Lexical Summary
mishpachah: Family, clan, tribe, kindred
Original Word:מִשְׁפָחָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:mishpachah
Pronunciation:mish-paw-KHAH
Phonetic Spelling:(mish-paw-khaw')
KJV: family, kind(-red)
NASB:families, family, relatives, every family, clan, kinds, tribes
Word Origin:[fromH8192 (שָׁפָה - bare)]
1. a family, i.e. circle of relatives
2. (figuratively) a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things)
3. by extens. a tribe or people
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
family, kindred
Fromshaphah (compareshiphchah); a family, i.e. Circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extens. A tribe or people -- family, kind(-red).
see HEBREWshaphah
see HEBREWshiphchah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
shiphchahDefinitiona clan
NASB Translationclan (1), every family (3), families (170), family (120), kinds (1), relatives (4), tribes (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
: 303 (RS
Semitic 1. 258, 2nd ed. 276; K 149, 2nd ed. 175 Ba
NB § 161 a); — absolute
Amos 3:1 +; construct
Judges 9:1 +; suffix
Genesis 24:38 +, etc.; plural
Nahum 3:4 +; construct
Amos 3:2 +; suffix
Genesis 8:19 2t., usually -
Numbers 1:18 84t., etc.; —
clan:
Genesis 24:38 (+ ),Genesis 24:40 ( +id.),Genesis 24:41 (all J; =Genesis 24:4),2 Samuel 14:7, united in sacrifice1 Samuel 20:6,29, in passoverExodus 12:21 (J E; compare BenzEncy.Bib. PASSOVER, §§ 9, 12); compareLeviticus 20:5 (H),Leviticus 25:10,41 (P),Leviticus 25:49 (P; defined as ), non-HebrewLeviticus 25:47 (H),Leviticus 25:45(P),Judges 1:25;Joshua 6:23 (E or R) is unintelligible, probably strike out (compare Steuern Holz; inJoshua 6:25 [J]), compareNumbers 27:4,11 (P);Judges 9:1clan of his mother's father-house; including individuals, and included by1 Samuel 9:21 (twice in verse);1 Samuel 10:21; with specific name, in series , , ,Joshua 7:14 (twice in verse);Joshua 7:17 b, c (all J;Joshua 7:17 a read plural Di Benn, or GFMJudges 13:2; Steuern allows either); compareDeuteronomy 29:17;Judges 21:24,1 Samuel 1:18 (+ , see II [];2 Samuel 16:5; with name alsoRuth 2:1,3and (non-Israel)Job 32:2.
,Judges 13:2;Judges 17:7;Judges 18:19, compareJudges 18:2 (""Judges 18:1),Judges 18:11 (yet in these two read possibly plural, see GFM).
Numbers 11:10 (J)Jeremiah 2:4;Jeremiah 31:1; compareJeremiah 3:14;Numbers 1:2,18;Numbers 2:34;Numbers 33:54 (all P), so (post-exilic)Nehemiah 4:7:Esther 9:28 (, , ).
usually (P) ,Exodus 6:14,15,25;Numbers 3:15 112t. Numbers (93 t.Numbers 26, includingNumbers 3:43 where apparently = Dan), 34 t.Joshua 13-21; also1 Chronicles 6:4;1 Chronicles 6:45;1 Chronicles 7:5;Zechariah 12:13; division of Gershom, etc. (in Levi)Numbers 3:18,19,20 41t. Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Chronicles; subdivisions of these divisions (in Levi)Numbers 3:21 (twice in verse) + 6 t.Numbers 3 +Numbers 4:18; compare (in other tribes)1 Chronicles 2:53;1 Chronicles 4:2,8,21,27,38;1 Chronicles 5:7; alsoZechariah 12:12 b. c 13 b 14 a, and (distributive)Zechariah 12:12 a 14 b, pleonasticNumbers 36:6 compareNumbers 36:8, and ( )Numbers 36:12.
