מִשְׁפָּחָה303 H4940
Clan, family group; a kinship unit larger than a household but smaller than a tribe, the basic social division of Israel.
Mishpachah names the fundamental social building block of ancient Israel -- the extended clan or family group through which identity, land, and obligation flowed. Appearing over 300 times, it structures the census lists of Numbers, the tribal allotments in Joshua, and prophetic oracles addressing entire peoples (Amos 3:1-2). Spanish 'familia,' German 'Sippe,' French 'clan,' and Arabic 'ashira' all capture this intermediate kinship unit, sitting between the individual household (bayit) and the tribe (shebet/matteh). The Year of Jubilee restores each person to their mishpachah (Lev 25:10).
Senses
1. clan or family group — A clan or extended family group within an Israelite tribe -- the primary kinship subdivision used for census, land allotment, military organization, and ritual participation (303 occurrences). Spanish 'familia,' French 'clan,' German 'Sippe,' and Arabic 'ashira' consistently reflect this intermediate social unit. Dominant in Numbers 3 and 26 where Levitical and tribal clans are enumerated, and in prophetic speech where God addresses Israel's clans collectively (Amos 3:1-2; Jer 1:15). 303×
AR["عَشِيرَةُ"]·ben["গোষ্ঠী", "বংশ"]·DE["Sippe-von"]·EN["clan-of"]·FR["clan-de"]·heb["משפחת"]·HI["कुल"]·ID["kaum"]·IT["famiglia-di"]·jav["kulawarga"]·KO["가족", "씨족-의"]·PT["família-de"]·RU["семейство"]·ES["familia-de"]·SW["jamaa", "ukoo-wa"]·TR["ailesi"]·urd["خاندان"]
2. sense 2 — A single occurrence in Jeremiah 15:3 where the word appears in the context of 'four families of destroyers' -- sword, dogs, birds, and beasts -- using mishpachah metaphorically for categories or classes of agents rather than human kinship groups. The multilingual evidence fragments notably: Spanish renders 'clases' (classes) rather than 'familias,' signaling translators' recognition that this extends the kinship metaphor to a classificatory sense. 1×
AR["أَصْنَافٍ"]·ben["পরিবার"]·DE["Sippen"]·EN["families"]·FR["familles"]·heb["משפחות"]·HI["परिवारों"]·ID["jenis"]·IT["famiglia"]·jav["golongan"]·KO["종류들을"]·PT["famílias,"]·RU["рода"]·ES["clases"]·SW["za-familia"]·TR["aileler"]·urd["قسمیں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
מִשְׁפָּחָה303 n.f.clan (RSSem i. 258, 2nd ed. 276; K149, 2nd ed. 175 BaNB § 161 a);—abs. מ׳ Am 3:1 +; cstr. מִשְׁפַּ֫חַת Ju 9:1 +; sf. מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי Gn 24:38 +, etc.; pl. מִשְׁפָּחוֹת Na 3:4 +; cstr. מִשְׁפְּחוֹת Am 3:2 +; sf. מִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיהֶם Gn 8:19 + 2 times, usually -תָם Nu 1:18 + 84 times, etc.;— 1. clan: a. family connexion of individ. Gn 24:38 (+ בֵּית־אָבִי), v 40 (+ id.), v 41 (all J;…