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נָאַף

𐤍𐤀𐤐

nâʼaph

H5003 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נאף to commit adultery, to be unfaithful (maritally)

Definition

To commit adultery — specifically, to violate the exclusivity of a formal marital bond by engaging in sexual relations with someone not one's spouse. The term primarily denotes the act of marital infidelity, especially as defined by covenantal relationships in ancient Israelite society. It is used both in concrete legal contexts (marital unfaithfulness) and metaphorically, often referring to spiritual unfaithfulness against YHWH (e.g., the turning of Israel to other deities).

Semantic Range

to commit adultery (with a married/engaged woman), to be unfaithful to a spouse, to be spiritually unfaithful (to YHWH), to violate a covenant bond, to engage in illicit sexual relations (specifically marital infidelity), to symbolize apostasy

Root / Etymology

The root is נאף, which appears only in the piel and niphal stems in biblical Hebrew. Its core meaning pertains to illicit sexual activity involving a married woman; thus, it is intimately tied to the concept of marital exclusivity. The verb developed from this root to denote acts of adultery as defined by Israelite social and legal norms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָאַף is employed in legal passages (e.g., the Decalogue, Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18) to prohibit adultery, which in Israelite law specifically referred to intercourse with a married or betrothed woman by a man other than her husband or betrothed. Unlike the broader English concept of 'adultery,' which may refer to marital infidelity by either spouse, the biblical concept predominantly considers the offense as one committed against the male head of household. This narrow legal meaning is distinct from prostitution (זנה, zanah) or general sexual immorality. The term is also used metaphorically, especially by the prophets, regarding spiritual disloyalty — the abandonment of exclusive covenantal relationship with YHWH in favor of other deities, often paired with cultic rituals. In post-exilic contexts and later Jewish literature, the meaning may expand, but in the Hebrew Bible, its usage is both specific (legal/marital) and metaphorical (covenantal treachery). The English term 'adultery' can inaccurately suggest mutual marital unfaithfulness and does not always convey the gender and legal specificity of the Hebrew term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to commit adultery; figuratively, to apostatize; adulterer(-ess), commit(-ing) adultery, woman that breaketh wedlock.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נאף (n-ʾ-p) — to commit adultery, marital unfaithfulness, covenant violation

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5005 נַאֲפוּף and her adulteries

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5003-04 מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים menaafim HVprmpa adulterers those committing adultery 4
H5003-09 נֹאֲפ֔וֹת noafot HVqrfpa adulteresses adultery-committing women 3
H5003-19 וְֽ/נָאֹ֔ף venaof HC/Vqa and adultery and committing adultery 2
H5003-11 תְּנָאַֽפְנָה tenaafenah HVpi3fp they commit adultery they will commit adultery 2
H5003-20 יִנְאַף֙ yineaf HVqi3ms commits adultery he commits adultery 2
H5003-08 נִאֵ֗פוּ niefu HVpp3cp they-have-committed-adultery they committed adultery 2
H5003-10 נֹאֵ֣ף noef HVqrmsa adulterer adultery-committing man 2
H5003-12 תִּנְאָֽף tineaf HVqi2ms commit adultery you will commit adultery 2
H5003-01 הַ/מְּנָאָ֑פֶת hamenaafet HTd/Vprfsa the adulteress the adulterating woman 1
H5003-13 וּ/מְנָאָ֑פֶת umenaafet HC/Vprfsa and adulteress and an adultering woman 1

Occurrences in Scripture

31 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5003-12 Exodus 20:14 תִּנְאָֽף tineaf HVqi2ms commit adultery you will commit adultery
H5003-20 Leviticus 20:10 יִנְאַף֙ yineaf HVqi3ms commits adultery he commits adultery
H5003-20 Leviticus 20:10 יִנְאַ֖ף yineaf-2 HVqi3ms commits adultery he commits adultery
H5003-02 Leviticus 20:10 הַ/נֹּאֵ֖ף hanoef HTd/Vqrmsa the adulterer the adultering one
H5003-18 Leviticus 20:10 וְ/הַ/נֹּאָֽפֶת vehanoafet HC/Td/Vqrfsa and the adulteress and the adultering woman
H5003-12 Deuteronomy 5:18 תִּנְאָֽף tineaf HVqi2ms shall you commit adultery you will commit adultery
H5003-05 Isaiah 57:3 מְנָאֵ֖ף menaef HVprmsa an adulterer the one committing adultery
H5003-07 Jeremiah 3:8 נִֽאֲפָה֙ niafah HVpp3fs she committed adultery she committed adultery
H5003-15 Jeremiah 3:9 וַ/תִּנְאַ֥ף vatineaf HC/Vqw3fs and committed adultery and she committed adultery
H5003-17 Jeremiah 5:7 וַ/יִּנְאָ֔פוּ vayineafu HC/Vqw3mp and committed adultery and they committed adultery
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