H2669 H2669
freedom, separation (especially for quarantine)
A difficult term appearing only in the phrase 'house of freedom' or 'house of separation,' referring to a separate dwelling where King Uzziah lived after being struck with leprosy. The term suggests either freedom from normal responsibilities or separation from the community for quarantine purposes. Most interpreters understand it as a separate, isolated house where the leprous king was confined, cut off from temple and royal duties. The phrase captures the dual reality of enforced isolation: freedom from duties but imprisonment through disease.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A separate or isolated dwelling, likely for quarantine. 2 Kings 15:5 and 2 Chronicles 26:21 describe King Uzziah living 'in the house of separation' after being struck with leprosy, while his son governed. The term emphasizes separation from normal society and sacred spaces due to ritual impurity. Textual variants (ketiv vs qere) reflect ancient uncertainty about the precise form. Translations struggle with this hapax phrase, often rendering it as 'separate house' or maintaining transliteration. 3×
AR["[الْحُرِّيَّاتِ]", "الْحُرِّيَّةِ", "ٱلْحُرِّيَّةِ"]·ben["(পৃথকের)", "[মুক্তির]", "মুক্তের"]·DE["[החפשות]", "[החפשית]", "der-freedom"]·EN["[ketiv]", "the-freedom"]·FR["[החפשות]", "[החפשית]", "le-freedom"]·heb["ה-(החפשית)", "ה-[החפשות]", "ה-חופשית"]·HI["[अलग-का]", "अलग-के", "हखाफ्शीत-के"]·ID["[pengasingan]", "kebebasan", "pengasingan"]·IT["[החפשות]", "[החפשית]", "il-freedom"]·jav["mardika", "pisah"]·KO["그-별된", "그-자유의", "따로-된"]·PT["(Q: a-liberdade)", "[K: a-liberdade]", "a-liberdade"]·RU["[к]", "отдельном"]·ES["[la-libertad]", "la-libertad"]·SW["upweke", "ya-kutengwa"]·TR["ayrı", "ayrı-ev", "ayrılmış-o"]·urd["آزاد", "آزادی-کے", "علیحدہ-کے"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָפְשִׁית, חפשׁות n.f. freedom, separateness, only בֵּית הַחָפְשִׁית 2 K 15:5 = 2 Ch 26:21 Qr (Kt החפשׁות) i.e. (si vera l.) a separate house—a house apart (on account of his disease).