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נָפַל

𐤍𐤐𐤋

nâphal

H5307 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נפל to fall, collapse, drop, be brought down, perish

Definition

To fall (intransitive), to drop down, to collapse, fail, perish; by extension, to be prostrate, to be overthrown, to die, or to come by lot or chance; in causative stems, to cause to fall, to throw down, to cast down or out, to knock over. The word is used both literally (physical falling, collapse) and figuratively (defeat in battle, death, destruction, failure, allocation by casting lots, prostration or supplication).

Semantic Range

to fall (literally or figuratively), to die, to be defeated, to fail, to prostrate oneself, to collapse, to cast lots, to come by chance, to cause to fall, to knock down, to overthrow, to fall in battle, to become inferior, to perish, to suffer destruction

Root / Etymology

From the root נפל, a primitive Semitic root meaning 'to fall.' The noun and derived forms carry senses related to physical descent or loss of positional standing, which, by extension, come to refer to aspects of defeat, ruin, failure, or death. Derived stems (hiphil, etc.) carry the causative sense of 'to cause to fall' or 'to bring about ruin.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, נָפַל appears frequently in narratives involving physical falling (as when people fall to the ground), defeat in conflict (armies 'fall' in battle), and death (to fall by the sword). It often marks the end of status, strength, or life. In metaphoric or idiomatic expressions, it can denote fate or destiny (such as property or inheritance that 'falls' to someone, often determined by casting lots), as well as the loss of favor or standing. In legal contexts, 'to fall' can also indicate judgment or division of inheritance. In religious or ritual contexts, it may signify prostration or supplication before a superior. The nuances of נָפַל often depend on context, and some older English translations employ a wide array of renderings that do not always correspond clearly to the Hebrew meaning. The phraseology sometimes overlaps with terms for dying (מוּת) or prostrating oneself (חָוָה), but נָפַל is distinct in emphasizing the notion of descending, collapsing, or being brought down regardless of intent (voluntary or involuntary). In the post-exilic period, nuances associated with fate, lots, and inheritance may become more pronounced.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נפל (n-p-l) — to fall, collapse, drop, be brought down, perish

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4651 מַפָּל fallen-off fragments of
H4654 מַפָּלָה to a collapse
H4658 מַפֶּלֶת in their downfall
H5303 נְפִיל the fallen-giants
H5308 נְפַל falling ones

Word Forms

99 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5307-68 וַ/יִּפֹּ֥ל vayipol HC/Vqw3ms and fell and he fell 43
H5307-98 יִפֹּל yipol HVqi3ms will fall he will fall 35
H5307-67 וַֽ/יִּפְּל֖וּ vayipelu HC/Vqw3mp and they fell and they fell 28
H5307-27 נָפָֽל nafal HVqp3ms had fallen he fell 25
H5307-34 נָפְל֥וּ nafelu HVqp3cp have fallen they fell 24
H5307-97 יִפְּל֔וּ yipelu HVqi3mp shall fall they will fall 19
H5307-40 נֹפֵ֖ל nofel HVqrmsa falling falling one 15
H5307-99 יִפֹּ֑לוּ yipolu HVqi3mp will fall they will fall 15
H5307-62 וַ/תִּפֹּ֖ל vatipol HC/Vqw3fs and fell and she fell 15
H5307-32 נָפְלָ֣ה nafelah HVqp3fs had fallen she fell 13

Occurrences in Scripture

435 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5307-63 Genesis 2:21 וַ/יַּפֵּל֩ vayapel HC/Vhw3ms and he caused to fall and he caused to fall
H5307-67 Genesis 4:5 וַֽ/יִּפְּל֖וּ vayipelu HC/Vqw3mp fell and they fell
H5307-34 Genesis 4:6 נָפְל֥וּ nafelu HVqp3cp has fallen they fell
H5307-67 Genesis 14:10 וַ/יִּפְּלוּ vayipelu HC/Vqw3mp fell and they fell
H5307-32 Genesis 15:12 נָפְלָ֣ה nafelah HVqp3fs fell she fell
H5307-41 Genesis 15:12 נֹפֶ֥לֶת nofelet HVqrfsa falling falling one
H5307-68 Genesis 17:3 וַ/יִּפֹּ֥ל vayipol HC/Vqw3ms fell and he fell
H5307-68 Genesis 17:17 וַ/יִּפֹּ֧ל vayipol HC/Vqw3ms fell and he fell
H5307-62 Genesis 24:64 וַ/תִּפֹּ֖ל vatipol HC/Vqw3fs and she got down and she fell
H5307-27 Genesis 25:18 נָפָֽל nafal HVqp3ms he settled he fell
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