3473. Yishpan
Lexical Summary
Yishpan: Yishpan

Original Word: יִשְׁפָּן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yishpan
Pronunciation: yish-PAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (yish-pawn')
KJV: Ishpan
NASB: Ishpan
Word Origin: [probably from the same as H8227 (שָׁפָן - Rock hyrax)]

1. he will hide
2. Jishpan, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Ishpan

Probably from the same as shaphan; he will hide; Jishpan, an Israelite -- Ishpan.

see HEBREW shaphan

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as shaphan
Definition
a Benjamite
NASB Translation
Ishpan (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
יִשְׁמָּן proper name, masculine in Benjamin 1 Chronicles 8:22; Ισφαν, A Εσφαν, ᵐ5L Ιεσφαν.

שׁפע (√ of following; Late Hebrew שָׁפַע flow abundantly, be abundant; ᵑ7 שְׁפַע, Syriac , overflow, abound).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

“Ishpan, Eber, and Eliel” (1 Chronicles 8:22). The sole biblical appearance of יִשְׁפָּן (Yishpan, Ishpan) is within the tribal genealogy of Benjamin preserved by the Chronicler.

Genealogical Context within Benjamin

1. Position in the list: Ishpan is named among a cluster of sons (1 Chronicles 8:20–23) who descend from Shimei, himself a Benjamite chieftain.
2. Purpose of the genealogy: 1 Chronicles records Benjamin’s lines to affirm the tribe’s continuity after the exile, to locate land allotments, and to establish legitimate leadership. Ishpan’s inclusion, though brief, supports the Chronicler’s overarching aim—documenting God’s faithful preservation of every family line (compare Ezra 2:62–63).

Historical Setting

Chronicles was written after the return from Babylon. By then, Benjamin had suffered fragmentation through warfare (Judges 20) and exile (2 Kings 24–25). A meticulous listing—in which Ishpan appears—restored a sense of identity and covenant heritage for a remnant people rebuilding Jerusalem and its worship (Nehemiah 11:4).

Significance for the Davidic and Messianic Narrative

Benjamin, the tribe of King Saul, provides a contrasting backdrop to Judah’s royal line. The Chronicler’s equal attention to Benjamin, including minor figures such as Ishpan, underlines the unity of Israel around the temple and anticipates the ingathering of all tribes under the future Davidic King (Jeremiah 33:7–11; Ezekiel 37:15–28).

Lessons for Ministry and Faith

1. God values the unnoticed. Although Scripture offers no deeds or sayings of Ishpan, his name is securely fixed in the inspired record. The church can draw encouragement that every member’s faithfulness is known to God (Hebrews 6:10).
2. Covenant memory shapes identity. Like post-exilic Israel, modern believers remember their spiritual ancestry (Galatians 3:29). Genealogies such as Ishpan’s encourage stewardship of family and congregational history.
3. Precision in Scripture. The single occurrence of Ishpan exemplifies Scripture’s detail. Pastors and teachers may confidently mine every name for theological depth, trusting the Spirit’s purposeful inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Intertextual Connections

• Benjamin’s resilience: Genesis 49:27; Judges 20:35–48; 1 Samuel 13:2.
• Post-exilic repopulation: Ezra 10:9; Nehemiah 11:31–36.
• Apostolic echo: Paul, “a Hebrew of Hebrews; of the tribe of Benjamin” (Philippians 3:5). Paul’s lineage traces back through figures like Ishpan, testifying to God’s long-term providence.

Applications for the Church

1. Record keeping—documenting baptisms, ordinations, and missionary endeavors—mirrors the Chronicler’s concern for precise lineage.
2. Encouragement to the obscure laborer: Ishpan’s silent testimony assures believers that prominence is not the measure of worth in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 1:27–29).
3. Corporate solidarity: As Benjamin stood alongside Judah in rebuilding, congregations today cooperate across background and gifting for the single purpose of exalting Christ (Ephesians 4:16).

Ishpan’s brief yet secure place in Scripture teaches that no servant of God is forgotten, every family thread is woven into redemptive history, and the faithfulness of one generation strengthens the next until the coming of the King in whom all genealogies find their goal (Revelation 7:4–10).

Forms and Transliterations
וְיִשְׁפָּ֥ן וישפן veyishPan wə·yiš·pān wəyišpān
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Englishman's Concordance
1 Chronicles 8:22
HEB: וְיִשְׁפָּ֥ן וָעֵ֖בֶר וֶאֱלִיאֵֽל׃
NAS: Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,
KJV: And Ishpan, and Heber, and Eliel,
INT: Ishpan Eber Eliel

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3473
1 Occurrence


wə·yiš·pān — 1 Occ.

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