Hebrew word · H5200

נְטֹפָתִי

netofati

Netophathite

Both words are 'origin' labels, built with a Hebrew ending that means 'the one from X'. Netophah was a village near Bethlehem. Maacah was either the Aramean kingdom on the slopes of Hermon (Deut 3:14; Josh 12:5; 2 Sam 10:6) or a Judahite clan named after Maacah, Caleb's concubine (1 Chr 2:48; cf.

Appears 11 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Group of ne.to.phah (נְטֹפָה "Netophah" H5199)

§ Netophathite, of Netophath "dropping"

an inhabitant of Netophah

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Jeremiah 40:8

Range of meaning

Both words are 'origin' labels, built with a Hebrew ending that means 'the one from X'. Netophah was a village near Bethlehem. Maacah was either the Aramean kingdom on the slopes of Hermon (Deut 3:14; Josh 12:5; 2 Sam 10:6) or a Judahite clan named after Maacah, Caleb's concubine (1 Chr 2:48; cf. 4:19, 'Eshtemoa the Maacathite').

Against the English

English versions keep the labels as 'the Netophathite' and 'the Maacathite'. KJV's 'son of a Maachathite' makes it sound like his father's name was unknown. The Hebrew has the article ('the Maacathite') and is probably a clan or place label.

Used elsewhere in the period

Netophathites appear among David's elite warriors (2 Sam 23:28–29; 1 Chr 27:13, 15) and among the families that returned from exile (Ezra 2:22; Neh 7:26; 12:28). One of David's champions was 'Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite' (2 Sam 23:34).

From the study of 1 Chronicles 27:13

Range of meaning

An adjective formed from a place name: 'a man of Netophah.' Netophah was a village in the Judean hills near Bethlehem, probably at or near modern Khirbet Bedd Faluh, southeast of Bethlehem, though the location is debated.

Against the English

English versions all keep 'Netophathite.' The only problem is that modern readers may not know it is a hometown label rather than a tribe or a title.

Used elsewhere in the period

Two of David's Thirty are Netophathites, Maharai and Heled/Heleb (2 Sam 23:28–29; 1 Chr 11:30). Heldai the Netophathite commands the twelfth month (1 Chr 27:15). After the exile, 'men of Netophah' return with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:22; Neh 7:26). Levitical singers lived in 'the villages of the Netophathites' (1 Chr 9:16; Neh 12:28).

From the study of 1 Chronicles 27:15

Range of meaning

A word formed from a place name: 'person from Netophah'. The town name probably comes from nṭp, 'to drip'.

Against the English

Versions agree on 'Netophathite'. The word is a place-label, not a tribe or a profession.

Used elsewhere in the period

Netophah appears with Bethlehem in the return lists (Ezra 2:21–22; Neh 7:26). Its villages housed Levitical singers (1 Chr 9:16; Neh 12:28). Two of David's champions came from there: Maharai and Heled (2 Sam 23:28–29; 1 Chr 11:30). The site is usually identified near Khirbet Bedd Faluh, southeast of Bethlehem.

Similar words

Where it appears

2 Samuel · 2

  1. 2 Samuel 23:28 הַנְּטֹפָתִֽי׃ ס the Netophathite

    Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

  2. 2 Samuel 23:29 הַנְּטֹפָתִ֑י ס the Netophathite

    Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,

2 Kings · 1

  1. 2 Kings 25:23 הַנְּטֹפָתִ֗י the Netophathite

    When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.

1 Chronicles · 6

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:54 וּנְט֣וֹפָתִ֔י and [the] Netophathite[s]

    The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites,

  2. 1 Chronicles 9:16 נְטוֹפָתִֽי׃ [the] Netophathite[s]

    Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

  3. 1 Chronicles 11:30 הַנְּטֹ֣פָתִ֔י הַנְּטוֹפָתִֽי׃ ס the Netophathite

    Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

  4. 1 Chronicles 27:13 הַנְּטֽוֹפָתִ֖י the Netophathite

    The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

    Here: 'The man from Netophah,' a small Judahite town near Bethlehem. Naming a man by his hometown pins down which Maharai is meant and links him to David's own home district.

  5. 1 Chronicles 27:15 הַנְּטוֹפָתִ֖י the Netophathite

    The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. There were 24,000 men in his division.

    Here: A man from Netophah, a Judahite village near Bethlehem (Ezra 2:21–22; Neh 7:26). The label places him by his hometown.

Nehemiah · 1

  1. Nehemiah 12:28 נְטֹפָתִֽי׃ [the] Netophathite[s]

    The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 40:8 הַנְּטֹפָתִ֗י the Netophathite

    they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.

    Here: 'The man from Netophah', a village near Bethlehem in the Judean hills. Two of David's warriors came from there (2 Sam 23:28–29). It marks this family as local Judeans.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.