טָפַשׁ
𐤈𐤐𐤔
ṭâphash
H2954 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be thick or dull; to be insensitive or obtuse, especially in mental or moral reasoning. This verb denotes a quality of mental or spiritual heaviness or dullness, often implying a lack of perception or discernment. In biblical usage, it is employed primarily in a figurative sense to describe the inability to understand, comprehend, or respond appropriately, rather than literal physical thickness.
Semantic Range
to be mentally slow, to be dull or insensitive, to be obtuse, to lack perception, to be foolish, to be spiritually unresponsive, to be physically thick (rare or implied)
Root / Etymology
Root ט−פ−שׁ (טפש), meaning fundamentally 'to be thick' or 'dense.' The verb derives from the idea of physical thickness or denseness, which is metaphorically extended to sensory or intellectual insensitivity. The root itself is rare and does not appear with concrete, physical meaning in the Hebrew Bible, but consistently occurs in figurative contexts denoting dullness of mind or heart.
Historical & Contextual Notes
טָפַשׁ is a rare verb in the Hebrew Bible, found in contexts highlighting a lack of spiritual insight or understanding (e.g., Jeremiah 5:21, describing a people who are 'foolish and without understanding'). It is conceptually related to other Hebrew roots conveying stupidity or foolishness (such as כָּסַל kasal and אֱוִיל evil), yet טָפַשׁ more specifically connotes a dulled capacity for perception, a moral or cognitive insensitivity. English translations such as 'stupid' or 'dull-hearted' (Jeremiah 5:21) often reflect only the figurative extension. In classical and later Hebrew, as well as in cognate Semitic languages, the root retains the sense of denseness or heaviness, primarily in a metaphorical application to intellect or heart. There is no evidence that the term developed specialized theological meaning distinct from its basic figurative sense. In the biblical context, it is not applied to physical corpulence but to states of mind or heart, and it appears exclusively in negative evaluations of perception or responsiveness to divine truth or moral reasoning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, apparently to be thick; figuratively, to be stupid; be fat.
Bantu Hebrew
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טפש (ṭ-p-š) — thickness, denseness, heaviness; dullness, obtuseness
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2954-01 |
טָפַ֣שׁ | tafash | HVqp3ms |
has become fat | he was dull | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2954-01 |
Psalms 119:70 | טָפַ֣שׁ | tafash | HVqp3ms |
has become fat | he was dull |