grandson of Manasseh through Machir and Gilead (Numbers 26:29-32). The term therefore points not to an individual but to an extended family group within the tribe of Manasseh. Biblical Occurrence The clan is named once, in the second wilderness census: While the specific noun appears only here, members of the clan re-emerge in subsequent narratives, especially in connection with Zelophehad and his daughters (Numbers 27:1-11; 36:1-12; Joshua 17:3-6). Historical Context in the Wilderness Census The second census taken on the plains of Moab identified every family head that would receive a territorial portion in Canaan. Listing the Hepherites underscored their legitimacy for an inheritance even though, within one branch, Zelophehad died with no sons (Numbers 26:33). The census thus anticipates the legal case that follows in Numbers 27. The Issue of Zelophehad’s Inheritance Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah—petitioned Moses: “Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no son?” (Numbers 27:4). The Lord affirmed their plea, instituting a statute that preserved inheritance within the clan while protecting female heirs. The ruling secured the Hepherite allotment and demonstrated the Lord’s equity toward the vulnerable, a principle reiterated when the daughters married within their father’s tribe (Numbers 36:10-12). Territorial Distribution in Canaan Joshua assigned the tribe of Manasseh a large portion on both sides of the Jordan. The daughters of Zelophehad “received an inheritance among their uncles” (Joshua 17:6). Though the text does not name the exact towns of the Hepherites, the legal provisions ensured that their parcel remained intact within the western half-tribe’s territory extending from the Jezreel Valley southward to the hill country of Ephraim. The Hepherites in Later Genealogical Records 1 Chronicles 7:15 notes “Hepher” in the genealogies of Manasseh, showing that earlier clan designations were still recognized centuries after the Conquest. Such continuity indicates that the Hepherites retained their identity and land through the monarchic period. Theological Themes and Ministry Lessons 1. Divine Justice and Family Identity. The census and inheritance laws affirm God’s concern for every clan, however small, safeguarding their allotted heritage. Christological and Ecclesial Reflections Just as the Hepherite inheritance was secured despite apparent obstacles, so the believer’s “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4) is guaranteed by Christ. The safeguarding of the clan’s name anticipates the promise that every believer’s name is written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27), never to be blotted out. Forms and Transliterations הַֽחֶפְרִֽי׃ החפרי׃ ha·ḥep̄·rî HachefRi haḥep̄rîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 26:32 HEB: וְחֵ֕פֶר מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַֽחֶפְרִֽי׃ NAS: the family of the Hepherites. KJV: the family of the Hepherites. INT: and Hepher the family of the Hepherites 1 Occurrence |
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