2667. chophesh
Lexical Summary
chophesh: Freedom, liberty

Original Word: חֹפֶשׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Chophesh
Pronunciation: kho'-fesh
Phonetic Spelling: (kho'-fesh)
KJV: precious
Word Origin: [from H2666 (חָפַשׁ - free)]

1. something spread loosely, i.e. a carpet

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
precious

From chaphash; something spread loosely, i.e. A carpet -- precious.

see HEBREW chaphash

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chaphash
Definition
perhaps a spread
NASB Translation
saddlecloths* (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
חֹ֫פֶשׁ noun [masculine] very dubious; only בִּגְדֵיתֹֿ֫פֶשׁ לְרִכְבָּה Ezekiel 27:20 wide-spread (?) garments for riding, i.e. saddle-cloths, according to Thes Sm Co Da and others; but meaning spread for √ purely conjectural; Gr suggests, plausibly, חֵ֫פֶץ (q. v.)

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Imagery

The term denotes a finely worked saddlecloth or riding blanket—an accessory placed beneath a rider to cushion, protect, and signal status. In an era when mounted travel symbolized power, military readiness, and commercial reach, such cloths conveyed both practical utility and conspicuous wealth.

Occurrence in Scripture

Ezekiel 27:20: “Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.”

The single occurrence situates the item within the prophet’s dirge over Tyre, a catalogue of global trade that magnifies the city’s former splendor before announcing its downfall.

Historical Background

Tyre dominated Mediterranean commerce during the late eighth and early seventh centuries B.C. The city’s brokers obtained merchandise from distant lands and redistributed it across imperial highways and sea-lanes. Dedan, located in north-western Arabia and famed for its camel caravans, supplied Tyre with coveted goods for mounted travel. Saddlecloths from this region were likely woven of dyed wool or embroidered linen, hardy enough for desert routes yet luxurious enough for royal processions.

Cultural and Economic Significance

1. Mobility and Warfare: Mounted units increasingly shaped Near-Eastern warfare (2 Samuel 1:6; 1 Kings 10:29). A well-padded blanket reduced chafing during long campaigns, preserving the health of valuable horses.
2. Trade Networks: Like the purple cloth of Phoenicia or the gold of Ophir, fine saddlecloths functioned as currency of prestige goods, linking Arabian oases to Levantine ports.
3. Social Status: Owning an ornamented riding cloth advertised affluence comparable to Solomon’s imported chariots (1 Kings 10:28–29).

Prophetic and Theological Themes

Ezekiel’s inventory underscores the breadth of Tyre’s riches, then contrasts that opulence with the certainty of divine judgment (Ezekiel 27:27). Saddlecloths, along with silver, ivory, and coral, illustrate how human pride trusts in commercial abundance rather than in the Lord. The fall of Tyre echoes later warnings: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Connections to Other Biblical Passages

Judges 5:10 portrays leaders “who ride on white donkeys, who sit on rich carpets,” revealing early use of decorated riding mats.
Isaiah 30:16 exposes misplaced confidence in swift mounts to escape judgment, paralleling Tyre’s reliance on traded goods.
Revelation 18:16 revisits the lament motif, listing cargoes of luxury cloths in the fall of “Babylon the great,” broadening the Ezekiel pattern from a regional to an eschatological scale.

Ministry Reflection

Believers are reminded that material refinement—whether ancient saddlecloths or modern equivalents—cannot shield against the Lord’s searching gaze. Stewardship, not self-indulgence, must guide the use of resources entrusted by God. The single, humble appearance of this word therefore calls the church to examine how even incidental comforts can reveal deeper allegiances and to pursue contentment anchored in Christ (Hebrews 13:5).

Forms and Transliterations
חֹ֖פֶשׁ חפש Chofesh ḥō·p̄eš ḥōp̄eš
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Ezekiel 27:20
HEB: רֹֽכַלְתֵּ֔ךְ בְבִגְדֵי־ חֹ֖פֶשׁ לְרִכְבָּֽה׃
NAS: traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.
KJV: [was] thy merchant in precious clothes
INT: traded clothes precious riding

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2667
1 Occurrence


ḥō·p̄eš — 1 Occ.

2666
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