חֶתֶף
𐤇𐤕𐤐
chetheph
H2863 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A sudden act of seizing, snatching, or taking something by force, with an emphasis on abruptness and violence; used in reference to forcible taking away of goods or people (rapine), and in extended sense, robbery or plunder. Rare in the Hebrew Bible, typically appearing in poetry or prophetic oracles to denote the suddenness or violence with which something is taken.
Semantic Range
rapine, sudden seizure, violent robbery, forcible taking, abduction, plunder, prey
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root ח-ת-ף (חָתַף), which means 'to snatch, seize suddenly, carry off by force.' The noun form חֶתֶף draws on this verbal sense to specify the act or result of such violent snatching.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֶתֶף appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible (Job 24:9, Proverbs 28:24), both contexts reflecting the idea of forcible or violent taking—either of property or, metaphorically, children. In Job, it denotes children being snatched away (by oppressors), and in Proverbs, the act of a son who robs his father or mother. The word's usage encompasses both literal abduction/seizure and broader robbery/plundering—contrasting with words like גָּנֵב (ganav, 'to steal') which imply theft, often without violence or suddenness, or גָּזַל (gazal, 'to rob, plunder') which may emphasize oppressive or open violence. English translations may narrow חֶתֶף to 'theft' or 'robbery,' but the term covers a distinct nuance of abrupt, forceful taking not always reflected in such renderings. Post-biblical Hebrew uses root derivatives for 'snatching' or 'abduction' as well, maintaining the core semantic idea of violent or sudden seizure.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָתַף; properly, rapine; figuratively, robbery; prey.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חתף (ḥ-t-p̄) — to snatch, seize suddenly, carry off violently
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2862 | חָתַף | he snatches away |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2863-01 |
כְּ/חֶ֣תֶף | kechetef | HR/Ncmsa |
like a robber | like violent snatching | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2863-01 |
Proverbs 23:28 | כְּ/חֶ֣תֶף | kechetef | HR/Ncmsa |
like a robber | like violent snatching |