{
  "id": "dict_003718",
  "term": "Mithnite",
  "slug": "mithnite",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "proper_name_or_gentilic",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A Mithnite is a biblical gentilic or clan-style designation used for an individual in Old Testament warrior lists.",
  "simple_one_line": "A Mithnite is a person identified by this Old Testament clan or locality label.",
  "tooltip_text": "A biblical gentilic designation, probably identifying family, clan, or place of origin.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "David's mighty men",
    "gentilic",
    "clan",
    "warrior lists"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "1 Chronicles 11",
    "2 Samuel 23",
    "Ithrite",
    "Maacathite",
    "Pelonite"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "“Mithnite” is an Old Testament designation attached to a person in the lists of David’s warriors. Scripture does not explain the name’s origin, but it most likely functions as a clan or place-based identifier.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A biblical gentilic designation used to identify an individual, most likely by family, clan, or locality.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in Old Testament warrior lists",
    "Functions as an identifying label, not a doctrine",
    "Likely refers to origin or clan association",
    "Scripture does not explain the term’s etymology"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "“Mithnite” is a descriptive Old Testament label attached to an individual in a list of David’s mighty men. The term is best understood as a gentilic or locality-based identifier rather than a theological concept. Scripture does not clearly explain its origin, so the safest reading is that it marks family, clan, or place association.",
  "description_academic_full": "“Mithnite” is an Old Testament designation used to identify a person in a list context, especially among David’s warriors. It is not a doctrinal term and does not carry theological content in itself. The biblical text does not clarify whether the label derives from a town, region, clan, or other ancestral association, so interpreters usually treat it as a gentilic or family designation. Because the term functions as an identification marker rather than as a theological category, its value lies mainly in historical and literary context.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The term appears in the catalog of David’s mighty men, where several individuals are identified by place-, clan-, or group-based labels. Such designations help distinguish people with similar names and preserve historical detail within the narrative lists.",
  "background_historical_context": "Old Testament lists often use gentilic labels to indicate origin, family connection, or association with a locality. “Mithnite” fits that pattern, though the exact referent is not explained in Scripture.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Israel, identity was commonly expressed through tribe, clan, house, or place of origin. A label such as “the Mithnite” would have helped locate a person socially and geographically within that world.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "1 Chronicles 11:43",
    "see the parallel list of David’s warriors in 2 Samuel 23"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Related warrior-list designations in 1 Chronicles 11 and 2 Samuel 23, where several men are identified by clan or locality labels."
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Hebrew form is a descriptive designation rather than a doctrinal term; its exact etymology and place of reference are uncertain.",
  "theological_significance": "The term itself has no direct theological significance. Its main value is historical, showing the careful preservation of personal and group identification in Scripture.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "This is a proper-name style label, not an abstract concept. It functions as a reference marker within a historical list, not as a term for moral or theological analysis.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not overstate the meaning of the term or claim certainty about its geographic origin. Scripture does not define it, so conclusions should remain modest.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters understand “Mithnite” as a gentilic, clan, or place-based identifier. The exact source of the designation is uncertain.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "The term should not be treated as a doctrine, office, or theological category. Its meaning is limited to identification within a historical list.",
  "practical_significance": "This entry reminds readers that Scripture preserves real people and historical detail, even in brief lists that seem obscure at first reading.",
  "meta_description": "Mithnite in the Bible: an Old Testament gentilic or clan-style designation used to identify a person in David’s mighty men lists.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/mithnite/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/mithnite.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}