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תָּפַשׂ

𐤕𐤐𐤔

tâphas

H8610 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To seize or lay hold of, to grasp or capture (often with physical force or intent), to handle skillfully, to wield an object (such as a tool or weapon), or to apprehend a person. In extended or metaphorical contexts, it means to take into custody, to arrest, or to acquire mastery over a subject or situation. The word can also denote occupying or taking possession of something, as well as gaining expertise or proficiency.

Semantic Range

to seize or capture (people, objects), to arrest, to apprehend, to handle skillfully, to wield (a tool or weapon), to lay hold of (abstractly: concepts or skills), to occupy or take possession, to surprise

Root / Etymology

From the root תפשׂ, which fundamentally means 'to grasp' or 'to seize.' The lexical verb תָּפַשׂ is a direct derivation from its triconsonantal root, emphasizing an act of grasping or capturing, whether of objects, people, or concepts. Its basic sense relates to physically taking hold and by extension, gaining control or mastery. There is no indication of borrowing from other languages or of uncertain etymology.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, תָּפַשׂ occurs in narratives describing acts of physical capture or arrest—for instance, military captives, criminal apprehension, or the taking of objects. It is distinct from other roots like לכד (to capture militarily) in that תָּפַשׂ can indicate both violent and nonviolent seizing and often implies skillful or forceful action. Over time, the usage expanded to include mastery of skills or grasping concepts, especially in later biblical and post-biblical texts. English translations as 'take' or 'hold' often fail to capture the nuance of force, intent, or skill present in the original term. In prophetic and legal texts, it is used in formulaic expressions for arrest or legal seizure, marking social or ritual boundaries. There is occasionally overlap with the notion of 'wielding,' especially regarding instruments or weapons in poetic or didactic contexts.

Translation Consistency

primary "seize" 43 occurrences

"Seize" best matches the primary and typical senses of תָּפַשׂ—physically lay hold of, capture/arrest, take possession, and figuratively grasp or wield. It is the most frequent natural rendering in the P2 data ("seized/seize"), is sufficiently precise for legal/physical contexts (arrest, capture) yet works for metaphorical uses (grasp, take control). Alternatives like "take" are too general and "grab" too informal.

Alternatives (7 occurrences):
"those who handle" (2x) "player of" (1x) "caught" (1x) "capture" (1x) "seizers of" (1x) "holder of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to manipulate, i.e. seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantably; catch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, [idiom] surely, surprise, take.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

תפשׂ (tâphas) — to seize, grasp, capture, handle, hold

Root תפשׂ to seize, grasp, capture, handle, hold

Word Forms

45 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8610-25 תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י tofesey HVqrmpc who handle seizing ones of seizing ones of 5
H8610-35 וַ/יִּתְפֹּ֣שׂ vayitepos HC/Vqw3ms and he seized and he seized and he seized 4
H8610-21 תִּפְשׂ֣וּ/ם tifesum HVqv2mp/Sp3mp take them seize them seize them 3
H8610-33 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשׂוּ֙ vayitepesu HC/Vqw3mp and they captured and they seized and they seized 3
H8610-06 לִ/תְפֹּ֣שׂ litepos HR/Vqc to grasp to seize to seize 2
H8610-07 נִתְפָּ֑שׂ nitepas HVNp3ms he was captured he was seized he was seized 2
H8610-08 נִתְפָּ֑שָׂה nitepasah HVNp3fs have been seized she was seized it was seized 2
H8610-12 תָּפַ֛שׂ tafas HVqp3ms captured he seized he seized 2
H8610-22 תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ titafes HVNi2ms you shall be captured you will be seized you will be seized 2
H8610-32 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשֵֽׂ/ם vayitepesem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and seized them he seized them he seized them 2

