Word Study for H2860 (חָתָן) | Strong's Concordance

châthân /khaw-thawn'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga relative by marriage (especially through the bride); figuratively, a circumcised child (as a species of religious espousal)

KJV usagebridegroom, husband, son in law.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châthân — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châthân, represented by H2860, refers to a relative by marriage. It appears 20 times across 19 unique verses. Its primary meanings are bridegroom, husband, and son in law, often highlighting a relationship established through the bride.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H2860 defines key familial and political relationships. It is frequently used to identify a son in law, as seen with Lot's sons in law in Genesis Genesis 19:14, David's status in King Saul's house 1 Samuel 18:18, and Samson's connection to the Timnite Judges 15:6. The term also carries powerful imagery as a bridegroom, symbolizing joy and celebration. The silencing of "the voice of the bridegroom" is a recurring sign of judgment and desolation in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:34, Jeremiah 16:9). A unique usage appears in Exodus, where Zipporah calls Moses a "bloody husband" in connection to the circumcision of their son (Exodus 4:25, Exodus 4:26).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context of marriage and family surrounding châthân:

H3618 kallâh (bride, daughter-in-law, spouse): This is the direct female counterpart to châthân. The two words are often paired to describe a marital union and the joy associated with it (Isaiah 62:5, Joel 2:16).
H1166 bâʻal (to marry): This verb describes the act of marriage that establishes the relationship of a châthân. It is used in Isaiah to describe how Zion's sons will marry her, just before the comparison is made to a bridegroom rejoicing Isaiah 62:5.
H1121 bên (son): This term for a male child provides the basis for the relationship of a "son in law." The word appears alongside châthân when family members are being listed (Genesis 19:12, Nehemiah 6:18).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2860 is significant, especially in its metaphorical uses.

Symbol of National Joy: The presence of the bridegroom's voice is a sign of God's blessing, peace, and gladness within the land. Its absence signifies judgment and sorrow Jeremiah 25:10, while its promised return signifies restoration Jeremiah 33:11.
Image of Divine Relationship: God's delight in His people is compared to the joy a bridegroom has for his bride, illustrating a deep, personal, and celebratory covenant relationship Isaiah 62:5.
Picture of Righteousness and Glory: The righteous individual, clothed in salvation by God, is depicted as a bridegroom adorning himself, which speaks to the honor and beauty bestowed by God Isaiah 61:10. The sun itself is likened to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, a powerful image of strength and radiant glory Psalms 19:5.

Summary

In summary, H2860 châthân extends beyond its literal meaning of a male relative by marriage. It serves as a vital indicator of social ties, from familial bonds to political alliances. Theologically, it becomes a powerful metaphor for joy, blessing, and the intimate, celebratory relationship between God and His people, contrasting starkly with the desolation marked by its absence.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 20 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

חָתָן
חֲתַן
חֲתָנָי

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 19 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (4 verses); never once in the other 29.

Genesis

Exodus

Judges

1 Samuel

2 Kings

Nehemiah

Psalms

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Joel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.