4649. Muppim
Lexical Summary
Muppim: Muppim

Original Word: מֻפִּים
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Muppiym
Pronunciation: MOOP-peem
Phonetic Spelling: (moop-peem')
KJV: Muppim
NASB: Muppim
Word Origin: [a plural apparently from H5130 (נוּף - wave)]

1. wavings
2. Muppim, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Muppim

A plural apparently from nuwph; wavings; Muppim, an Israelite -- Muppim. Compare Shuppiym.

see HEBREW nuwph

see HEBREW Shuppiym

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a family in Benjamin
NASB Translation
Muppim (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מֻמִּים proper name, masculine family name in Benjamin, Genesis 46:21, ᵑ6 Μαμφειν; but 1 Chronicles 7:12 שֻׁמִּם q. v.

מֵפִיץ see פוץ

מַמָּל, מַמָּלָה, מַמֶּ֫לֶת see נפל.

[מִפְלָאָה] see פלא. [מִפְלַגָּה] see פלג.

מִפְלָט see פלט. מִפְלֶ֫צֶת see פלץ.

[מִפְלָשׂ] see פלשׂ = פלס.

[מִפְעָל, מִפְעָלָה] see פעל.

מֵ פָ֑֫עַת see מֵיפַ֫עַת below יפע.

[מַמָּץ], מַמֵּץ see נפץ. מִפְקָד see פקד.

[מִפְרָץ] see פרץ. [מַפְרֶ֫קֶת] see פדק.

[מִפְרָשׂ] see פרשׂ. מִפְשָׂעָה see פשׂע.

מַפְתֵּחַ, [מִפְתָּח] see פתח.

מִפְתָּן see פתן. מֵץ Isa 1 Chronicles 16:4 see מיץ.

מֹץ see מוץ.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

Genesis 46:21 lists Muppim as one of the ten sons of Benjamin who went down to Egypt with Jacob: “The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard”. This single appearance provides the name’s direct scriptural footprint, yet the individual’s lineage reverberates through subsequent tribal records.

Genealogical Context

Although Genesis employs the form “Muppim,” later census and genealogical texts appear to reference the same ancestral figure under variant spellings. Numbers 26:38–39 records “the Shuphamites” among Benjamin’s clans, while 1 Chronicles 7:12 and 1 Chronicles 8:1–5 mention “Shuppim and Huppim.” Conservative scholarship regularly treats Shupham (or Shuppim) as an alternate rendering of Muppim, reflecting the fluidity of Hebrew consonants when transmitted across centuries. The placement of these variants alongside Huppim in all lists supports their identification with the same two brothers originally named in Genesis.

Tribal Significance

The descendants of Benjamin became renowned for courage and military skill (Judges 20; 1 Samuel 14). Within that tribal character, every ancestral house—including that of Muppim—contributed to the strength later displayed by warriors such as Ehud (Judges 3:15) and Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:13–14). From the tribe also emerged Israel’s first king, Saul (1 Samuel 9:1–2), and later the apostle Paul (Philippians 3:5). The preservation of Muppim’s name in Scripture underscores God’s concern for each familial branch through which covenant promises were carried forward.

Connection with Covenant Lineage

Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son, born after the Lord had changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 35:10–18). The inclusion of Benjamin’s offspring, including Muppim, in the migration to Egypt links the patriarchal era to the formative experience of the Exodus. By preserving the family line through famine, God positioned Benjamin’s clans to share in deliverance under Moses, conquest under Joshua, and ultimately the establishment of the monarchy. Each Benjamite household thus bears witness to divine providence that orchestrates redemptive history through named individuals.

Theological Insights

1. Divine Memory: Though Muppim is not singled out by narrative exploits, his recorded name affirms the biblical theme that God “knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). Lists that modern readers may skim were, in ancient Israel, testimonies to God’s fidelity to families.
2. Corporate Identity: Muppim’s placement in Genesis highlights the corporate aspect of salvation history. God’s work through Israel encompasses entire tribes and clans, demonstrating that individual faithfulness is intertwined with communal destiny (Joshua 7).
3. Typological Foreshadowing: Benjamin’s history of small beginnings yet strategic importance parallels the messianic principle that God often chooses what is “least” to accomplish great things (1 Corinthians 1:27–29). The quiet presence of Muppim within that tribe echoes this pattern.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Encouragement for the Unseen: Many believers labor without public recognition. Muppim’s single mention challenges ministries to honor every member whose quiet faithfulness sustains the community (Romans 12:4–8).
• Genealogical Discipleship: Churches can draw on biblical genealogies to teach continuity—how today’s obedience shapes future generations, as Muppim’s did for Benjamin’s later heroes.
• Record-Keeping as Worship: Maintaining accurate church rolls, baptismal logs, and mission histories becomes an act of stewardship when modeled on Scripture’s care to preserve names like Muppim.

Summary

Muppim stands as a representative of the often-overlooked pillars within God’s covenant community. His solitary mention in Genesis serves not merely as a historical footnote but as a reminder that every believer’s place in the divine record bears lasting significance for the unfolding purposes of God.

Forms and Transliterations
מֻפִּ֥ים מפים mup·pîm mupPim muppîm
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 46:21
HEB: אֵחִ֣י וָרֹ֑אשׁ מֻפִּ֥ים וְחֻפִּ֖ים וָאָֽרְדְּ׃
NAS: and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim
KJV: and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim,
INT: Ehi and Rosh Muppim and Huppim and Ard

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4649
1 Occurrence


mup·pîm — 1 Occ.

4648
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