חֲצַף
𐤇𐤑𐤐
chătsaph
H2685 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
(Aramaic) To shear or cut close; by extension, to act harshly or severely—especially in the sense of pressing someone forcefully, being urgent, or showing severity or obstinacy. The term often conveys both literal action (as in shearing or cutting short) and an associated figurative sense of abruptness or severity in conduct, speech, or demand.
Semantic Range
to shear, to cut close, to act harshly, to be severe, to be urgent, to be hasty, to press or insist with abruptness
Root / Etymology
Root: חצף, which in Aramaic means 'to shear' or 'cut close.' The base idea is to cut off or cut close, but the word, especially in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, shifts metaphorically to describe urgent, severe, or abrupt behavior. Not derived from a Hebrew cognate with the same form; the root is best attested in Aramaic.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word חֲצַף occurs solely in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably, Daniel 2:15). In these texts, it describes behavior that is forceful, abrupt, or pressing, often with a negative overtone of severity or lack of restraint. While the root meaning ‘to shear’ or ‘cut’ suggests literal action, in biblical usage the figurative sense dominates—as one who cuts or presses hard in their conduct. Later Aramaic (post-biblical) usage continues this figurative extension. The term is not directly interchangeable with Hebrew words denoting general urgency (e.g., מהר, חפז), but emphasizes severity or harshness. English translations often render the word as 'harsh,' 'severe,' or 'hasty,' but these do not fully capture the nuance of pressing or cutting abruptly; further, typical English translations may obscure the underlying Aramaic idiom. In context, חֲצַף often describes a manner of speaking or acting that is decisive and perhaps socially inappropriate in its abruptness.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) a primitive root; properly, to shear or cut close; figuratively, to be severe; hasty, be urgent.
Bantu Hebrew
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חצף (ḥ-ṣ-p̄) — to shear, to cut close, to act severely
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2685-01 |
מַחְצְפָ֔ה | machetsefah | AVarfsa |
urgent | harshly enforcing | 1 |
H2685-02 |
מְהַחְצְפָ֖ה | mehachetsefah | AVhrfsa |
so hasty | the harshly-pressing one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2685-02 |
Daniel 2:15 | מְהַחְצְפָ֖ה | mehachetsefah | AVhrfsa |
so hasty | the harshly-pressing one |
H2685-01 |
Daniel 3:22 | מַחְצְפָ֔ה | machetsefah | AVarfsa |
urgent | harshly enforcing |