Hebrew word · H2653

חׇפַף

chofef

to shield

This verb appears only once in the Bible. In context it means to shield or cover. Arabic ḥaffa means "to surround, encircle, border", which points to a sense like "surround protectively".

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

(Qal) to cover, enclose, shelter, shield, surround

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 Deuteronomy 33:12

Range of meaning

This verb appears only once in the Bible. In context it means to shield or cover. Arabic ḥaffa means "to surround, encircle, border", which points to a sense like "surround protectively". The verb may be related to ḥuppah, "canopy, chamber" (Ps 19:5; Joel 2:16), though that noun is usually traced to the root ḥpp/ḥph, "cover".

Against the English

KJV and WEB say "cover". BSB and NIV say "shields". ESV and NRSV say "surrounds". Each catches part of the picture: a protective covering or ring around Benjamin.

Used elsewhere in the period

In later Mishnaic Hebrew the root also means "to rub, wash" (for example, the hair), which does not help here. Jerome's Vulgate rendered the phrase "as in a bridal chamber he will abide all day" (quasi in thalamo), apparently linking the verb with ḥuppah. The Septuagint uses skiazei, "overshadows".

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 33:12 חֹפֵ֤ף [who] covers

    Concerning Benjamin he said: “May the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him; God shields him all day long, and upon His shoulders he rests.”

    Here: "Shielding". The form describes continuous, ongoing action. The verb appears only here in the Bible. Its likely sense is to surround and screen, like a covering canopy or a protective ring around someone.

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