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אַף

𐤀𐤐

ʼaph

H639 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The anatomical nose or nostril; by extension, the face or countenance—often used metonymically for a person or as a synecdoche for the presence of someone. Further, by association with the visible sign of rapid breathing or flaring nostrils in emotion, it denotes anger or wrath. In figurative usage, refers to the state of being angry or indignant, particularly as it relates to the manifestation of emotion in facial expression or bearing.

Semantic Range

nose, nostril, face, countenance, presence, anger, wrath, state of indignation, person

Root / Etymology

Root: אָנַף (ʼanaph), meaning 'to be angry,' originally relating to the nose as the seat of angry breathing or flaring. אַף is the nominal form directly tied to this conceptual metaphor—the visible, physical feature (nose) becomes a stand-in for the internal emotion.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite texts, אַף primarily denotes the physical nose or nostril, often as an index of life and breath, particularly in poetic or descriptive passages. Over time, its usage expands into the figurative domain, denoting anger or wrath, reflecting the anthropological association of emotion with physical manifestation (e.g., 'his nose burned' for 'he was angry'). In narrative and legal texts, it can signify the countenance or presence of an individual or deity, sometimes standing for personhood itself. In later biblical books and post-exilic writings, אַף is particularly prominent as a term for divine wrath, often paired with other terms such as חֵמָה (anger) or קֶצֶף (rage) for rhetorical intensity. The translation 'anger' can sometimes obscure the physical and metaphorical imagery originally invoked by the word, especially in anthropomorphic depictions of YHWH. Modern English translations typically standardize as 'anger,' 'wrath,' 'nose,' or 'face,' but the original audience would have recognized the interplay between physical expression and emotional state.

Translation Consistency

primary "anger" 42 occurrences

Although ʼaph can mean nose/nostril or face, the overwhelmingly common Biblical use is the figurative sense of wrath or indignation. In target-English 'anger' is the most natural, common rendering (and fits frequent theological idioms like 'the anger of the LORD'), so it best serves consistency across all forms.

Alternatives (8 occurrences):
"nostrils" (3x) "face" (3x) "nose" (1x) "faces" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָנַף; properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire; anger(-gry), [phrase] before, countenance, face, [phrase] forebearing, forehead, [phrase] (long-) suffering, nose, nostril, snout, [idiom] worthy, wrath.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

אף (ʼănaph) — nose, nostril, face, presence

Root אף nose, nostril, to be angry
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H600 אֲנַף his face
H637 אַף indeed

Word Forms

35 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H639-01 אַ֤ף af HTa anger nose anger 72
H639-12 אַפּ֖/וֹ apo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his anger his nose his anger 50
H639-04 אַפַּ֖יִם apayim HNcmda to anger nostrils two angers 27
H639-11 אַפִּ֣/י api HNcmsc/Sp1cs my anger my nose my anger 20
H639-06 אַפְּ/ךָ֙ apekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your anger your nose your anger 19
H639-16 בְּ/אַפִּ֣/י beapi HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in my anger in my anger in my anger 11
H639-17 בְּ/אַפּ֔/וֹ beapo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms in his anger in his nose in his anger 11
H639-13 בְּ/אַ֥ף beaf HR/Ncmsa in anger in anger in anger 9
H639-15 בְּ/אַפֶּ֗/ךָ beapekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms in your anger in your nose in your anger 6
H639-34 בְ/אַפִּ֔/י veapi HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in my anger my nose in my anger 6

