חֹפֶן
𐤇𐤐𐤍
chôphen
H2651 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A closed handful, specifically the hollow formed when the hand is cupped or shaped as if to grasp something; used almost exclusively in the dual form to refer to both hands together as the means for holding or carrying a substance, typically when scooping up a measured portion.
Semantic Range
cupped hand, handful, double handful, capacity measured by both hands together (as for incense or grain); by extension, the act of scooping or taking a portion with both hands
Root / Etymology
The word חֹפֶן (chôphen) derives from an unused root, tentatively linked to the root חפן (ḥ-p-n), which is not attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible but is posited on the basis of the noun form and related Semitic languages. The putative root likely means 'to grasp' or 'to scoop,' but its precise verbal form is lost. The noun denotes the result of this action—the handful formed by cupping the fingers.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֹפֶן occurs infrequently and is consistently used in the dual form (חָפְנַיִם, chafnayim) to refer to both hands, especially in ritual or ceremonial procedures involving the taking of incense, meal, or similar substances (e.g., Leviticus 16:12). The imagery suggests not a closed fist but a cupped hand forming a round, hollowed space in the palm. Unlike the more common יד (yad, 'hand') or כף (kaf, 'palm'), חֹפֶן specifies the hand in a functional shape for collecting or carrying a substance—emphasizing the capacity rather than the anatomical aspect. English translations as 'handful' or 'fist' can be misleading if they ignore the customary, ritualized act being described. In post-biblical Hebrew, derivatives may refer to 'handful' in a generic sense, but the biblical usage is specialized and context-dependent. No strong evidence connects חֹפֶן with concrete sociopolitical or religious developments; its meaning remains stable in the extant texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root of uncertain signification; a fist (only in the dual); fists, (both) hands, hand(-ful).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חפן (ḥ-p-n) — to grasp, to scoop, to take in the hand
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2652 | חׇפְנִי | Handful-one |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2651-05 |
חָפְנֶ֤י/ךָ | chafeneykha | HNcmdc/Sp2ms |
your hands | your double-handful | 1 |
H2651-04 |
חָפְנֵ֖י | chafeney | HNcmdc |
the palms of | double handful of | 1 |
H2651-01 |
בְּ/חָפְנָ֡י/ו | bechafenayv | HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms |
in His fists | in his double-handful | 1 |
H2651-06 |
חָפְנֵי/כֶ֔ם | chafeneykhem | HNcmdc/Sp2mp |
of your fists | your double-handfuls | 1 |
H2651-02 |
חָפְנַ֛יִם | chafenayim | HNcmda |
double handful | 1 | |
H2651-03 |
חָפְנָ֔י/ו | chafenayv | HNcmdc/Sp3ms |
his handfuls | his double-handful | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2651-06 |
Exodus 9:8 | חָפְנֵי/כֶ֔ם | chafeneykhem | HNcmdc/Sp2mp |
of your fists | your double-handfuls |
H2651-03 |
Leviticus 16:12 | חָפְנָ֔י/ו | chafenayv | HNcmdc/Sp3ms |
his handfuls | his double-handful |
H2651-05 |
Ezekiel 10:2 | חָפְנֶ֤י/ךָ | chafeneykha | HNcmdc/Sp2ms |
your hands | your double-handful |
H2651-04 |
Ezekiel 10:7 | חָפְנֵ֖י | chafeney | HNcmdc |
the palms of | double handful of |
H2651-01 |
Proverbs 30:4 | בְּ/חָפְנָ֡י/ו | bechafenayv | HR/Ncmdc/Sp3ms |
in His fists | in his double-handful |
H2651-02 |
Ecclesiastes 4:6 | חָפְנַ֛יִם | chafenayim | HNcmda |
double handful |