What does חָתַן mean in the Bible?
חָתַן is a Hebrew word meaning "to give (a daughter) away in marriage ; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage".
Hebrew · H2859
חָתַן
To give (a daughter) away in marriage ; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage
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חָתַן H2859
What does חָתַן mean in the Bible?
חָתַן is a Hebrew word meaning "to give (a daughter) away in marriage ; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage".
Full entry for חָתַן (H2859) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2859?
The BSB source-word alignment has 33 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include father-in-law (8), his father-in-law (4), son-in-law (3), to his father-in-law (2), - (1).
Where does חָתַן appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 34:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (15), 1 Samuel (5), Judges (5), Deuteronomy (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It father-in-law 8× Exodus 18:1, Exodus 18:2, Exodus 18:12, Exodus 18:14
his father-in-law 4× Exodus 4:18, Exodus 18:7, Judges 19:4, Judges 19:9
son-in-law 3× 1 Samuel 18:22, 1 Samuel 18:26, 1 Samuel 18:27
to his father-in-law 2× Exodus 18:8, Exodus 18:24
- 1× Exodus 18:15
and if you intermarry 1× Joshua 23:12
and intermarry 1× Ezra 9:14
but his father-in-law 1× Judges 19:7
by marriage 1× 2 Chronicles 18:1
formed an alliance 1× 1 Kings 3:1
his father-in-law {on his way} 1× Exodus 18:27
his mother-in-law 1× Deuteronomy 27:23
intermarry 1× Deuteronomy 7:3
Intermarry with us 1× Genesis 34:9
Moses’ father-in-law 1× Exodus 18:5
of his father-in-law 1× Exodus 3:1
the father-in-law 1× Judges 4:11
to be the son-in-law 1× 1 Samuel 18:23
you can be my son-in-law 1× 1 Samuel 18:21
your father-in-law 1× Exodus 18:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 34:9 וְהִֽתְחַתְּנ֖וּ to Intermarry with us Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - masculine plural Exodus 3:1 חֹתְנ֖וֹ to of his father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 4:18 חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ to his father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 18:1 חֹתֵ֣ן to father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 18:2 חֹתֵ֣ן to father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 18:5 חֹתֵ֥ן to Moses’ father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 18:6 חֹתֶנְךָ֥ to your father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Exodus 18:7 חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ to his father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 18:8 לְחֹ֣תְנ֔וֹ to to his father-in-law Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 18:12 חֹתֵ֥ן to father-in-law Noun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 34:9
Aligned rows 33
Books represented 10
Genesis 1 Exodus 15 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 2 Joshua 1 Judges 5 1 Samuel 5 1 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 1 Ezra 1
Source forms
חֹתֵ֣ן 5x ḥō·ṯên Exodus 18:1, Exodus 18:2, Exodus 18:14, Numbers 10:29
חֹתֵ֥ן 4x ḥō·ṯên Exodus 18:5, Exodus 18:12, Exodus 18:17
חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ 2x ḥō·ṯə·nōw Exodus 4:18, Exodus 18:7
חֹתְנ֑וֹ 2x ḥō·ṯə·nōw Exodus 18:24, Exodus 18:27
לְהִתְחַתֵּ֖ן 2x lə·hiṯ·ḥat·tên 1 Samuel 18:26, 1 Samuel 18:27
הִתְחַתֵּ֥ן 1x hiṯ·ḥat·tên 1 Samuel 18:22
הִתְחַתֵּ֣ן 1x hiṯ·ḥat·tên 1 Samuel 18:23
וְהִֽתְחַתְּנ֖וּ 1x wə·hiṯ·ḥat·tə·nū Genesis 34:9
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct 10x Exodus 18:1, Exodus 18:2, Exodus 18:5, Exodus 18:12
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 8x Exodus 3:1, Exodus 4:18, Exodus 18:7, Exodus 18:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 3:1, 2 Chronicles 18:1
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x Exodus 18:8, Exodus 18:15
Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct 2x 1 Samuel 18:26, 1 Samuel 18:27
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Deuteronomy 7:3, 1 Samuel 18:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural 1x Joshua 23:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - masculine plural 1x Genesis 34:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to give (a daughter) away in marriage ; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage
Source Gloss
to give (a daughter) away in marriage ; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage BDB: make oneself a daughter's husband Usage: join in affinity, father in law, make marriages, mother in law, son in law.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 14
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 10×
Participle active Exod 18:1 · Exod 18:2 · Exod 18:5 · Exod 18:12 · Exod 18:14 · Exod 18:17 · Judg 1:16 · Judg 4:11 · Num 10:29 10×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 4×
Perfect 1Sam 18:21 1×
Sequential imperfect 1Sam 18:22 1×
Infinitive construct 1Sam 18:23 1×
Imperfect Deut 7:3 1×
Word Origins
חָתַן is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain