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אָפֵס

𐤀𐤐𐤎

ʼâphêç

H656 verb

SILEX Entry

Root אָפֵס to cease, come to an end, disappear, be no more

Definition

To come to an end, cease to exist, or be no more; to be exhausted, used up, or rendered null. This verb expresses the sense of something reaching its limit or vanishing so that it no longer remains. In context, it often describes the complete disappearance or cessation of something or someone, and may indicate perishability, annihilation, or total failure.

Semantic Range

to come to an end, to cease, to fail utterly, to be exhausted, to be annihilated, to vanish, to be destroyed, to be rendered null

Root / Etymology

Root: אָפֵס. The verb likely derives from a basic root meaning 'to cease, come to an end.' The related noun אָפֵס (meaning 'end, extremity, or nonexistence') shares the same root idea of reaching a termination point or being reduced to nothing, though the precise etymological connection to other Semitic languages is uncertain. Used in both verb and noun forms to convey the sense of absence or an end-state.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אָפֵס occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, typically referring to the complete disappearance, exhaustion, or total failure of persons, nations, resources, or hope. In narrative contexts (e.g., Numbers 13:32; Isaiah 16:4), the verb often signals a state of utter depletion or annihilation, where nothing remains. The related form אָפֵס as a noun can signify either the end-point or a condition of 'nonexistence.' The verb is sometimes translated in English versions as 'to fail' or 'to cease,' but these can understate the sense of totality conveyed in Hebrew. Use of אָפֵס clusters especially in poetic or prophetic passages describing devastation or irreversible loss, and tends not to occur in everyday language for ordinary cessation or ending. Distinct from other Hebrew verbs like כָּלָה (to be finished, completed) in that אָפֵס often carries a shade of 'wiped out' or 'vanished entirely' rather than just brought to a close.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to disappear, i.e. cease; be clean gone (at an end, brought to nought), fail.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אפס (ʾ-p-s) — to cease, come to an end, disappear, be no more

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H657 אֶפֶס he has ceased

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H656-01 אָפֵ֖ס afes HVqp3ms has come to an end has come to an end 4
H656-02 הֶ/אָפֵ֣ס heafes HTi/Vqp3ms ceased he ceased to be 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H656-01 Genesis 47:15 אָפֵ֖ס afes HVqp3ms is gone/failed has come to an end
H656-01 Genesis 47:16 אָפֵ֖ס afes HVqp3ms is gone has come to an end
H656-01 Isaiah 16:4 אָפֵ֤ס afes HVqp3ms has come to an end has come to an end
H656-01 Isaiah 29:20 אָפֵ֥ס afes HVqp3ms will come to nothing has come to an end
H656-02 Psalms 77:9 הֶ/אָפֵ֣ס heafes HTi/Vqp3ms ceased he ceased to be
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