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חָנֵף

𐤇𐤍𐤐

chânêph

H2610 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חנף to bend, make crooked, act corruptly

Definition

To act in a manner that corrupts or profanes what is considered sacred or proper, especially through moral or religious transgression. The term carries the sense of polluting, defiling, or behaving impiously, particularly in contexts where proper ethical or cultic behavior is expected. It may involve acts that cause ritual or moral contamination, ranging from personal conduct to public actions that violate community standards.

Semantic Range

to act corruptly, to profane (especially sacred matters), to pollute or defile morally or religiously, to act godlessly, to act hypocritically, to violate ethical standards, to pervert justice

Root / Etymology

Root: חנף (ḥ-n-p). Root meaning is uncertain but commonly understood to denote the idea of 'bending, making crooked,' metaphorically extended to being morally bent or perverted. The verb חָנֵף derives from this root, developing the sense of corrupting or defiling (especially in a moral or religious sense).

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָנֵף appears mostly in poetic and prophetic literature, often referring to those who pervert justice or religious observance, or who act hypocritically toward Israelite ethical or cultic norms. The term does not primarily refer to physical defilement but to a figurative, moral, or religious pollution—such as apostasy, hypocrisy, or the perversion of justice. In the Israelite context, it is frequently contrasted with righteousness or uprightness and is associated with those who act wickedly under a veneer of religiosity. In post-exilic literature, the sense of pollution or profanity becomes more pronounced as concerns about ritual purity increase. Most standard English translations render חָנֵף as 'profane,' 'corrupt,' 'godless,' or 'hypocritical,' but these do not always capture its figurative depth. The later rabbinic usage sometimes extends this sense to denote outright hypocrisy or irreligion, but in biblical contexts, it is more general, referring to corrupt or polluted behavior, especially that which violates the covenantal norms of Israelite society. Contrasted with related terms like רשע (rasha‘, wicked) or טמא (tame', ritually unclean), חָנֵף often implies an internal or moral dimension beyond external ritual impurity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to soil, especially in a moral sense; corrupt, defile, [idiom] greatly, pollute, profane.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חנף (ḥ-n-p) — to bend, make crooked, act corruptly

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2611 חָנֵף in impious ones of
H2612 חֹנֶף profane corruption
H2613 חֲנֻפָה godless corruption

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2610-08 יַחֲנִ֖יף yachanif HVhi3ms defiles he will profane 2
H2610-05 תֶּחֱנַ֖ף techenaf HVqi3fs be defiled she will act corruptly 2
H2610-07 וַ/תֶּחֱנַ֖ף vatechenaf HC/Vqw3fs And was polluted and she acted corruptly 2
H2610-02 חָנֵ֑פוּ chanefu HVqp3cp are-profane they have acted corruptly 1
H2610-01 חָנְפָ֖ה chanefah HVqp3fs is-defiled she acted corruptly 1
H2610-03 חָנ֥וֹף chanof HVqa be defiled to act corruptly 1
H2610-06 וַ/תַּחֲנִ֣יפִי vatachanifi HC/Vhw2fs and you have polluted and you caused to defile 1
H2610-04 תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ tachanifu HVhi2mp defile you will profane 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2610-04 Numbers 35:33 תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ tachanifu HVhi2mp defile you will profane
H2610-08 Numbers 35:33 יַחֲנִ֖יף yachanif HVhi3ms defiles he will profane
H2610-01 Isaiah 24:5 חָנְפָ֖ה chanefah HVqp3fs is-defiled she acted corruptly
H2610-03 Jeremiah 3:1 חָנ֥וֹף chanof HVqa be defiled to act corruptly
H2610-05 Jeremiah 3:1 תֶּחֱנַ֖ף techenaf HVqi3fs be defiled she will act corruptly
H2610-06 Jeremiah 3:2 וַ/תַּחֲנִ֣יפִי vatachanifi HC/Vhw2fs and you have polluted and you caused to defile
H2610-07 Jeremiah 3:9 וַ/תֶּחֱנַ֖ף vatechenaf HC/Vqw3fs she defiled and she acted corruptly
H2610-02 Jeremiah 23:11 חָנֵ֑פוּ chanefu HVqp3cp are-profane they have acted corruptly
H2610-05 Micah 4:11 תֶּחֱנָ֔ף techenaf HVqi3fs Let her be defiled she will act corruptly
H2610-07 Psalms 106:38 וַ/תֶּחֱנַ֥ף vatechenaf HC/Vqw3fs And was polluted and she acted corruptly
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