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חָפַשׂ

𐤇𐤐𐤔

châphas

H2664 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חפשׂ to search, to seek, to look for diligently

Definition

To seek diligently, search thoroughly, especially with the implication of careful or anxious investigation. The verb can also describe the act of searching for something hidden or lost, and in some contexts, it carries a secondary nuance of concealing oneself or disguising, derived from the act of searching out or hiding a person or object. The core emphasis is on a careful, intent search, whether for objects, persons, or information.

Semantic Range

to search for, seek diligently, make a thorough investigation, look for something hidden, search out, to conceal oneself (hide), to disguise oneself, to mask one's true identity

Root / Etymology

Root: חפשׂ (ḥ-p-ṣ). The root generally conveys the idea of searching or seeking with intent or diligence. The verb חָפַשׂ is the qal (simple) form, with derived forms (piel, hiphil) occasionally intensifying or causativizing the core sense. Related terms (such as מַחֲפֵשׂ) derive their sense from this root and maintain the idea of searching.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, חָפַשׂ most often describes a thorough search, whether physical (e.g., searching for household idols, Genesis 31:35) or metaphorical (e.g., seeking for guilt or evidence, Job 30:13). The sense of 'to disguise oneself' emerges idiomatically from the action of searching for a person and that person hiding or masking themselves to avoid detection (1 Kings 20:38). In later periods and postbiblical usage, the intensive stems (piel, hiphil) can heighten the sense of exertion or care in searching. The term is distinct from other Hebrew roots for seeking (e.g., בָּקַשׁ, to seek/request; דָּרַשׁ, to inquire/examine spiritually), as חָפַשׂ is focused on thorough, anxious, or diligent searching, often for something hidden or elusive. English translations rarely capture the full nuance, sometimes rendering it as 'search', 'seek', or 'disguise', depending on context. The development of the secondary nuance ('disguise, conceal oneself') is context-driven rather than a core meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to seek; causatively, to conceal oneself (i.e. let be sought), or mask; change, (make) diligent (search), disquise self, hide, search (for, out).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חפשׂ (ḥ-p-ś) — to search, seek diligently, examine thoroughly

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2665 חֵפֶשׂ covert search

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2664-10 וַ/יִּתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ vayitechapes HC/Vtw3ms And he disguised himself and he searched himself out 4
H2664-04 הִתְחַפֵּשׂ֙ hitechapes HVta Disguise yourself to disguise oneself 3
H2664-09 וַ/יְחַפֵּ֕שׂ vayechapes HC/Vpw3ms and he searched and he thoroughly searched 3
H2664-01 אֲחַפֵּ֖שׂ achapes HVpi1cs I-will-search I will thoroughly search 2
H2664-02 חַפְּשׂ֤וּ chapesu HVpv2mp Search Search thoroughly! 1
H2664-13 יַֽחְפְּֽשׂוּ yachepesu HVqi3mp they search out they diligently search 1
H2664-05 מְחֻפָּ֑שׂ mechupas HVPsmsa searched out thoroughly searched 1
H2664-11 וְ/חִפַּשְׂתִּ֣י vechipaseti HC/Vpp1cs and I will search and I thoroughly searched 1
H2664-14 יְחֻפַּ֥שׂ yechupas HVPi3ms is-searched-for he will be thoroughly searched 1
H2664-03 חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ chofes HVqrmsa searching searching one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2664-09 Genesis 31:35 וַ/יְחַפֵּ֕שׂ vayechapes HC/Vpw3ms And he searched and he thoroughly searched
H2664-09 Genesis 44:12 וַ/יְחַפֵּ֕שׂ vayechapes HC/Vpw3ms and he searched and he thoroughly searched
H2664-11 1 Samuel 23:23 וְ/חִפַּשְׂתִּ֣י vechipaseti HC/Vpp1cs and I will search and I thoroughly searched
H2664-10 1 Samuel 28:8 וַ/יִּתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ vayitechapes HC/Vtw3ms disguised himself and he searched himself out
H2664-12 1 Kings 20:6 וְ/חִפְּשׂוּ֙ vechipesu HC/Vpp3cp and they shall search and they thoroughly searched
H2664-10 1 Kings 20:38 וַ/יִּתְחַפֵּ֥שׂ vayitechapes HC/Vtw3ms and he disguised and he searched himself out
H2664-04 1 Kings 22:30 הִתְחַפֵּשׂ֙ hitechapes HVta Disguise yourself to disguise oneself
H2664-10 1 Kings 22:30 וַ/יִּתְחַפֵּשׂ֙ vayitechapes HC/Vtw3ms And he disguised himself and he searched himself out
H2664-02 2 Kings 10:23 חַפְּשׂ֤וּ chapesu HVpv2mp Search Search thoroughly!
H2664-01 Amos 9:3 אֲחַפֵּ֖שׂ achapes HVpi1cs I-will-search I will thoroughly search
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