Occurrences in Scripture

65 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8610-24 Genesis 4:21 תֹּפֵ֥שׂ tofes HVqrmsc who play grasping-one of player of
H8610-30 Genesis 39:12 וַ/תִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧/הוּ vatitepesehu HC/Vqw3fs/Sp3ms she caught him she seized him she caught him
H8610-08 Numbers 5:13 נִתְפָּֽשָׂה nitepasah HVNp3fs was caught she was seized she was seized
H8610-25 Numbers 31:27 תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י tofesey HVqrmpc those taking hold of seizing ones of the seizing ones of
H8610-28 Deuteronomy 9:17 וָ/אֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ vaetepos HC/Vqw1cs And I took hold and I seized and I seized
H8610-04 Deuteronomy 20:19 לְ/תָפְשָׂ֗/הּ letafesah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to capture it to seize her to capture it
H8610-40 Deuteronomy 21:19 וְ/תָ֥פְשׂוּ vetafesu HC/Vqq3cp and they shall seize and they seized and they shall seize
H8610-27 Deuteronomy 22:28 וּ/תְפָשָׂ֖/הּ utefasah HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3fs and seizes her and he seized her and he seizes her
H8610-02 Joshua 8:8 כְּ/תָפְשְׂ/כֶ֣ם ketafesekhem HR/Vqc/Sp2mp when you seize your seizing when you seize
H8610-13 Joshua 8:23 תָּ֣פְשׂוּ tafesu HVqp3cp they took they seized they seized
H8610-35 1 Samuel 15:8 וַ/יִּתְפֹּ֛שׂ vayitepos HC/Vqw3ms and he took and he seized and he seized
H8610-05 1 Samuel 23:26 לְ/תָפְשָֽׂ/ם letafesam HR/Vqc/Sp3mp to seize them to seize them to seize them
H8610-35 1 Kings 11:30 וַ/יִּתְפֹּ֣שׂ vayitepos HC/Vqw3ms and took hold and he seized and he seized
H8610-20 1 Kings 13:4 תִּפְשֻׂ֑/הוּ tifesuhu HVqv2mp/Sp3ms Lay hold on him Seize him Seize him
H8610-19 1 Kings 18:40 תִּפְשׂ֣וּ tifesu HVqv2mp Seize Seize! Seize
H8610-34 1 Kings 18:40 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשׂ֑וּ/ם vayitepesum HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp and they seized them and they seized them and they seized them
H8610-21 1 Kings 20:18 תִּפְשׂ֣וּ/ם tifesum HVqv2mp/Sp3mp take them seize them seize them
H8610-21 1 Kings 20:18 תִּפְשֽׂוּ/ם tifesum-2 HVqv2mp/Sp3mp take them seize them seize them
H8610-37 2 Kings 7:12 וְ/נִתְפְּשֵׂ֣/ם venitepesem HC/Vqi1cp/Sp3mp and we will capture them we will seize them we will seize them
H8610-21 2 Kings 10:14 תִּפְשׂ֣וּ/ם tifesum HVqv2mp/Sp3mp Take them seize them seize them
H8610-34 2 Kings 10:14 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשׂ֖וּ/ם vayitepesum HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp and they took them and they seized them and they seized them
H8610-38 2 Kings 14:7 וְ/תָפַ֥שׂ vetafas HC/Vqp3ms and-captured and he seized and he seized
H8610-12 2 Kings 14:13 תָּפַ֛שׂ tafas HVqp3ms captured he seized he seized
H8610-31 2 Kings 16:9 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשֶׂ֔/הָ vayitepeseha HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3fs and captured it and he seized her and he seized her
H8610-32 2 Kings 18:13 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשֵֽׂ/ם vayitepesem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and seized them he seized them he seized them
H8610-33 2 Kings 25:6 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשׂוּ֙ vayitepesu HC/Vqw3mp and they captured and they seized and they seized
H8610-45 Isaiah 3:6 יִתְפֹּ֨שׂ yitepos HVqi3ms a man seizes he will seize he will seize
H8610-32 Isaiah 36:1 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשֵֽׂ/ם vayitepesem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and-took-them he seized them he seized them
H8610-43 Jeremiah 2:8 וְ/תֹפְשֵׂ֤י vetofesey HC/Vqrmpc and-those-who-handle and seizers of and seizers of
H8610-33 Jeremiah 26:8 וַ/יִּתְפְּשׂ֨וּ vayitepesu HC/Vqw3mp and they seized and they seized and they seized
H8610-14 Jeremiah 34:3 תָּפֹ֣שׂ tafos HVqa surely captured to seize to seize
H8610-22 Jeremiah 34:3 תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ titafes HVNi2ms you shall be captured you will be seized you will be seized
H8610-35 Jeremiah 37:13 וַ/יִּתְפֹּ֞שׂ vayitepos HC/Vqw3ms and he seized and he seized and he seized
H8610-35 Jeremiah 37:14 וַ/יִּתְפֹּ֤שׂ vayitepos HC/Vqw3ms and he seized and he seized and he seized
H8610-22 Jeremiah 38:23 תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ titafes HVNi2ms you-will-be-seized you will be seized you will be seized
H8610-16 Jeremiah 40:10 תְּפַשְׂתֶּֽם tefasetem HVqp2mp you have taken you seized you have seized
H8610-25 Jeremiah 46:9 תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י tofesey HVqrmpc who handle seizing ones of those who handle
H8610-25 Jeremiah 46:9 תֹּפְשֵׂ֖י tofesey-2 HVqrmpc who handle seizing ones of those who handle
H8610-08 Jeremiah 48:41 נִתְפָּ֑שָׂה nitepasah HVNp3fs have been seized she was seized it was seized
H8610-26 Jeremiah 49:16 תֹּפְשִׂ֖י tofesi HVqrmsc who hold seizer of holder of
H8610-42 Jeremiah 50:16 וְ/תֹפֵ֥שׂ vetofes HC/Vqrmsc and the one who handles and the one seizing and the one seizing
H8610-09 Jeremiah 50:24 נִתְפַּ֔שְׂתְּ nitepasete HVNp2fs you were seized you were seized you were seized
H8610-11 Jeremiah 50:46 נִתְפְּשָׂ֣ה nitepesah HVNp3fs the capture of she was seized it was seized
H8610-10 Jeremiah 51:32 נִתְפָּ֔שׂוּ nitepasu HVNp3cp have-been-seized they were seized they were seized
H8610-29 Jeremiah 51:41 וַ/תִּתָּפֵ֖שׂ vatitafes HC/VNw3fs and has been seized and she was seized and it was seized
H8610-33 Jeremiah 52:9 וַֽ/יִּתְפְּשׂוּ֙ vayitepesu HC/Vqw3mp they captured and they seized and they seized
H8610-36 Ezekiel 12:13 וְ/נִתְפַּ֖שׂ venitepas HC/VNq3ms and-he-will-be-caught and he was seized and he was seized
H8610-17 Ezekiel 14:5 תְּפֹ֥שׂ tefos HVqc I may seize to seize to seize
H8610-36 Ezekiel 17:20 וְ/נִתְפַּ֖שׂ venitepas HC/VNq3ms and-he-will-be-caught and he was seized and he will be seized
H8610-07 Ezekiel 19:4 נִתְפָּ֑שׂ nitepas HVNp3ms he was caught he was seized he was seized
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