נַאֲפוּף
𐤍𐤀𐤐𐤅𐤐
naʼăphûwph
H5005 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Adultery, understood as the act or state of engaging in sexual relations with a married person who is not one's spouse. In biblical usage, primarily refers to the violation of the exclusive marital bond, often with implications of social and covenantal breach. In some prophetic literature, also used metaphorically for covenantal unfaithfulness toward YHWH.
Semantic Range
adultery, act of marital unfaithfulness, spiritual adultery (metaphoric unfaithfulness to God), repeated or habitual adultery
Root / Etymology
From the root נאף (n-ʼ-f), meaning 'to commit adultery.' נַאֲפוּף is a noun form indicating the act or state of adultery.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נַאֲפוּף occurs a limited number of times (primarily in prophetic literature; e.g., Jeremiah 13:27, Ezekiel 23:43, Hosea 2:2) and refers both literally to the act of adultery (sexual unfaithfulness within marriage) and, especially in the prophets, metaphorically to the unfaithfulness of the Israelite people toward their deity—portrayed as spiritual or covenantal adultery. This metaphor extends the term’s usage beyond interpersonal relationships to the collective behavior of the nation, underlining a breach of covenant analogous to marital infidelity. While standard English translations often render נַאֲפוּף as 'adultery,' the Hebrew carries a broader social and theological connotation, especially in contexts of prophetic reproach. The term always denotes a grave violation of trust, either within marriage or between YHWH and Israel. A related noun, תַּעֲנֻפָה (ta'anufah), also appears in Ezekiel and has a similar meaning. English translations, including 'adultery' and the obsolete 'whoredom,' may obscure the full force of the term’s metaphorical application in the prophets.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָאַף; adultery; adultery.
Bantu Hebrew
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נאף (n-ʾ-p̄) — commit adultery, break marital fidelity
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5003 | נָאַף | the adulterating woman |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5005-01 |
וְ/נַאֲפוּפֶ֖י/הָ | venaafufeyha | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3fs |
and her adulteries | and her adulteries | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5005-01 |
Hosea 2:4 | וְ/נַאֲפוּפֶ֖י/הָ | venaafufeyha | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3fs |
and her adulteries | and her adulteries |