H5304 H5304
Nephusim/Nephisim; family of temple servants (textual variant)
This proper name identifies a family of temple servants (Nethinim) in the post-exilic return lists. It's a textual variant of the same family name appearing in Nehemiah 7:52. Ezra 2:50 lists 'the sons of Nephusim' (or Nephisim, depending on the manuscript tradition). The ketiv/qere split and parallel passage variations show this name had multiple spellings in circulation. These families of temple servants performed various support roles in temple worship, and many had foreign-sounding names, suggesting they or their ancestors came from non-Israelite backgrounds.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The family appears in Ezra's list of returnees from Babylon. Ezra 2:50 names 'the sons of Nephusim' (qere reading) among the Nethinim. The ketiv (written text) has 'Nephisim,' creating the double occurrence in databases. This parallels the variants in Nehemiah 7:52 (Nephishesim/Nephushesim), showing the same family recorded with spelling differences across sources. The Septuagint offers yet more variants (Napheisom, Nephousim), confirming ancient uncertainty about the exact form. What's clear is that a family by this approximate name served in temple support roles. The variety of spellings for Nethinim families may reflect their diverse origins and the challenges of preserving non-Hebrew names across centuries of transmission. 2×
AR["نَفُوسِيمَ"]·ben["নফীসীম", "নফূসীমের"]·DE["[(נפוסים)]", "[[נפיסים]]"]·EN["Nefusim", "[ketiv]"]·FR["[נפוסים]", "[נפיסים]"]·heb["(נפוסים)", "[נפיסים]"]·HI["नफूसीम-के"]·ID["Nefusim", "[kere]"]·IT["[נפוסים]", "[נפיסים]"]·jav["Nefisim", "[Nefusim]"]·KO["(느부심)", "[느비심]"]·PT["(Nefusim)", "[Nefisim]"]·RU["[кетив:Нефисим]", "Нефусима"]·ES["(Nefusim).", "[Nefisim]"]·SW["[k]", "wa-Nefusimu"]·TR["K", "Nefusimin"]·urd["(نفوسیم-کے)", "[نفیسیم]"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נפיסים n.pr. Kt, in phr. בְּנֵי נ׳ Ezr 2:50, Qr נְפוּסִים, of family of returned exiles; 𝔊 Ναφεισων, A Νεφουσειμ, 𝔊L Νεφωσειμ; = נפושׁסים Ne 7:52; Kt, Qr נְפִישְׁסִים, 𝔊 Νεφωσασει, etc., 𝔊L Νεφουσειμ;—Kt Ezr and Qr Ne, respectively, are prob. to be preferred (cf. נָפִישׁ sub נפשׁ), but Ne has mixture of two variants, נפיסים, נפישׁים.