הֲפֵכָה
𐤄𐤐𐤊𐤄
hăphêkâh
H2018 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A reversal or turning over, especially a disastrous overturning; a calamity in which something is violently overturned or destroyed. Primarily denotes a decisive act of destruction by turning something upside down or transforming it so completely as to bring about its ruin.
Semantic Range
overturning, overthrow, catastrophic reversal, destruction, ruin, calamity effected by turning
Root / Etymology
From the root הפך (peh-pek-kaf), meaning 'to turn, turn over, overturn, reverse, transform.' The noun הֲפֵכָה is a feminine derivative of this root, signifying the act or result of overturning or catastrophic reversal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
הֲפֵכָה appears in the Hebrew Bible to describe total destruction by overturning—often associated with cities or lands brought to ruin by a dramatic upheaval (e.g., the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Deuteronomy 29:22). In such contexts it implies not just generic destruction, but one characterized by reversal, inversion, or catastrophic transformation. Its usage is focused on describing divine or fateful retribution, particularly as a paradigm of what can happen to a city or people. Over time and in post-biblical usage, it retains this core sense of a ruinous reversal. English translations typically use 'overthrow' or 'destruction,' but these sometimes obscure the word’s inherent focus on violent reversal or turning. Other Hebrew terms for destruction (e.g., חָרְבָּה, 'ruin,' or שְׁמָמָה, 'desolation') lack the nuance of inversion or turning implicit in הֲפֵכָה. The term does not specify the agent but is frequently linked to acts attributed to deity in biblical narratives, especially as warnings or exemplars for Israelite and later audiences.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of הֶפֶךְ; destruction; overthrow.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
הפך (h-p-k) — to turn, overturn, reverse, transform
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2015 | הָפַךְ | in overturning |
| H2016 | הֶפֶךְ | reversal |
| H2017 | הֹפֶךְ | your overturning |
| H2019 | הֲפַכְפַּךְ | habitually twisted one |
| H4114 | מַהְפֵּכָה | like the overthrow of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2018-01 |
הַ/הֲפֵכָ֔ה | hahafekhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the overthrow | the catastrophic overturning | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2018-01 |
Genesis 19:29 | הַ/הֲפֵכָ֔ה | hahafekhah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the overthrow | the catastrophic overturning |