1 Chronicles 16:28 =Psalm 96:7;Psalm 22:28; in EdomGenesis 36:40 (P).
;Amos 3:2;Genesis 12:3;Genesis 28:14 (both J), compareJeremiah 10:25;Ezekiel 20:32;Nahum 3:4 (all "" ),Zechariah 14:17;Jeremiah 1:15;Jeremiah 25:9; as one's posterityGenesis 10:30,31,32 (all P), so probablyGenesis 10:5 (P; Di Dr); = all IsraelAmos 3:1, JudahMicah 2:3;Jeremiah 8:3 ( ), Israel + Judah,Jeremiah 33:24;Zechariah 14:18; comparePsalm 107:41.
=guild1 Chronicles 2:55 (of scribes; originally hereditary in families).
=species, kind:
Jeremiah 15:3.
.Genesis 8:19 (P).
plural =aristocratsJob 31:34 (compare English 'the classes').
see √ .
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scopeמִשְׁפָחָה designates a kinship group larger than the immediate household yet smaller than the tribe. It is the basic social, economic, and spiritual unit through which God orders covenant life, worship, and inheritance in the Old Testament. About three hundred passages employ the term to identify blood-related clans, extended households, or, in a few prophetic texts, the nations as “families of the earth.”
Patriarchal Foundations
From the outset God’s redemptive purposes are framed in family terms. When the Lord promises Abram, “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3), the term signals a global horizon while rooting that promise in concrete kinship. Abraham’s household becomes the prototype of covenant discipleship (Genesis 18:19), with family altar, instruction, and circumcision marking its life.
Clan Identity in the Wilderness
Under Moses, מִשְׁפָחָה becomes an administrative tool. The censuses inNumbers 1–4 and 26 sort Israel according to tribe, clan, and father’s house so that service, encampment, and warfare may proceed in orderly fashion. Levi’s clans—Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites—receive task-specific worship assignments (Numbers 4:24-33). Achan’s sin illustrates collective solidarity: “Joshua cast lots… man by man. He captured Achan son of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah, of the family of the Zerahites” (Joshua 7:16-18). Discipline therefore respects the clan structure God Himself ordains.
Land Inheritance and Legal Affairs
The distribution of Canaan hinges on clan boundaries. “You are to divide the land by lot according to your clans” (Numbers 33:54). Zelophehad’s daughters petition that their deceased father’s name “not disappear from his clan” (Numbers 27:4), prompting legislation that safeguards both property rights and covenant continuity within each מִשְׁפָחָה. The goel (kinsman-redeemer) responsibility likewise functions at clan level, as inRuth 2:20; 4:10, preserving land, lineage, and liberty.
Worship and Corporate Accountability
At Passover each family kills the lamb (Exodus 12:3). During the Feast of Booths Ezra reads the Law “before the men and women and all who could understand,” and the people gather “by clans” (Nehemiah 8:2; 8:13). Clan representatives bring offerings at altar dedications (Numbers 7) and participate in covenant reaffirmation at Shechem (Joshua 24:1). Judges traces moral decline when families forsake Yahweh for idols (Judges 17–18).
Blessing to All Families of the Earth
The Abrahamic promise reappears inGenesis 28:14;Acts 3:25 cites it to proclaim the gospel.Psalm 22:27 anticipates global worship: “All the families of the nations will bow down before You.”Zechariah 14:17 warns that any family of the earth that refuses to come to Jerusalem for Tabernacles will receive no rain, uniting eschatological blessing and judgment around covenant worship.
The Family in Wisdom and Prophetic Literature
Proverbs assumes a multigenerational household: “A wise son brings joy to his father” (Proverbs 10:1). Jeremiah laments that the families of Judah burn incense to false gods (Jeremiah 7:18). Micah denounces those who “oppress a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance” (Micah 2:2), showing that social injustice often begins with violating familial bonds.
Messianic and Eschatological Dimensions
Isaiah foresees the Root of Jesse as a banner for the peoples, gathering “the outcasts of Israel” (Isaiah 11:12) and reuniting scattered families.Ezekiel 47:22 includes resident foreigners who beget children in Israel, assigning them inheritance “among the tribes,” foreshadowing Gentile inclusion in the household of faith (Ephesians 2:19).
