רוּף
𐤓𐤅𐤐
rûwph
H7322 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To crush, pulverize, or grind (as in a mortar); in figurative contexts, to agitate, quiver, or tremble, especially as a result of violent motion or emotional disturbance. The basic sense is that of breaking down or shaking with force, whether of physical objects or metaphorically of people responding to distress or awe.
Semantic Range
to crush or grind by pounding (literal), to agitate violently, to tremble or quiver, to convulse (figurative), to be shaken by fear or force
Root / Etymology
Root רוף (r-w-p). The root conveys the idea of crushing or grinding, as a physical process of breaking down materials by force. The verb form then developed extended/figurative senses including agitation or trembling, representing the 'shaking' effect of force or emotion. The root is rare and only attested in specific poetic or metaphorical contexts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רוּף occurs very infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, and most attestations are limited to poetic literature (notably in the Psalms or prophetic writings). Its core meaning of crushing or grinding likely reflects agricultural or domestic activities involving mortars, but the figurative extension to trembling or agitation appears in contexts describing powerful emotional or cosmic events. Unlike other roots for trembling (e.g. רעד, רגז), רוף highlights the forceful, sometimes violent, origin of the agitation. The word generally does not refer to gentle movement but rather to commotion caused by trauma, upheaval, or divine encounter. Later translations, such as the Septuagint, often render it with Greek terms for shaking or agitation, but sometimes obscure the connection to physical grinding. English versions vary: 'tremble,' 'quake,' or 'crush,' with each only partially capturing the range. After the biblical period, the root does not appear to persist in Hebrew; by the Dead Sea Scrolls and rabbinic Hebrew, it is replaced by other verbs for trembling or crushing.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to triturate (in a mortar), i.e. (figuratively) to agitate (by concussion); tremble.
Bantu Hebrew
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רוף (r-w-p) — to crush, to grind, to agitate, to tremble
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7322-01 |
יְרוֹפָ֑פוּ | yerofafu | HVMi3mp |
tremble | they will be violently shaken | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7322-01 |
Job 26:11 | יְרוֹפָ֑פוּ | yerofafu | HVMi3mp |
tremble | they will be violently shaken |