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אֵפַע

𐤀𐤐𐤏

ʼêphaʻ

H659 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain, possibly to breathe, to vanish, to be insubstantial

Definition

A measure of insignificance, triviality, or 'nothingness;' primarily used to indicate something of no substance or value, often idiomatically in parallel to expressions such as 'not at all' or 'for nothing.'

Semantic Range

nothingness, insignificance, emptiness, nought, triviality, 'a mere breath', 'of no account'

Root / Etymology

The root is uncertain. Strong suggested 'from an unused root probably meaning to breathe,' but this is not supported by later lexicographic evidence. The formation is similar to other nouns denoting slightness or insubstantiality, possibly related in sense to the concept of 'vapor' or 'breath,' but direct morphological or semantic ties to established Hebrew roots remain unclear.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term אֵפַע appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in poetic literature (see, e.g., Isaiah 40:17). It expresses the concept of something being so minor as to be considered as nothing, especially in hyperbolic contrasts ('less than nothing and emptiness'), emphasizing the insignificance of a thing or entity before YHWH. The word does not refer to any physical measure or unit, nor is it to be confused with other similar-sounding Hebrew terms (such as אֵיפָה, 'ephah,' a measure of volume). English translations frequently render it as 'nothing,' 'nought,' or 'of no account,' though these can lose the emphatic or poetic nuance of the original. The word shows no evidence of later theological import or technical usage, remaining a poetic or rhetorical device for expressing utter insignificance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root probably meaning to breathe; properly, a breath, i.e. nothing; of nought.

Bantu Hebrew

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

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Root Family

אפע (ʾ-p-ʿ) — nothingness, insubstantiality, triviality

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H660 אֶפְעֶה hissing viper

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H659-01 מֵ/אָ֑פַע meafa HR/Ncmsa from nought mere nothingness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H659-01 Isaiah 41:24 מֵ/אָ֑פַע meafa HR/Ncmsa from nought mere nothingness
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