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תַּהְפֻּכָה

𐤕𐤄𐤐𐤊𐤄

tahpukâh

H8419 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

State or act of distortion, perversion, or subversion — especially in speech, conduct, or moral character. The term most often indicates a turning aside from what is right, true, or expected toward something twisted or deceptive, applied to behavior, speech, or even societal conduct displaying fundamental crookedness or moral corruption.

Semantic Range

perversity, subversion, moral corruption, distortion, fraudulent or deceptive behavior, perverse speech, subverting justice or order

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root הפך (to turn, overturn, change, pervert). תַּהְפֻּכָה is a feminine abstract noun formation indicating the state, quality, or result of that which is overturned or distorted from its proper state.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, תַּהְפֻּכָה frequently describes a quality of heart, tongue, or action that is fundamentally opposed to righteousness or integrity. It is commonly used in wisdom literature (especially Proverbs) to contrast the speech and motives of the wicked or foolish with those who are upright (e.g., Prov 2:12, 6:14, 8:13, 10:32). In some prophetic contexts (e.g., Job 19:6), the word reflects accusations of perversion of justice or order. English translations often use ‘perversity,’ ‘perversion,’ or ‘crookedness,’ but these may not always capture the strong sense of subversive distortion implied in the Hebrew, which can encompass both ethical and social realms. The meaning does not change significantly across biblical periods, but is most prominent in literature aiming to delineate the boundaries between proper and deviant conduct. Later translation traditions sometimes render the term as 'fraud' or 'iniquity,' but these are interpretive choices to fit the context rather than direct meanings.

Translation Consistency

primary "perversion" 10 occurrences

tahpukâh most often denotes a turning-aside or twisting of what is right or true — a moral or social distortion. "Perversion" is the natural, widely used English noun that captures moral corruption, distortion, and subversion in speech, conduct, or order. It covers the typical semantic range better than narrower terms (e.g., "deception") and is more precise than the broader "corruption," making it the best consistent choice for all occurrences.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from הָפַךְ; a perversity or fraud; (very) froward(-ness, thing), perverse thing.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

הפך (hâphak) — to turn, overturn, change, reverse

Root הפך to turn, overturn, subvert, change
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2015 הָפַךְ in overturning
H2016 הֶפֶךְ reversal
H2017 הֹפֶךְ your overturning
H2018 הֲפֵכָה the catastrophic overturning
H2019 הֲפַכְפַּךְ habitually twisted one

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8419-02 תַּהְפֻּכֹת֙ tahepukhot HNcfpa perverse things distortions perversions 9
H8419-01 בְּֽ/תַהְפֻּכ֥וֹת betahepukhot HR/Ncfpc in perversions in distortions of in perversions of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8419-02 Deuteronomy 32:20 תַּהְפֻּכֹת֙ tahepukhot HNcfpa perverse distortions perversions
H8419-02 Proverbs 2:12 תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa perverse things distortions perversions
H8419-01 Proverbs 2:14 בְּֽ/תַהְפֻּכ֥וֹת betahepukhot HR/Ncfpc in perversions in distortions of in perversions of
H8419-02 Proverbs 6:14 תַּֽהְפֻּכ֨וֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa perversity distortions perversions
H8419-02 Proverbs 8:13 תַהְפֻּכ֬וֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa perverse distortions perversions
H8419-02 Proverbs 10:31 תַּ֝הְפֻּכ֗וֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa perverted distortions perversions
H8419-02 Proverbs 10:32 תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa perversity distortions perversions
H8419-02 Proverbs 16:28 תַּ֭הְפֻּכוֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa of perversions distortions perversions
H8419-02 Proverbs 16:30 תַּהְפֻּכ֑וֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa perverse things distortions perversions
H8419-02 Proverbs 23:33 תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת tahepukhot HNcfpa perverse things distortions perversions
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