עוּף (H5774) — Hebrew Lexicon

עוּף

𐤏𐤅𐤐

ʻûwph

H5774 verb

SILEX Entry

Root עוף to fly, to move with wings

Definition

To fly, to move through the air by means of wings. By extension, may denote rapid or soaring motion (literal or figurative), or (rarely and contextually) to faint or grow weary. Occasional metaphoric uses: being swept away or fleeing swiftly, or (in poetics) the 'gleaming' or shining forth of wings or feathers.

Semantic Range

to fly, to soar, to flutter, to flee away swiftly, to brandish (wings), to depart (by flying), to faint/grow weary (rare, metaphorical)

Root / Etymology

Root: עוּף, likely from the common Semitic root meaning 'to fly'. The root carries the idea of movement through the air using wings. The verb is primitive and shows no reliable evidence connecting it to other Hebrew roots. The denominative noun עוֹף ('flying creatures, birds') derives from the same root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

עוּף is most commonly used of birds and insects, describing literal flight (Genesis 1:20, 1 Kings 14:11). In prophetic or poetic literature, the verb can be used metaphorically for swift movement or fleeing (Psalm 139:9; Isaiah 6:2). In very rare cases, especially in parallel poetic vocabulary, the sense of 'grow faint' appears, probably by imagery of dimming or fading away, not by primary lexical meaning (see Isaiah 40:30-31, though here the standard meaning is 'to fly'). English translations often render עוּף simply as 'fly,' which is accurate for most contexts. Occasional nuances such as 'brandish' (e.g., brandishing wings in motion) are interpretive and context-driven, not inherent to the verb itself. Note: The English 'set' or 'shine forth' glossed in some translations never represents the core meaning in biblical use. Unlike related roots (e.g., פרח meaning 'to sprout, blossom, or fly'), עוּף is strictly tied to airborne movement. Later texts and post-biblical Hebrew maintain this basic meaning, though the figurative uses expand with time. No documented shift occurs in the primary lexical meaning from earliest to later biblical periods.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to cover (with wings or obscurity); hence (as denominative from עוֹף); to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning); brandish, be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away), [idiom] set, shine forth, weary.

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Root Family

עוף (ʿ-w-p̄) — to fly, to move with wings

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H3287	יָעֵף	the exhausted one
H4155	מוּעָף	covered-over dimness
H4588	מָעוּף	shadowed gloom of
H5775	עוֹף	flying creature
H5776	עוֹף	flying creature
H5778	עוֹפַי	Bird-like One
H5890	עֵיפָה	enveloping gloom
H5891	עֵיפָה	Ephah (Soaring-One)
H6079	עַפְעַף	my fluttering eyelids

Word Forms

21 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H5774-14`	וַ/יָּ֖עַף	vayaaf	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and grew weary	and he flew	5
`H5774-18`	יָע֥וּף	yauf	`HVqi3ms`	he will fly away	he flies	3
`H5774-15`	וַ/יָּעֹ֑ף	vayaof	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and He flew	and he flew	3
`H5774-01`	עָפָֽה	afah	`HVqrfsa`	flying	he flew	2
`H5774-08`	מְעוֹפֵֽף	meofef	`HVormsa`	flying	soaring one	2
`H5774-20`	יְעוֹפֵ֣ף	yeofef	`HVoi3ms`	fly	he will flutter about	2
`H5774-06`	ה/תעוף	htvf	`HTi/Vqi2ms`	will your eyes fly	will you fly	1
`H5774-21`	יִתְעוֹפֵ֣ף	yiteofef	`HVri3ms`	will-fly-away	he will flutter about	1
`H5774-04`	בְּ/עוֹפְפִ֥/י	beofefi	`HR/Voc/Sp1cs`	in my brandishing	in my fluttering	1
`H5774-10`	תָּ֝עֻ֗פָ/ה	taufah	`HVqi3fs/Sh`	will fly	she will fly	1
`H5774-12`	עֽוּף	uf	`HVqc`	upward	to fly	1
`H5774-11`	תְּעוּפֶ֑ינָה	teufeynah	`HVqi3fp`	fly	they will fly	1
`H5774-09`	תָּע֖וּף	tauf	`HVqi3fs`	flies	she will fly	1
`H5774-05`	הֲ/תָ֤עִיף	hataif	`HTi/Vhi2ms`	do you make fly	you cause to fly	1
`H5774-02`	עָפ֔וֹת	afot	`HVqrfpa`	hovering	flying ones	1
`H5774-03`	אָע֥וּפָה	aufah	`HVqh1cs`	I-would-fly-away	let me fly	1
`H5774-17`	ו/עיף	vyf	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and flies	and he flew	1
`H5774-19`	יָעֻ֕פוּ	yaufu	`HVqi3mp`	they fly	they will fly	1
`H5774-16`	וְ/עָפ֨וּ	veafu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	they will swoop down	and they flew	1
`H5774-13`	וַ/נָּעֻֽפָ/ה	vanaufah	`HC/Vqw1cp/Sh`	and we fly away	and we flew	1
`H5774-07`	לָ/ע֑וּף	lauf	`HR/Vqc`	flying	to fly	1

