אָפִיל
𐤀𐤐𐤉𐤋
ʼâphîyl
H648 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Young, deficient in maturity or proper development; refers to that which is not fully grown, particularly of plants or fruit. Also used more generally to denote something in an unfinished or incomplete stage, lacking what is expected in form, size, or quality due to early development. The semantic range can overlap with concepts of greenness, immaturity, or underdevelopment, especially in the context of agricultural products.
Semantic Range
unripe (of grain or fruit), not fully grown, incomplete in development, immature, lacking in strength or fullness
Root / Etymology
From the root אָפַל (’âpal), which denotes being weak, faint, or insufficient. אָפִיל is a formation indicating a passive or stative adjective, conveying the notion of that which is incomplete or lacking in full vigor or maturity. The relationship between the root meaning 'weak' and the noun/adjective meaning 'unripe' is carried through the idea of insufficiency or lack of fullness.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אָפִיל occurs only rarely in the Hebrew Bible, used specifically to describe unripe grain (as in Leviticus 2:14). Its sense is agri-cultural, specifying a stage of development before ripeness or before a product attains its intended use. The term emphasizes physical or qualitative incompleteness; while modern translations often gloss 'unripe,' this may not capture the subtle connotation of insufficiency or weakness inherent in the original. There is a close semantic relationship with אָפֵל (H649), which conveys a sense of faintness or weakness, as well as with other agricultural terms like בּוֹסֶר (bōser, 'unripe grape'). The word does not carry any moral or metaphoric sense in its attested biblical usage but is strictly descriptive of physical growth stage. Post-biblical usage is sparse, and the term did not achieve a wider semantic field in later Hebrew texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as אָפֵל (in the sense of weakness); unripe; not grown up.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אפל (ʾ-p-l) — weakness, insufficiency, lack of fullness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3990 | מַאֲפֵל | deep gloom |
| H3991 | מַאְפֵלְיָה | deep darkness |
| H651 | אָפֵל | and deep-dark |
| H652 | אֹפֶל | in the deep darkness |
| H653 | אֲפֵלָה | deep darkness |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H648-01 |
אֲפִילֹ֖ת | afilot | HAafpa |
they ripen late | unripe ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H648-01 |
Exodus 9:32 | אֲפִילֹ֖ת | afilot | HAafpa |
they ripen late | unripe ones |