shā´fan ( שׁפן(naf , shāphān , "rockbadger," English Versions of the Bible "coney"; Σαφφάν , Saphphán ): An old totem clan name (so W.R. Smith; compare, however, the article TOTEMISM; Gray, Gray, Studies in Hebrew Proper Names , 103 ff, and Jacob's Studies in Biblical Archaeology , 84 ff).
(1) Son of Azaliah and scribe of King Josiah. He received from Hilkiah the Book of the Law which had been found in the Temple (2 Kings 22:3 ff; 2 Ch 34:8-28). It was from Shaphan's lips that Josiah heard the Law read. Shaphan was also one of those sent by the king to the prophetess Huldah (2 Ki 22; 2 Ch 34). He was undoubtedly one of the staunchest supporters of Josiah in his work of reform. He was the father of Ahikam ( 2 Kings 22:12; 2 Chronicles 34:20; Jeremiah 26:24 ), who befriended and protected the prophet Jeremiah. Another son, Elasah, was one of the two men entrusted by Jeremiah with his letter to the captives in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:3 ). A third son, Gemariah, vainly tried to prevent King Jehoiakim from burning "the roll" (Jeremiah 36:10 , Jeremiah 36:11 , Jeremiah 36:12 , Jeremiah 36:25 ). The Micaiah of Jeremiah 36:11 , Jeremiah 36:12 , and Gedaliah, the governor of Judea after the captivity of 586 BC, were his grandsons (Jeremiah 39:14 ).
(2) Perhaps the father of Jaazaniah, one of the 70 men whom Ezekiel saw, in his vision of the Temple, sacrificing to idols (Ezekiel 8:11 ).
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