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חֹפֶן

𐤇𐤐𐤍

chôphen

H2651 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A closed handful, specifically the hollow formed when the hand is cupped or shaped as if to grasp something; used almost exclusively in the dual form to refer to both hands together as the means for holding or carrying a substance, typically when scooping up a measured portion.

Semantic Range

cupped hand, handful, double handful, capacity measured by both hands together (as for incense or grain); by extension, the act of scooping or taking a portion with both hands

Root / Etymology

The word חֹפֶן (chôphen) derives from an unused root, tentatively linked to the root חפן (ḥ-p-n), which is not attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible but is posited on the basis of the noun form and related Semitic languages. The putative root likely means 'to grasp' or 'to scoop,' but its precise verbal form is lost. The noun denotes the result of this action—the handful formed by cupping the fingers.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֹפֶן occurs infrequently and is consistently used in the dual form (חָפְנַיִם, chafnayim) to refer to both hands, especially in ritual or ceremonial procedures involving the taking of incense, meal, or similar substances (e.g., Leviticus 16:12). The imagery suggests not a closed fist but a cupped hand forming a round, hollowed space in the palm. Unlike the more common יד (yad, 'hand') or כף (kaf, 'palm'), חֹפֶן specifies the hand in a functional shape for collecting or carrying a substance—emphasizing the capacity rather than the anatomical aspect. English translations as 'handful' or 'fist' can be misleading if they ignore the customary, ritualized act being described. In post-biblical Hebrew, derivatives may refer to 'handful' in a generic sense, but the biblical usage is specialized and context-dependent. No strong evidence connects חֹפֶן with concrete sociopolitical or religious developments; its meaning remains stable in the extant texts.

Translation Consistency

primary "handful" 1 occurrence

H2651 denotes a cupped/closed hand used to scoop or carry a measured portion (often the two hands together). "Handful" naturally captures both the physical cupped hand and the measured quantity sense, reads idiomatically in English, and can be inflected consistently (handful/handfuls) across contexts. It is clearer and more natural than "fists," "palms," or the awkward "double-handful."

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"double-handfuls" (1x) "double-handful" (1x) "hands" (1x) "palms of" (1x) "fists" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root of uncertain signification; a fist (only in the dual); fists, (both) hands, hand(-ful).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חפן (ḥ-p-n) — to grasp, to scoop, to take in the hand

Root חפן to grasp, to scoop, to take in the hand
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2652 חׇפְנִי Handful-one

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2651-05 חָפְנֶ֤י/ךָ chafeneykha HNcmdc/Sp2ms your hands your double-handful your hands 1
H2651-04 חָפְנֵ֖י chafeney HNcmdc the palms of double handful of the palms of 1
H2651-01 בְּ/חָפְנָ֡י/ו bechafenayv HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms in His fists in his double-handful in his fists 1
H2651-06 חָפְנֵי/כֶ֔ם chafeneykhem HNcmdc/Sp2mp of your fists your double-handfuls your double-handfuls 1
H2651-02 חָפְנַ֛יִם chafenayim HNcmda double handful double handful 1
H2651-03 חָפְנָ֔י/ו chafenayv HNcmdc/Sp3ms his handfuls his double-handful his double-handful 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2651-06 Exodus 9:8 חָפְנֵי/כֶ֔ם chafeneykhem HNcmdc/Sp2mp of your fists your double-handfuls your double-handfuls
H2651-03 Leviticus 16:12 חָפְנָ֔י/ו chafenayv HNcmdc/Sp3ms his handfuls his double-handful his double-handful
H2651-05 Ezekiel 10:2 חָפְנֶ֤י/ךָ chafeneykha HNcmdc/Sp2ms your hands your double-handful your hands
H2651-04 Ezekiel 10:7 חָפְנֵ֖י chafeney HNcmdc the palms of double handful of the palms of
H2651-01 Proverbs 30:4 בְּ/חָפְנָ֡י/ו bechafenayv HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms in His fists in his double-handful in his fists
H2651-02 Ecclesiastes 4:6 חָפְנַ֛יִם chafenayim HNcmda double handful double handful
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