כָּסַף

From the study of Psalm 84:2

Range of meaning

To long for, yearn, desire strongly. Rare: Genesis 31:30 (Jacob "longed greatly" for his father's house, the same verb form, intensified), Psalm 84:2 (Hebrew v.3), Job 14:15 (God "would long for" the work of his hands), Psalm 17:12 (a lion "eager" to tear prey). Zephaniah 2:1 is disputed.

Against the English

"Longs" (BSB, WEB, ESV), "yearns" (NIV), "desired" (YLT) are all accurate. NASB's past tense "longed" follows the Hebrew verb form closely but can sound as if the longing is over.

Used elsewhere in the period

Some older lexicons (BDB) connect the root with the word for silver (kesef) through an idea like "to be pale", that is, pale with longing. This link is uncertain and should not be pressed. Septuagint: epipothei, "yearns for".

From the study of Genesis 31:30

Range of meaning

To long for, yearn, ache after. The verb is rare, appearing only about five times in the Hebrew Bible. The form used here is found elsewhere only in Psalm 84:2 (Hebrew 84:3) and, in a disputed sense, Zephaniah 2:1.

Against the English

'Long' is accurate and is the common choice (BSB, ESV, NASB, NIV). The BSB's present tense 'you long' loses the Hebrew's completed form, though the longing need not have ended. KJV 'sore longedst' uses 'sore' in its old sense of 'greatly,' not 'painfully.' WEB's 'greatly longed' and YLT's 'very desirous' also try to convey the doubling. YLT's 'desirous' sounds cooler than the Hebrew.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 84:2: 'My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the LORD,' which is also a longing for a house. Job 14:15 uses it of God longing for the work of his hands. Psalm 17:12 uses it of a lion hungry for prey. The Greek Septuagint here uses epithymeō, 'to desire strongly.' The origin of the root is uncertain. It looks identical to the root behind kesef, 'silver,' and proposals link the two through a sense such as 'be pale' or 'break off,' but lexicons differ and no firm connection is established.

From the study of Zephaniah 2:1

Range of meaning

Hebrew kāsap means 'to long, yearn, be eager'. In the Niphal form (Gen 31:30, 'you longed greatly for your father's house'; Ps 84:2, 'my soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the LORD') it is intense desire. In Aramaic and later Jewish usage the root means 'to grow pale, be ashamed' (the Targums use it for shame). It is related to kesep, 'silver', the pale metal. Either longing or shame can make the face go pale.

Against the English

KJV and YLT: 'not desired', which takes it as passive (a nation no one, or God, wants). WEB, ESV, NASB, NRSV: 'without shame / shameless', following the Aramaic sense. BSB and NIV: 'shameful', which turns 'not ashamed' into 'disgraceful'. That is a real change: the Hebrew denies that shame is present, and does not say the nation is shameful.

How it drifted

'Shameful' probably comes from smoothing 'not-ashamed nation' into a single English adjective. But 'shameful' means 'deserving disgrace', which is a different idea from 'unable to blush'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hebrew: Gen 31:30; Ps 17:12 (a lion 'eager' to tear); Ps 84:2; Job 14:15. Aramaic: the root for shame or pallor is well attested in the Targums and later Aramaic (Jastrow). Ancient versions: LXX 'undisciplined nation' (apaideuton); Vulgate 'gens non amabilis' ('nation not lovable'). The Targum takes it as a generation that does not desire to return to the Law, keeping the 'longing' sense.