H3182 יָחֵף yâchêph → Root
2 languagesRoot of the יחף yâchêph family (1 member).
Describes being barefoot, without sandals or other footwear. In biblical contexts, it refers specifically to the state of having one's feet uncovered, often for emphasis in situations of mourning, humiliation, servitude, captivity, or as a sign of poverty, shame, or submission. The term is concrete, denoting physical absence of footwear rather than a metaphorical condition.
Etymology
Root/Etymology: Root יחף, not attested elsewhere in biblical Hebrew; root meaning is 'to be bare' or 'to strip off (footwear)'. The word itself could derive from an unused root with the basic sense of removing or being without sandals, but this root is not found in known verbal forms in the Hebrew Bible. The form יָחֵף is a stative adjective meaning 'barefoot'.