הָדַף
𐤄𐤃𐤐
hâdaph
H1920 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To push, drive, or thrust away; to forcefully expel or move something or someone away from a position or location. This term expresses active physical displacement, whether of people, objects, or metaphorically, of conditions such as violence or misfortune. It can convey rejection, removal, or the act of forcibly making something leave an area or group.
Semantic Range
to push away, to cast out, to drive out, to thrust away, to expel, to force aside, to remove forcefully
Root / Etymology
Root: הדף. The root meaning is 'to push' or 'to thrust.' The verb הָדַף is derived directly from this root and carries the fundamental sense of pushing away with force. The actual lexical meanings always involve some type of physical or metaphorical expulsion or displacement, but the root itself simply denotes the idea of pushing or driving.
Historical & Contextual Notes
הָדַף appears in several biblical contexts, often describing the act of expelling someone from a group, territory, or land (e.g. Deut 13:11, 'driven away from among you'; Mic 2:2, 'they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage'). It is sometimes used metaphorically for the expulsion of righteousness or peace (Isa 32:19). The verb is consistently active and forceful—a willful act of removal, not mere neglect or abandonment. There is overlap with related Hebrew roots like גָּרַשׁ (garash, H1644, 'to drive out, expel'), but הָדַף more strongly connotes active pushing or thrusting, while גָּרַשׁ can also encompass ritual or legal expulsion and divorce. Standard English translations often render the word as 'cast out,' 'drive away,' or 'thrust out,' but may flatten the sense of physicality and force involved. No notable shift in meaning is observed between monarchic, exilic, or post-exilic periods—the core imagery of forceful displacement is consistent.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to push away or down; cast away (out), drive, expel, thrust (away).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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הדף (h-d-p) — push, thrust, drive
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1920-02 |
הֲדָפ֑/וֹ | hadafo | HVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
has thrust him down | he has thrust him away | 2 |
H1920-06 |
וַ/הֲדַפְתִּ֖י/ךָ | vahadafetikha | HC/Vqq1cs/Sp2ms |
I will thrust you | and I thrust you away | 1 |
H1920-08 |
יֶ֭הְדְּפֻ/הוּ | yehedefuhu | HVqi3mp/Sp3ms |
they shall drive him | they will thrust him away | 1 |
H1920-03 |
לַ/הֲדֹ֥ף | lahadof | HR/Vqc |
to drive out | to thrust away | 1 |
H1920-07 |
יֶהְדָּפֶ֑/נּוּ | yehedafenu | HVqi3ms/Sp3ms |
he pushes him | he thrusts him away | 1 |
H1920-10 |
יֶהְדֳּפֵ֣/ם | yehedofem | HVqi3ms/Sp3mp |
will-thrust.them-out | he will thrust them away | 1 |
H1920-09 |
יֶהְדֹּֽף | yehedof | HVqi3ms |
he thrusts away | he pushes away | 1 |
H1920-01 |
בַּ/הֲדֹ֣ף | bahadof | HR/Vqc |
when driving out | in pushing away | 1 |
H1920-04 |
לְ/הָדְפָ֗/הּ | lehadefah | HR/Vqc/Sp3fs |
to thrust her away | to thrust her away | 1 |
H1920-05 |
תֶּהְדֹּ֔פוּ | tehedofu | HVqi2mp |
you thrust | you will thrust away | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1920-07 |
Numbers 35:20 | יֶהְדָּפֶ֑/נּוּ | yehedafenu | HVqi3ms/Sp3ms |
he pushes him | he thrusts him away |
H1920-02 |
Numbers 35:22 | הֲדָפ֑/וֹ | hadafo | HVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
he pushed him | he has thrust him away |
H1920-03 |
Deuteronomy 6:19 | לַ/הֲדֹ֥ף | lahadof | HR/Vqc |
to drive out | to thrust away |
H1920-01 |
Deuteronomy 9:4 | בַּ/הֲדֹ֣ף | bahadof | HR/Vqc |
when driving out | in pushing away |
H1920-10 |
Joshua 23:5 | יֶהְדֳּפֵ֣/ם | yehedofem | HVqi3ms/Sp3mp |
will-thrust.them-out | he will thrust them away |
H1920-04 |
2 Kings 4:27 | לְ/הָדְפָ֗/הּ | lehadefah | HR/Vqc/Sp3fs |
to thrust her away | to thrust her away |
H1920-06 |
Isaiah 22:19 | וַ/הֲדַפְתִּ֖י/ךָ | vahadafetikha | HC/Vqq1cs/Sp2ms |
I will thrust you | and I thrust you away |
H1920-02 |
Jeremiah 46:15 | הֲדָפֽ/וֹ | hadafo | HVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
has thrust him down | he has thrust him away |
H1920-05 |
Ezekiel 34:21 | תֶּהְדֹּ֔פוּ | tehedofu | HVqi2mp |
you thrust | you will thrust away |
H1920-09 |
Proverbs 10:3 | יֶהְדֹּֽף | yehedof | HVqi3ms |
he thrusts away | he pushes away |