Lexical Summary
chathan: To become a son-in-law, to make oneself a daughter's husband, to intermarry
Original Word:חָתַן
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:chathan
Pronunciation:khaw-THAN
Phonetic Spelling:(khaw-than')
KJV: join in affinity, father in law, make marriages, mother in law, son in law
NASB:become the son-in-law, intermarry, allied himself by marriage, formed a marriage alliance, marriage alliance, son-in-law
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to give (a daughter) away in marriage
2. (hence, generally) to contract relationship (affinity) by marriage
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
join in affinity, father-in-law, make marriages, mother-in-law, son-in-law
A primitive root; to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage -- join in affinity, father in law, make marriages, mother in law, son in law.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origindenominative verb from
chathanDefinitionmake oneself a daughter's husband
NASB Translationallied himself by marriage (1), become the son-in-law (4), formed a marriage alliance (1), intermarry (4), marriage alliance (1), son-in-law (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Arabic
a circumciser, hence father-in-law, with reference to circumcision performed on young men just before marriage;
relation on wife's side; see We
Prol. 1886, 355 Anm, 1; Skizzen iii, 154 Sta
ZAW 1886. 143 Aum. Nö
ZMG 1886, 187; otherwise Dl
Pr 91 Lag
BN 116) — construct
Exodus 18:1 + 9t.,
Exodus 18:6,
Exodus 3:1+ 9 t.; — usually of Moses'
wife's fatherExodus 3:1;
Exodus 4:18;
Exodus 18:1,2,5,6,7,8,12 (twice in verse);
Exodus 18:14;
Exodus 18:15;
Exodus 18:17;
Exodus 18:24;
Exodus 18:27 (all E),
Numbers 10:29 (J),
Judges 1:16;
Judges 4:11; of a Levite
Judges 19:4,7,9.
wife's mother, only suffixDeuteronomy 27:23.
II. only
(Late Hebrew Hithpa`elid., Aramaic Ithpa`alid.) —Perfect2masculine plural consecutiveJoshua 23:12;Imperfect1 Kings 3:1; 2Chronicles 18:1; 2 masculineDeuteronomy 7:3;1 Samuel 18:21;Imperative1 Samuel 18:22,Genesis 34:9;Infinitive1 Samuel 18:23 3t.; —
make oneself daughter's husband (son-in-law)to, with1 Samuel 18:21,22,23,26,27; with1 Kings 3:1;Genesis 34:9 (P); with 2Chronicles 18:1, of marriage of Jehoshaphat's son and Ahab's daughter (compare2 Kings 8:18 2Chronicles 21:6).
in Generalform marriage-alliance with, withDeuteronomy 7:3;Joshua 23:12 (D),Ezra 9:14.
Topical Lexicon
Root ideaThe verb conveys “to bind oneself by marriage,” extending to the ideas of becoming a son-in-law, giving a daughter in marriage, or forging a political alliance through intermarriage. The act presupposes covenantal obligations and the merging of households.
Range of meaning in Scripture
1. To enter marriage personally (Genesis culture reflected in1 Samuel 18:18).
2. To arrange marriages for one’s children (Jeremiah 29:6;Ezra 9:14).
3. To cement political alliances (1 Kings 3:1;2 Chronicles 18:1).
4. To describe prohibited intermarriage with idolatrous nations (Exodus 34:16;Deuteronomy 7:3).
Key Old Testament occurrences
•Exodus 34:16;Deuteronomy 7:3 – categorical bans on covenant-breaking unions.
•1 Samuel 18:17-30 – David repeatedly “becomes the king’s son-in-law,” illustrating both personal honor and Saul’s political maneuvering.
•1 Kings 3:1 – Solomon “formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter,” prefiguring later syncretism.
•2 Kings 8:18;2 Kings 8:27 – royal intermarriage with the house of Ahab contaminates the Davidic line.
•2 Chronicles 18:1 – Jehoshaphat “allied himself with Ahab by marriage,” sowing disaster despite his personal piety.
•Ezra 9:14;Nehemiah 13:25 – post-exilic reforms break foreign unions to preserve covenant purity.
•Jeremiah 29:6 – exiles are told to “take wives and have sons and daughters,” showing that marriage itself remains a God-given good even in dispersion.