Ministry Applications
1. Discipleship: Covenantal education is primarily a family task (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
2. Pastoral Care: Shepherding must account for extended kinship networks, honoring widows and orphans within the church “family” (James 1:27).
3. Church Governance: New Testament elders manage their own households well (1 Timothy 3:4-5) so that the congregation may function as God’s broader מִשְׁפָחָה.
4. Missions: The Abrahamic vision motivates evangelism toward every people group, anticipating the consummation where redeemed families worship the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10).
Key Old Testament Passages
Genesis 12:3; 24:38
Exodus 12:3; 12:21
Numbers 1:2; 26:5-51
Joshua 7:16-18; 13:15-33
Judges 17:7; 18:11
Ruth 2:1; 4:10
1 Samuel 1:1; 10:21
1 Chronicles 4–9 (genealogical lists)
Psalm 22:27
Jeremiah 31:1
Zechariah 12:12; 14:17
See Also
House (בַּיִת), Tribe (שֵׁבֶט), Inheritance, Covenant, Redemption.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ בְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֑ם במשפחותיהם׃ במשפחותם הַמִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹת הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֜ה הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה הַמִּשְׁפָּחָֽה׃ הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת֙ המשפחה המשפחה׃ המשפחות וְהַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֞ה וּבְמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑וֹ וּלְמִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת וּלְמִשְׁפְּח֤וֹת וּלְמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑וֹ וּלְמִשְׁפָּחָ֖ה וּמִֽמִּשְׁפְּח֖וֹת וּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם֙ וּמִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת וּמִשְׁפְּח֤וֹת וּמִשְׁפְּח֥וֹת וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת֙ וּמִשְׁפַּ֖חַת וּמִשְׁפַּ֙חַת֙ וּמִשְׁפַּ֣חַת וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙ וּמִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת וּמִשְׁפָּחָ֔ה ובמשפחתו והמשפחה ולמשפחה ולמשפחות ולמשפחתו וממשפחות וממשפחתם ומשפחה ומשפחות ומשפחת ומשפחתי כְּמִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת כמשפחות לְמִשְׁפְּח֥וֹת לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔יו לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖יו לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֗ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֥ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם֒ לְמִשְׁפְּחֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֑ם לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֗ם לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָֽם׃ לְמִשְׁפַּ֛חַת לְמִשְׁפַּ֤חַת לְמִשְׁפַּ֥חַת לְמִשְׁפַּחַ֣ת לְמִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔יו לַמִּשְׁפָּח֗וֹת למשפחות למשפחותיהם למשפחותם למשפחותם׃ למשפחת למשפחתיהם למשפחתיו למשפחתיכם למשפחתם למשפחתם׃ מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֛ת מִֽמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּ֡ם מִמִּשְׁפְּח֣וֹת מִמִּשְׁפְּח֥וֹת מִמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת מִמִּשְׁפַּ֖חַת מִמִּשְׁפַּ֗חַת מִמִּשְׁפַּ֛חַת מִמִּשְׁפַּ֣חַת מִמִּשְׁפַּ֥חַת מִמִּשְׁפַּ֪חַ֫ת מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖י מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ מִמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת מִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת מִשְׁפְּח֤וֹת מִשְׁפְּח֥וֹת מִשְׁפְּח֨וֹת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֛ת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֤ת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֧ת מִשְׁפְּחֹת֙ מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֶ֖יהָ מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת מִשְׁפַּ֙חַת֙ מִשְׁפַּ֛חַת מִשְׁפַּ֣חַת מִשְׁפַּ֤חַת מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת מִשְׁפַּ֨חַת מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י מִשְׁפַּחְתָּ֔ם מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ מִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת מִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת מִשְׁפָּח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה מִשְׁפָּחָ֨ה מִשְׁפָּחָה֙ מִשְׁפָּחֹ֖ת מִשְׁפָּחֹ֥ת מִשְׁפָּחֽוֹת׃ מִשְׁפָּחוֹת֙ ממשפחה ממשפחות ממשפחת ממשפחתו ממשפחתי ממשפחתם משפחה משפחות משפחות׃ משפחותיה משפחת משפחתו משפחתי משפחתם bə·miš·pə·ḥō·w·ṯām bə·miš·pə·ḥō·w·ṯê·hem bemishpechoTam bemishpechoteiHem bəmišpəḥōwṯām bəmišpəḥōwṯêhem ham·miš·pā·ḥāh ham·miš·pā·ḥō·wṯ hammishpaChah hammishpaChot hammišpāḥāh hammišpāḥōwṯ kə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ kemishpeChot kəmišpəḥōwṯ lam·miš·pā·ḥō·wṯ lammishpaChot lammišpāḥōwṯ lə·miš·pa·ḥaṯ lə·miš·pā·ḥō·wṯ lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯām lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯāw lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯê·hem lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯê·ḵem lə·miš·pə·ḥō·w·ṯām lə·miš·pə·ḥō·w·ṯê·hem lə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ lə·miš·pə·ḥōṯ lemishPachat lemishpaChot lemishpeChot lemishpechoTam lemishpechoTav lemishpechoteiChem lemishpeChoteiHem ləmišpaḥaṯ ləmišpāḥōwṯ ləmišpəḥōṯ ləmišpəḥōṯām ləmišpəḥōṯāw ləmišpəḥōṯêhem ləmišpəḥōṯêḵem ləmišpəḥōwṯ ləmišpəḥōwṯām ləmišpəḥōwṯêhem mim·miš·pā·ḥāh mim·miš·pa·ḥaṯ mim·miš·paḥ·tām mim·miš·paḥ·tî mim·miš·paḥ·tōw mim·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ mim·miš·pə·ḥōṯ mimishpaChah mimishPachat mimishpachTam mimishpachTi mimishpachTo mimishpeChot mimmišpāḥāh mimmišpaḥaṯ mimmišpaḥtām mimmišpaḥtî mimmišpaḥtōw mimmišpəḥōṯ mimmišpəḥōwṯ miš·pā·ḥāh miš·pa·ḥaṯ miš·pā·ḥō·wṯ miš·pā·ḥōṯ miš·paḥ·tām miš·paḥ·tî miš·paḥ·tōw miš·pə·ḥō·ṯām miš·pə·ḥō·w·ṯe·hā miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ miš·pə·ḥōṯ mishpaChah mishPachat mishpaChot mishpachTam mishpachTi mishpachTo mishpeChot mishpechoTam mishpechoTeiha mišpāḥāh mišpaḥaṯ mišpāḥōṯ mišpāḥōwṯ mišpaḥtām mišpaḥtî mišpaḥtōw mišpəḥōṯ mišpəḥōṯām mišpəḥōwṯ mišpəḥōwṯehā ū·ḇə·miš·paḥ·tōw ū·lə·miš·pā·ḥāh ū·lə·miš·paḥ·tōw ū·lə·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ ū·mim·miš·paḥ·tām ū·mim·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ ū·miš·pā·ḥāh ū·miš·pa·ḥaṯ ū·miš·pā·ḥō·wṯ ū·miš·paḥ·tî ū·miš·pə·ḥō·wṯ ūḇəmišpaḥtōw ulemishpaChah ulemishpachTo ulemishpeChot ūləmišpāḥāh ūləmišpaḥtōw ūləmišpəḥōwṯ umimishpachTam umimishpeChot ūmimmišpaḥtām ūmimmišpəḥōwṯ umishpaChah umishPachat umishpaChot umishpachTi umishpechOt ūmišpāḥāh ūmišpaḥaṯ ūmišpāḥōwṯ ūmišpaḥtî ūmišpəḥōwṯ uvemishpachTo vehammishpaChah wə·ham·miš·pā·ḥāh wəhammišpāḥāh
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts