Hebrew word · H2612

חֹ֫נֶף

chonef

profaneness

Profaneness, godlessness, pollution. The verb ḥanaf means 'to be polluted or profaned', used of land defiled by bloodshed or unfaithfulness (Num 35:33; Ps 106:38; Jer 3:1–2; Isa 24:5). The adjective ḥanef means 'godless', a person whose life is cut off from God.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

hypocrisy, godlessness, hypocrite, profaneness

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Isaiah 32:6

Range of meaning

Profaneness, godlessness, pollution. The verb ḥanaf means 'to be polluted or profaned', used of land defiled by bloodshed or unfaithfulness (Num 35:33; Ps 106:38; Jer 3:1–2; Isa 24:5). The adjective ḥanef means 'godless', a person whose life is cut off from God.

Against the English

KJV 'hypocrisy'. BSB/NIV/ESV 'ungodliness'. WEB/YLT 'profanity'. 'Ungodliness' is close. 'Profanity' risks being heard as swearing. 'Hypocrisy' brings in the idea of pretending, which the root does not carry.

How it drifted

The Greek translators sometimes rendered the adjective ḥanef as hypokritēs ('actor, pretender'), especially in Job. Jerome's Latin Vulgate has simulatio ('pretense') in this verse, and in later rabbinic Hebrew the root came to mean flattery. The KJV followed that tradition.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isaiah 9:17 (Heb. 9:16) and 10:6 ('a godless nation') use ḥanef for Judah. Isaiah 33:14 has 'trembling has seized the godless'. Job uses ḥanef repeatedly (8:13; 13:16; 15:34; 27:8). LXX Job uses hypokritēs for it, and LXX Isaiah here has 'lawless things' (anoma).

Where it appears

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 32:6 חֹ֗נֶף godlessness

    For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.

    Here: Conduct that pollutes and profanes, the life of someone cut loose from God. This exact noun occurs only here. It is not 'hypocrisy' in the sense of pretending (see studies).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.