Intermarriage and covenant fidelity
The earliest legal prohibitions (Exodus 34:16;Deuteronomy 7:3-4) root the marriage question in worship: alien spouses “will turn your sons away from following Me.” The verb thus becomes shorthand for either covenant loyalty or covenant betrayal, depending on whether the union reinforces or undermines devotion to the LORD.
Positive and negative examples
Positive:
• David’s marriage to Michal (1 Samuel 18) demonstrates rightful integration into royal service, anticipating the messianic merger of kingship and covenant.
•Jeremiah 29:6 portrays ordinary marriages as a means of preserving faith and hope in exile.
Negative:
• Solomon’s alliance with Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1) foreshadows the flood of foreign wives who “turned his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4).
• Jehoram’s union with Athaliah (2 Kings 8:18) injects Baalism into Judah.
• The chronicled reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah expose the spiritual peril of mixed marriages and call God’s people to repentance.
Prophetic implications
Intermarriage is repeatedly linked with idolatry and judgment. Yet the prophets also foresee a redeemed matrimonial motif: “As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5). While Isaiah uses the cognate noun, the vision underscores God’s intent to reclaim covenant intimacy after the failures symbolized by חָתַן gone astray.
Practical and pastoral insights
1. Marriage is a covenantal act that must honor the LORD (Proverbs 18:22).
2. Alliances that ignore spiritual alignment endanger faith (2 Corinthians 6:14).
3. Parents bear responsibility when arranging or counseling marriages, echoingJeremiah 29:6.
4. Spiritual leadership must address marital sin decisively, following Ezra and Nehemiah’s example.
Christological reflections
The failures surrounding חָתַן heighten the contrast with Jesus Christ, the flawless Bridegroom (John 3:29). Where earthly alliances often compromised holiness, Christ secures an everlasting covenant, sanctifying His bride “by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:26). The verb’s theme of joining households culminates in the union of heaven and earth in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).
Summary
Occurrences of חָתַן trace a line from Mosaic warnings through royal politics to post-exilic reforms, illustrating how marriage decisions reverberate through personal lives, dynasties, and national destiny. The verb invites believers to honor God in every marital alliance and to anticipate the ultimate, redemptive marriage between Christ and His church.
Forms and Transliterations
הִתְחַתֵּ֣ן הִתְחַתֵּ֥ן התחתן וְהִֽתְחַתְּנ֖וּ וְהִֽתְחַתַּנְתֶּ֥ם וַיִּתְחַתֵּ֖ן וַיִּתְחַתֵּ֣ן וּ֨לְהִתְחַתֵּ֔ן והתחתנו והתחתנתם ויתחתן ולהתחתן חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ חֹֽתְנוֹ֙ חֹֽתַנְתּ֑וֹ חֹתְנ֑וֹ חֹתְנ֔וֹ חֹתְנ֖וֹ חֹתְנ֣וֹ חֹתֵ֣ן חֹתֵ֥ן חֹתֵ֨ן חֹתֶנְךָ֥ חתן חתנו חתנך חתנתו לְהִתְחַתֵּ֖ן לְחֹ֣תְנ֔וֹ לְחֹתְנ֑וֹ להתחתן לחתנו תִּתְחַתֵּ֥ן תִתְחַתֵּ֖ן תתחתן chotanTo choTen chotenCha choteNo hiṯ·ḥat·tên hitchatTen hiṯḥattên ḥō·ṯan·tōw ḥō·ṯə·nōw ḥō·ṯên ḥō·ṯen·ḵā ḥōṯantōw ḥōṯên ḥōṯenḵā ḥōṯənōw lə·hiṯ·ḥat·tên lə·ḥō·ṯə·nōw leChoteNo lehitchatTen ləhiṯḥattên ləḥōṯənōw tiṯ·ḥat·tên ṯiṯ·ḥat·tên titchatTen tiṯḥattên ṯiṯḥattên ū·lə·hiṯ·ḥat·tên ulehitchatTen ūləhiṯḥattên vaiyitchatTen vehitchattanTem vehitchatteNu way·yiṯ·ḥat·tên wayyiṯḥattên wə·hiṯ·ḥat·tan·tem wə·hiṯ·ḥat·tə·nū wəhiṯḥattantem wəhiṯḥattənū
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