נְטֹפָתִי (ne.to.pha.ti)
ne.to.pha.ti
Netophathite
N:N--LGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--LG
Word Overview
The term netophati identifies a person originating from Netophah, a town located in the territory of Benjamin. It functions as a gentilic adjective, similar to saying "Jerusalemite" or "Bethlehemite," to distinguish individuals by their hometown rather than their tribe or profession. The root name Netophah likely relates to the Hebrew word for "drip" or "drop," possibly referencing local water sources or agricultural features.
This specific descriptor appears ten times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily within lists of people. It is frequent in 1 Chronicles and Nehemiah, where it serves to catalog the descendants of those who returned from exile or served in the temple and military. For instance, it identifies members of the priestly families and warriors listed in 1 Chronicles 9:24 and Nehemiah 7:26.
Its usage is strictly geographical and genealogical. It does not carry theological weight or metaphorical meaning but acts as a precise marker of identity. By attaching this label to names, the biblical text preserves the local connections of individuals who might otherwise be lost in long lists of ancestors, anchoring their spiritual service to a specific place on the map.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word Netophathite simply identifies someone from the town of Netophah. It appears in lists of names in Chronicles and Nehemiah, marking people by their hometown rather than their job or tribe. This small detail shows that God cares about the specific places where His people live and serve.
When you read these genealogies, it is easy to skip over ordinary names. Yet each label connects a person to a real community. It reminds us that faithfulness happens in everyday neighborhoods, not just in famous cities or grand events.
Your own background matters to God too. Whether you come from a small village or a busy city, your local connections are part of how He weaves His story together. You belong somewhere, and that place has a role in His plan.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Netophathite8×
- [the] Netophathite[s]2×
- and/ [the] Netophathite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/נְּטֹפָתִ֗י2×
- נְטוֹפָתִֽי\׃1×
- נְטֹפָתִֽי\׃1×
- וּ/נְט֣וֹפָתִ֔י1×
- הַ/נְּטוֹפָתִֽי\׃\ \ס1×
- הַ/נְּטוֹפָתִ֖י1×
- הַ/נְּטֽוֹפָתִ֖י1×
- הַ/נְּטֹפָתִֽי\׃\ \ס1×
- הַ/נְּטֹפָתִ֑י\ \ס1×
- הַ/נְּטֹ֣פָתִ֔י1×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 9:16
and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.
This verse links Obadiah specifically to the villages of the Netophathites, showing how temple service was rooted in local communities rather than just Jerusalem.
-
Nehemiah 12:28
The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites;
Here singers are gathered from the villages of the Netophathites, highlighting that worship involved people from surrounding towns returning to restore community life.
-
I Chronicles 27:13
The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zerahites. In his division were twenty-four thousand.
Maharai leads a military division as a Netophathite, demonstrating that local identity was preserved even in the organized structure of King David's army.