Dictionary Home / Z

Zephon

biblical_person theological_term standard

Zephon is a biblical personal name associated with the Gadite line in Israel’s genealogies. Genesis 46:16 and Numbers 26:15 preserve the name in variant English forms, often alongside Ziphion.

At a Glance

Biblical personal name; Gadite ancestor; appears in tribal genealogies.

Key Points

Description

Zephon is a personal name preserved in the Old Testament genealogical lists. Genesis 46:16 includes the name among the descendants associated with Gad, and Numbers 26:15 records a related tribal line or family designation. English Bibles may reflect the name with slight transliteration differences, sometimes alongside the form Ziphion. The entry is best understood as part of Israel’s tribal and covenant record rather than as a doctrinal term with independent theological content.

Biblical Context

Biblical genealogies often identify family lines, tribal inheritance, and covenant continuity. Zephon belongs to the material that traces the descendants connected with Gad and helps preserve Israel’s tribal memory.

Historical Context

In ancient Israel, genealogies served legal, social, and covenant functions. They identified family descent, tribal affiliation, and inheritance lines, especially in the wilderness census material and the patriarchal records.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Second Temple and later Jewish readers commonly treated genealogies as important historical records tied to tribal identity. Zephon fits this pattern as a name preserved within Israel’s ancestral lists.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The name is preserved through transliteration, and English versions may differ slightly in spelling. The main editorial point is the identity of the person or clan within Gad’s line, not the exact English form.

Theological Significance

Zephon itself carries no standalone doctrine, but its presence in Scripture reflects God’s care to preserve the names and lines of His covenant people. Genealogies witness to continuity in Israel’s history.

Philosophical Explanation

Biblical genealogy shows that Scripture treats names, families, and historical identity as meaningful. Even brief entries like Zephon help anchor revelation in real people and real covenant history.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build doctrine from the spelling variation between Zephon and Ziphion. The passage is genealogical, and its primary purpose is identification, not theological elaboration.

Major Views

The main editorial question is transliteration, not interpretation. English versions may render the name differently, but the referent is generally understood to be the same Gadite ancestor or clan line.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should not be treated as a doctrine, office, or theological concept. It is a biblical proper name tied to genealogy and tribal history.

Practical Significance

Readers are reminded that Scripture’s genealogies are part of the inspired record and deserve careful attention, even when the names themselves are brief or unfamiliar.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Zephon

↑ Top