Occurrences in Scripture

32 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H5774-20`	Genesis 1:20	יְעוֹפֵ֣ף	yeofef	`HVoi3ms`	fly	he will flutter about
`H5774-09`	Deuteronomy 4:17	תָּע֖וּף	tauf	`HVqi3fs`	flies	she will fly
`H5774-14`	Judges 4:21	וַ/יָּ֖עַף	vayaaf	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and was weary	and he flew
`H5774-14`	1 Samuel 14:28	וַ/יָּ֖עַף	vayaaf	`HC/Vqw3ms`	And were	and he flew
`H5774-14`	1 Samuel 14:31	וַ/יָּ֥עַף	vayaaf	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and grew weary	and he flew
`H5774-14`	2 Samuel 21:15	וַ/יָּ֥עַף	vayaaf	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and-he-became-weary	and he flew
`H5774-15`	2 Samuel 22:11	וַ/יָּעֹ֑ף	vayaof	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and He flew	and he flew
`H5774-20`	Isaiah 6:2	יְעוֹפֵֽף	yeofef	`HVoi3ms`	he flew	he will flutter about
`H5774-14`	Isaiah 6:6	וַ/יָּ֣עָף	vayaaf	`HC/Vqw3ms`	flew	and he flew
`H5774-16`	Isaiah 11:14	וְ/עָפ֨וּ	veafu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	they will swoop down	and they flew
`H5774-08`	Isaiah 14:29	מְעוֹפֵֽף	meofef	`HVormsa`	flying	soaring one
`H5774-08`	Isaiah 30:6	מְעוֹפֵ֔ף	meofef	`HVormsa`	flying	soaring one
`H5774-02`	Isaiah 31:5	עָפ֔וֹת	afot	`HVqrfpa`	hovering	flying ones
`H5774-11`	Isaiah 60:8	תְּעוּפֶ֑ינָה	teufeynah	`HVqi3fp`	fly	they will fly
`H5774-04`	Ezekiel 32:10	בְּ/עוֹפְפִ֥/י	beofefi	`HR/Voc/Sp1cs`	in my brandishing	in my fluttering
`H5774-21`	Hosea 9:11	יִתְעוֹפֵ֣ף	yiteofef	`HVri3ms`	will-fly-away	he will flutter about
`H5774-15`	Nahum 3:16	וַ/יָּעֹֽף	vayaof	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and flies away	and he flew
`H5774-19`	Habakkuk 1:8	יָעֻ֕פוּ	yaufu	`HVqi3mp`	they fly	they will fly
`H5774-01`	Zechariah 5:1	עָפָֽה	afah	`HVqrfsa`	flying	he flew
`H5774-01`	Zechariah 5:2	עָפָ֔ה	afah	`HVqrfsa`	flying	he flew
`H5774-15`	Psalms 18:11	וַ/יָּעֹ֑ף	vayaof	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and He flew	and he flew
`H5774-03`	Psalms 55:7	אָע֥וּפָה	aufah	`HVqh1cs`	I-would-fly-away	let me fly
`H5774-13`	Psalms 90:10	וַ/נָּעֻֽפָ/ה	vanaufah	`HC/Vqw1cp/Sh`	and we fly away	and we flew
`H5774-18`	Psalms 91:5	יָע֥וּף	yauf	`HVqi3ms`	that flies	he flies
`H5774-06`	Proverbs 23:5	ה/תעוף	htvf	`HTi/Vqi2ms`	will your eyes fly	will you fly
`H5774-05`	Proverbs 23:5	הֲ/תָ֤עִיף	hataif	`HTi/Vhi2ms`	do you make fly	you cause to fly
`H5774-17`	Proverbs 23:5	ו/עיף	vyf	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and flies	and he flew
`H5774-18`	Proverbs 23:5	יָע֥וּף	yauf	`HVqi3ms`	it will fly	he flies
`H5774-07`	Proverbs 26:2	לָ/ע֑וּף	lauf	`HR/Vqc`	flying	to fly
`H5774-12`	Job 5:7	עֽוּף	uf	`HVqc`	upward	to fly
`H5774-10`	Job 11:17	תָּ֝עֻ֗פָ/ה	taufah	`HVqi3fs/Sh`	will fly	she will fly
`H5774-18`	Job 20:8	יָ֭עוּף	yauf	`HVqi3ms`	he will fly away	he flies

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