חֻפְֿשָׁה (chuph.shah)
chuph.shah
freedom
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun chuphshah means freedom or liberty, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible at Leviticus 19:20. In this specific legal context, it describes the status of a slave who is granted release from bondage. The word captures the concrete reality of being set free rather than an abstract political ideal.
Its rarity highlights how significant such liberation was within ancient Israelite society. By limiting its usage to this single verse, the text emphasizes that freedom is not a common commodity but a specific legal and social restoration. This singular occurrence underscores the gravity of granting liberty to another person.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chuphshah appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, found in Leviticus 19:20. It describes the concrete reality of being set free from bondage. This rarity highlights how significant liberation was within ancient Israelite society. Freedom is not treated as a common commodity but as a specific legal and social restoration.
For your faith, this reminds us that true liberty carries weight. When someone is granted freedom, it restores their dignity and place in the community. God’s law protects those who are vulnerable, ensuring they are not held against their will. This single verse shows how deeply God values human freedom and justice.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- freedom1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֻפְשָׁ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 19:20
“‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
This verse uses chuphshah to distinguish between a slave girl who is pledged but not yet ransomed, showing that her lack of freedom affects the legal penalty for sexual misconduct.