8202. Shaphat
Lexical Summary
Shaphat: To judge, govern, vindicate, punish

Original Word: שָׁפָט
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shaphat
Pronunciation: shah-FAT
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-fawt')
KJV: Shaphat
NASB: Shaphat
Word Origin: [from H8199 (שָׁפַט - judge)]

1. judge
2. Shaphat, the name of four Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Shaphat

From shaphat; judge; Shaphat, the name of four Israelites -- Shaphat.

see HEBREW shaphat

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from shaphat
Definition
"he has judged," five Isr.
NASB Translation
Shaphat (8).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שָׁפָט proper name, masculine (he hath judged); — usually Σαφατ[θ]:

1 father of Elilsha 1 Kings 19:16,19; 2 Kings 3:11; 2 Kings 6:31.

2 prince of Simeon Numbers 13:5.

3 grandson of Zerubbabel 1 Chronicles 3:22.

4 Gaddite chief 1 Chronicles 5:12 (Σαβατ, Σαφαμ [ν]).

5 herdsman of David 1 Chronicles 27:29 (Σωφαν, A Σωφατ, ᵐ5L Σαφατ).

Topical Lexicon
Name Significance

Shaphat embodies the idea of judgment or justice rendered, reminding the reader that every narrative thread bearing this name is set against the backdrop of the Lord’s sovereign rule over Israel’s history.

Shaphat the Simeonite Spy (Numbers 13:5)

“from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori”.

As one of the twelve men sent to reconnoiter Canaan, this Shaphat stood at the pivot point between promise and unbelief. Although Scripture does not single out his report, the collective failure of the majority foreshadows the tragic forty-year wilderness wandering. His inclusion highlights the responsibility of spiritual representatives: they may shape an entire generation’s response to God’s word.

Shaphat of Abel-Meholah, Father of Elisha (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 3:11; 2 Kings 6:31)

1 Kings 19:19 recounts: “So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat… Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.”

This patriarch never speaks in the record, yet his silent influence is weighty. Raising Elisha on a prosperous farm with “twelve pairs of oxen,” he evidently modeled diligence and covenant loyalty, preparing a son whose ministry would confront kings, heal the sick, and defend the remnant. When the Northern king threatened Elisha’s life (2 Kings 6:31), the repeated identification “son of Shaphat” subtly honors the father who helped form a prophet bold enough to stand alone.

Shaphat the Post-Exilic Davidic Descendant (1 Chronicles 3:22)

Named among six sons of Shemaiah, this Shaphat belongs to the line of David preserved after the Babylonian exile. His mention certifies the continuity of messianic hope; the royal genealogy was not lost, ensuring later generations could trace the legal credentials of the promised King (Matthew 1; Luke 3).

Shaphat the Gadite Warrior-Leader (1 Chronicles 5:12)

“Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, and Shaphat and Jaanai in Bashan.”

Located east of the Jordan, Bashan was often contested. Having a leader named Shaphat—“judged”—in a border region underscores the tribe’s call to uphold justice and defend Israel’s inheritance against encroaching powers.

Shaphat son of Adlai, Royal Overseer (1 Chronicles 27:29)

“over the herds in the valleys was Shaphat son of Adlai.”

In David’s military-administrative roster, this Shaphat managed valley livestock, an assignment vital to national economy and sacrificial worship. The office illustrates how faithful stewardship of material resources supports the spiritual life of the kingdom.

Theological and Ministry Insights

1. Covenant Accountability: Every bearer of the name intersects with themes of judgment—whether exploring Canaan, speaking prophetically, governing people, or guarding resources. God’s standards permeate every sphere of service.
2. Generational Influence: Shaphat of Abel-Meholah shows how a godly home can equip children for extraordinary callings. Parents shape prophets.
3. Ordinary Faithfulness: The overseer and the Gadite leader remind believers that obscurer roles—herd management, frontier defense—still matter to the Lord who notices and records names.
4. Continuity of Promise: The Davidic Shaphat testifies that, despite exile and upheaval, God preserves a lineage and a remnant, vindicating His word.

Practical Lessons for Today

• Represent the Lord well when entrusted with leadership; unbelief carries corporate consequences.
• Cultivate homes where work, worship, and readiness for God’s call coexist.
• Embrace supporting roles that sustain the broader mission of the Church.
• Trust that God’s judgments are righteous and His promises unbreakable, even when history appears fragile.

Thus the eight brief mentions of Shaphat together form a mosaic of divine judgment, covenant fidelity, and multigenerational faithfulness—threads that continue to encourage and exhort believers in every age.

Forms and Transliterations
וְשָׁפָ֖ט ושפט שָׁפָ֔ט שָׁפָ֖ט שָׁפָ֛ט שָׁפָט֙ שפט šā·p̄āṭ šāp̄āṭ shaFat veshaFat wə·šā·p̄āṭ wəšāp̄āṭ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Numbers 13:5
HEB: לְמַטֵּ֣ה שִׁמְע֔וֹן שָׁפָ֖ט בֶּן־ חוֹרִֽי׃
NAS: of Simeon, Shaphat the son
KJV: of Simeon, Shaphat the son
INT: the tribe of Simeon Shaphat the son of Hori

1 Kings 19:16
HEB: אֱלִישָׁ֤ע בֶּן־ שָׁפָט֙ מֵאָבֵ֣ל מְחוֹלָ֔ה
NAS: the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah
KJV: the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah
INT: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shall anoint

1 Kings 19:19
HEB: אֱלִישָׁ֤ע בֶּן־ שָׁפָט֙ וְה֣וּא חֹרֵ֔שׁ
NAS: the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing
KJV: the son of Shaphat, who [was] plowing
INT: Elisha the son of Shaphat he was plowing

2 Kings 3:11
HEB: אֱלִישָׁ֣ע בֶּן־ שָׁפָ֔ט אֲשֶׁר־ יָ֥צַק
NAS: the son of Shaphat is here,
KJV: the son of Shaphat, which poured
INT: Elisha the son of Shaphat who to pour

2 Kings 6:31
HEB: אֱלִישָׁ֧ע בֶּן־ שָׁפָ֛ט עָלָ֖יו הַיּֽוֹם׃
NAS: the son of Shaphat remains
KJV: the son of Shaphat shall stand
INT: of Elisha the son of Shaphat on today

1 Chronicles 3:22
HEB: וּבָרִ֧יחַ וּנְעַרְיָ֛ה וְשָׁפָ֖ט שִׁשָּֽׁה׃
NAS: Bariah, Neariah and Shaphat, six.
KJV: and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.
INT: Bariah Neariah and Shaphat six

1 Chronicles 5:12
HEB: הַמִּשְׁנֶ֑ה וְיַעְנַ֥י וְשָׁפָ֖ט בַּבָּשָֽׁן׃
NAS: then Janai and Shaphat in Bashan.
KJV: and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
INT: the second Janai and Shaphat Bashan

1 Chronicles 27:29
HEB: הַבָּקָר֙ בָּֽעֲמָקִ֔ים שָׁפָ֖ט בֶּן־ עַדְלָֽי׃
NAS: in Sharon; and Shaphat the son
KJV: [that were] in the valleys [was] Shaphat the son
INT: of the cattle the valleys and Shaphat the son of Adlai

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 8202
8 Occurrences


šā·p̄āṭ — 6 Occ.
wə·šā·p̄āṭ — 2 Occ.

8201
Top of Page
Top of Page