🔼The name Shiphtan: Summary
- Meaning
- Judge, Judicial
- Etymology
- From the verb שפט (shapat), to judge or govern.
🔼The name Shiphtan in the Bible
The name Shiphtan occurs only once in the Bible, and that in reference to his son Kemuel, who was the representative of the tribe of Ephraim in regard to the division of Canaan (Numbers 34:24).
🔼Etymology of the name Shiphtan
The name Shiphtan comes from the verb שפט (shapat) meaning to judge or govern:
שפט
The verb שפט (shapat) means to judge or govern. Nouns שפט (shepet) and שפוט (shepot) mean judgment in the penal sense. Noun משפט (mishpat) denotes a ruling in a general sense; an ordinance or even custom or manner.
The letter ן (nun) upon which our name ends is probably a remnant of the waw-nun couple that localizes or personifies a root. But the venerable Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) submits that this nun may in fact create an intensive form or the verb.
🔼Shiphtan meaning
NOBSE Study Bible Name List and BDB Theological Dictionary appear to find the final nun to be a localizer/personifier. Hence for a meaning of the name Shiphtan, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Judicial and BDB proposes Judgment. Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) who believes we're dealing with an intensive, translates our name with Most Just Judge.