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נָאַף

𐤍𐤀𐤐

nâʼaph

H5003 verb

SILEX Entry

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

נאף (nâʼaph) — to commit adultery, to be unfaithful (maritally)

Root נאף to commit adultery, to be unfaithful (maritally)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5005 נַאֲפוּף and her adulteries

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5003-04 מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים menaafim HVprmpa adulterers those committing adultery adulterers 4
H5003-09 נֹאֲפ֔וֹת noafot HVqrfpa adulteresses adultery-committing women adulteresses 3
H5003-08 נִאֵ֗פוּ niefu HVpp3cp they-have-committed-adultery they committed adultery they committed adultery 2
H5003-10 נֹאֵ֨ף noef HVqrmsa adulterer adultery-committing man adultery-committing man 2
H5003-11 תְּנָאַֽפְנָה tenaafenah HVpi3fp they commit adultery they will commit adultery they will commit adultery 2
H5003-12 תִּנְאָֽף tineaf HVqi2ms commit adultery you will commit adultery commit adultery 2
H5003-19 וְ/נָאֹ֑ף venaof HC/Vqa and adultery and committing adultery and committing adultery 2
H5003-20 יִנְאַף֙ yineaf HVqi3ms commits adultery he commits adultery commits adultery 2
H5003-01 הַ/מְּנָאָ֑פֶת hamenaafet HTd/Vprfsa the adulteress the adulterating woman the adulteress 1
H5003-02 הַ/נֹּאֵ֖ף hanoef HTd/Vqrmsa the adulterer the adultering one the adulterer 1

Occurrences in Scripture

31 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5003-12 Exodus 20:14 תִּנְאָֽף tineaf HVqi2ms commit adultery you will commit adultery commit adultery
H5003-20 Leviticus 20:10 יִנְאַף֙ yineaf HVqi3ms commits adultery he commits adultery commits adultery
H5003-20 Leviticus 20:10 יִנְאַ֖ף yineaf-2 HVqi3ms commits adultery he commits adultery commits adultery
H5003-02 Leviticus 20:10 הַ/נֹּאֵ֖ף hanoef HTd/Vqrmsa the adulterer the adultering one the adulterer
H5003-18 Leviticus 20:10 וְ/הַ/נֹּאָֽפֶת vehanoafet HC/Td/Vqrfsa and the adulteress and the adultering woman and the adulteress
H5003-12 Deuteronomy 5:18 תִּנְאָֽף tineaf HVqi2ms shall you commit adultery you will commit adultery you will commit adultery
H5003-05 Isaiah 57:3 מְנָאֵ֖ף menaef HVprmsa an adulterer the one committing adultery adulterer
H5003-07 Jeremiah 3:8 נִֽאֲפָה֙ niafah HVpp3fs she committed adultery she committed adultery she committed adultery
H5003-15 Jeremiah 3:9 וַ/תִּנְאַ֥ף vatineaf HC/Vqw3fs and committed adultery and she committed adultery and she committed adultery
H5003-17 Jeremiah 5:7 וַ/יִּנְאָ֔פוּ vayineafu HC/Vqw3mp and committed adultery and they committed adultery and they committed adultery
H5003-19 Jeremiah 7:9 וְֽ/נָאֹ֔ף venaof HC/Vqa and commit adultery and committing adultery and committing adultery
H5003-04 Jeremiah 9:1 מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים menaafim HVprmpa adulterers those committing adultery those committing adultery
H5003-04 Jeremiah 23:10 מְנָֽאֲפִים֙ menaafim HVprmpa adulterers those committing adultery those committing adultery
H5003-06 Jeremiah 23:14 נָא֞וֹף naof HVqa committing adultery to commit adultery to commit adultery
H5003-16 Jeremiah 29:23 וַ/יְנַֽאֲפוּ֙ vayenaafu HC/Vpw3mp and-they-committed-adultery and they committed adultery and they committed adultery
H5003-01 Ezekiel 16:32 הַ/מְּנָאָ֑פֶת hamenaafet HTd/Vprfsa the adulteress the adulterating woman the adulteress
H5003-09 Ezekiel 16:38 נֹאֲפ֔וֹת noafot HVqrfpa adulteresses adultery-committing women adulteresses
H5003-08 Ezekiel 23:37 נִאֵ֗פוּ niefu HVpp3cp they-have-committed-adultery they committed adultery they committed adultery
H5003-08 Ezekiel 23:37 נִאֵ֑פוּ niefu-2 HVpp3cp they-have-committed-adultery they committed adultery they committed adultery
H5003-09 Ezekiel 23:45 נֹֽאֲפ֔וֹת noafot HVqrfpa of-adulteresses adultery-committing women adulteresses
H5003-09 Ezekiel 23:45 נֹֽאֲפֹת֙ noafot-2 HVqrfpa adulteresses adultery-committing women adulteresses
H5003-13 Hosea 3:1 וּ/מְנָאָ֑פֶת umenaafet HC/Vprfsa and adulteress and an adultering woman and an adulteress
H5003-19 Hosea 4:2 וְ/נָאֹ֑ף venaof HC/Vqa and adultery and committing adultery and committing adultery
H5003-11 Hosea 4:13 תְּנָאַֽפְנָה tenaafenah HVpi3fp commit adultery they will commit adultery they will commit adultery
H5003-11 Hosea 4:14 תְנָאַ֔פְנָה tenaafenah HVpi3fp they commit adultery they will commit adultery they will commit adultery
H5003-04 Hosea 7:4 מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים menaafim HVprmpa are adulterers those committing adultery adulterers
H5003-14 Malachi 3:5 וּ/בַ/מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים uvamenaafim HC/Rd/Vprmpa and-against-adulterers adultering ones and against the adulterers
H5003-04 Psalms 50:18 מְנָאֲפִ֣ים menaafim HVprmpa adulterers those committing adultery adulterers
H5003-10 Proverbs 6:32 נֹאֵ֣ף noef HVqrmsa adulterer adultery-committing man adultery-committing man
H5003-03 Proverbs 30:20 מְנָ֫אָ֥פֶת menaafet HVprfsa adulterous adultering woman adulterous
H5003-10 Job 24:15 נֹאֵ֨ף noef HVqrmsa of the adulterer adultery-committing man adultery-committing man
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