{
  "id": "dict_006149",
  "term": "Zephon",
  "slug": "zephon",
  "letter": "Z",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Zephon is a biblical personal name associated with the Gadite line in Israel’s genealogies. Genesis 46:16 and Numbers 26:15 preserve the name in variant English forms, often alongside Ziphion.",
  "simple_one_line": "A Gadite ancestor named in the Old Testament genealogies.",
  "tooltip_text": "A biblical personal name linked to Gad; English translations may vary between Zephon and Ziphion.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Gad",
    "Genesis 46",
    "Numbers 26",
    "Ziphion",
    "Zephonites"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Genealogy",
    "Tribe of Gad",
    "Census of Israel",
    "Tribal lists"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Zephon is a biblical proper name found in the Old Testament genealogies. It is linked with the tribe of Gad and appears in the family lists that record Israel’s covenant people.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical personal name; Gadite ancestor; appears in tribal genealogies.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Named in Genesis 46:16 and Numbers 26:15",
    "associated with the tribe of Gad",
    "spelling and transliteration may vary between English versions",
    "this is a genealogy entry, not a doctrinal term."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Zephon is a biblical personal name associated with the tribe of Gad. The name appears in the genealogical material of Genesis 46:16 and Numbers 26:15, where English translations may render it with slight variation. Because it is a proper name, it should be treated as a biblical name entry rather than a theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Zephon is a personal name preserved in the Old Testament genealogical lists. Genesis 46:16 includes the name among the descendants associated with Gad, and Numbers 26:15 records a related tribal line or family designation. English Bibles may reflect the name with slight transliteration differences, sometimes alongside the form Ziphion. The entry is best understood as part of Israel’s tribal and covenant record rather than as a doctrinal term with independent theological content.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Biblical genealogies often identify family lines, tribal inheritance, and covenant continuity. Zephon belongs to the material that traces the descendants connected with Gad and helps preserve Israel’s tribal memory.",
  "background_historical_context": "In ancient Israel, genealogies served legal, social, and covenant functions. They identified family descent, tribal affiliation, and inheritance lines, especially in the wilderness census material and the patriarchal records.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Second Temple and later Jewish readers commonly treated genealogies as important historical records tied to tribal identity. Zephon fits this pattern as a name preserved within Israel’s ancestral lists.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 46:16",
    "Numbers 26:15"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Genesis 49:19",
    "compare English transliterations and family-name forms related to Ziphion/Zephonites"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name is preserved through transliteration, and English versions may differ slightly in spelling. The main editorial point is the identity of the person or clan within Gad’s line, not the exact English form.",
  "theological_significance": "Zephon itself carries no standalone doctrine, but its presence in Scripture reflects God’s care to preserve the names and lines of His covenant people. Genealogies witness to continuity in Israel’s history.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "Biblical genealogy shows that Scripture treats names, families, and historical identity as meaningful. Even brief entries like Zephon help anchor revelation in real people and real covenant history.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not build doctrine from the spelling variation between Zephon and Ziphion. The passage is genealogical, and its primary purpose is identification, not theological elaboration.",
  "major_views_note": "The main editorial question is transliteration, not interpretation. English versions may render the name differently, but the referent is generally understood to be the same Gadite ancestor or clan line.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry should not be treated as a doctrine, office, or theological concept. It is a biblical proper name tied to genealogy and tribal history.",
  "practical_significance": "Readers are reminded that Scripture’s genealogies are part of the inspired record and deserve careful attention, even when the names themselves are brief or unfamiliar.",
  "meta_description": "Zephon is a biblical personal name linked to the tribe of Gad in Genesis 46:16 and Numbers 26:15, with spelling variations in English translations.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/zephon/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/zephon.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}