Occurrences in Scripture

276 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H639-14 Genesis 2:7 בְּ/אַפָּ֖י/ו beapayv HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms into his nostrils in his nostrils in his nostrils
H639-09 Genesis 3:19 אַפֶּ֨י/ךָ֙ apeykha HNcmdc/Sp2ms of your face your nostrils your face
H639-14 Genesis 7:22 בְּ/אַפָּ֗י/ו beapayv HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms in its nostrils in his nostrils in his nostrils
H639-04 Genesis 19:1 אַפַּ֖יִם apayim HNcmda with his face nostrils two angers
H639-02 Genesis 24:47 אַפָּ֔/הּ apah HNcmsc/Sp3fs her nose her nose her nose
H639-01 Genesis 27:45 אַף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Genesis 30:2 אַ֥ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-12 Genesis 39:19 אַפּֽ/וֹ apo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his wrath his nose his anger
H639-04 Genesis 42:6 אַפַּ֖יִם apayim HNcmda faces nostrils faces
H639-06 Genesis 44:18 אַפְּ/ךָ֖ apekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your anger your nose your anger
H639-21 Genesis 48:12 לְ/אַפָּ֖י/ו leapayv HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms to his face to his nostrils to his face
H639-31 Genesis 49:6 בְ/אַפָּ/ם֙ veapam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp in their anger in their nose in their anger
H639-03 Genesis 49:7 אַפָּ/ם֙ apam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their anger their nose their anger
H639-01 Exodus 4:14 אַ֨ף af HTa the anger of nose anger
H639-01 Exodus 11:8 אָֽף af HNcmsa anger nose anger
H639-09 Exodus 15:8 אַפֶּ֨י/ךָ֙ apeykha HNcmdc/Sp2ms of your nostrils your nostrils anger of your nostrils
H639-11 Exodus 22:23 אַפִּ֔/י api HNcmsc/Sp1cs my anger my nose my anger
H639-11 Exodus 32:10 אַפִּ֥/י api HNcmsc/Sp1cs my anger my nose my anger
H639-06 Exodus 32:11 אַפְּ/ךָ֙ apekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your anger your nose your anger
H639-06 Exodus 32:12 אַפֶּ֔/ךָ apekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms of your anger your nose your anger
H639-01 Exodus 32:19 אַ֣ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Exodus 32:22 אַ֖ף af HTa of my lord nose anger
H639-04 Exodus 34:6 אַפַּ֖יִם apayim HNcmda of nose nostrils two angers
H639-12 Numbers 11:1 אַפּ֔/וֹ apo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his anger his nose his anger
H639-01 Numbers 11:10 אַ֤ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-26 Numbers 11:20 מֵֽ/אַפְּ/כֶ֔ם meapekhem HR/Ncmsc/Sp2mp at your nostrils from your nose from your nostrils
H639-30 Numbers 11:33 וְ/אַ֤ף veaf HC/Ncmsc and the anger and indeed and the anger
H639-01 Numbers 12:9 אַ֧ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-04 Numbers 14:18 אַפַּ֨יִם֙ apayim HNcmda of-nose nostrils two angers
H639-01 Numbers 22:22 אַ֣ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Numbers 22:27 אַ֣ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-21 Numbers 22:31 לְ/אַפָּֽי/ו leapayv HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms to-face-his to his nostrils to his face
H639-01 Numbers 24:10 אַ֤ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Numbers 25:3 אַ֥ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Numbers 25:4 אַף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Numbers 32:10 אַ֥ף af HTa nose nose anger
H639-01 Numbers 32:13 אַ֤ף af HTa nose/anger nose anger
H639-01 Numbers 32:14 אַף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Deuteronomy 6:15 אַף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-01 Deuteronomy 7:4 אַף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-18 Deuteronomy 9:19 הָ/אַף֙ haaf HTd/Ncmsa the anger the nose the anger
H639-01 Deuteronomy 11:17 אַף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-12 Deuteronomy 13:18 אַפּ֗/וֹ apo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his nose his nose his anger
H639-01 Deuteronomy 29:19 אַף af HTa nose nose anger
H639-17 Deuteronomy 29:22 בְּ/אַפּ֖/וֹ beapo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms in his anger in his nose in his anger
H639-18 Deuteronomy 29:23 הָ/אַ֥ף haaf HTd/Ncmsa of the anger the nose the anger
H639-01 Deuteronomy 29:26 אַ֥ף af HTa anger nose anger
H639-13 Deuteronomy 29:27 בְּ/אַ֥ף beaf HR/Ncmsa in-anger in anger in anger
H639-11 Deuteronomy 31:17 אַפִּ֣/י api HNcmsc/Sp1cs my-nose my nose my anger
H639-34 Deuteronomy 32:22 בְ/אַפִּ֔/י veapi HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in my anger my nose in my anger
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