Hebrew word · H8419

תַּהְפֻּכָה

tahpukhot

perversity

Perversity, perverse things. From hāpak, 'to turn, overturn, turn upside down' (the same root used for the overthrow of Sodom, Gen 19:25). Always plural. Found almost only in Proverbs (2:12, 14; 6:14; 8:13; 10:31–32; 16:28, 30; 23:33), plus Deut 32:20 ('a generation of tahpukôt').

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

perversity, perverse thing

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 Proverbs 8:13

Range of meaning

Perversity, perverse things. From hāpak, 'to turn, overturn, turn upside down' (the same root used for the overthrow of Sodom, Gen 19:25). Always plural. Found almost only in Proverbs (2:12, 14; 6:14; 8:13; 10:31–32; 16:28, 30; 23:33), plus Deut 32:20 ('a generation of tahpukôt').

Against the English

KJV's 'froward' (an old word meaning 'turned away, contrary') was a good fit in 1611 but is opaque now. 'Perverse' is accurate, but modern readers may hear it as sexual. The Hebrew picture is speech turned upside down: twisting, contrary, deceitful.

How it drifted

'Perverse/perverted' has narrowed in modern English toward sexual deviance. 'Froward' has dropped out of use.

Used elsewhere in the period

Prov 6:14: a scoundrel 'with tahpukôt in his heart devises evil, continually sowing discord'; 16:28: 'a man of tahpukôt spreads strife'; 10:31–32: 'the mouth of the wicked [speaks] tahpukôt'.

From the study of Proverbs 2:12

Range of meaning

From the root h-p-k, 'turn, overturn, turn upside down' (the same root used for the overthrow of Sodom). It means perversity, contrariness, twistedness: things turned inside out. The noun is always plural.

Against the English

KJV 'froward things' is accurate but archaic: 'froward' meant 'turned away, contrary'. BSB 'perversity', WEB/NASB 'perverse things' and ESV 'perverted speech' are accurate in older English, but to modern ears 'perverse/perverted' often sounds sexual. NIV/NLT 'perverse/twisted words' come closest to the picture.

How it drifted

'Perverse' comes from Latin perversus, 'turned the wrong way', which matches the Hebrew well. In modern English 'pervert/perverted' has drifted strongly toward sexual deviance, which is not the point here.

Used elsewhere in the period

It occurs about ten times: Deut 32:20 ('a generation of upside-down-ness', i.e. faithless and contrary) and nine times in Proverbs (2:12, 14; 6:14; 8:13; 10:31, 32; 16:28, 30; 23:33). Most uses concern speech or scheming: a 'mouth of perversities' (8:13; 10:32), 'a man of perversities spreads strife' (16:28). The Septuagint here paraphrases it as 'speaking nothing trustworthy'.

From the study of Proverbs 10:31

Range of meaning

'Overturning, perversity, twistedness'. It comes from hāp̄aḵ, 'to turn, overturn' (also the verb for overthrowing Sodom). Almost always plural: 'perversities', a settled habit of turning things around. Found only in Proverbs (2:12, 14; 6:14; 8:13; 10:31, 32; 16:28, 30; 23:33) and Deuteronomy 32:20.

Against the English

KJV/YLT 'froward' (archaic: 'turned away, contrary'); BSB/ESV/WEB 'perverse'; NASB 'perverted'; NLT 'that deceives'. 'Froward' was once a very good match ('fromward', turned away) but is now opaque. 'Perverse' is right in its older sense but can mislead today. NLT's 'deceives' catches part of the meaning but narrows it.

How it drifted

Modern English 'perverse/perverted' has shifted toward sexual deviance or mere stubbornness. The Hebrew is about speech that turns reality upside down.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs 2:12 'the man who speaks tahpuḵôt'. 6:14 'tahpuḵôt in his heart, he devises evil'. 16:28 'a man of tahpuḵôt spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends'. 23:33, under the influence of wine, 'your heart will utter tahpuḵôt'. Deut 32:20, Israel as 'a generation of tahpuḵôt, children with no faithfulness in them'. In each case it means warped, misleading, trouble-making speech and thought.

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 32:20 תַּהְפֻּכֹת֙ perversiti<es>

    He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness.

    Here: From the root “to overturn, turn upside down.” They are a generation of reversals: everything turned the wrong way round. The plural makes it stronger, which is why KJV and WEB say “very.” This is the word’s only use outside Proverbs, where it describes twisted, deceitful speech and scheming.

Proverbs · 9

  1. Proverbs 2:12 תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ perverse things

    to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,

    Here: 'Upside-down things', from the verb 'to turn over, overturn'. It means talk that twists and inverts: it makes wrong sound right and crooked sound clever. It is deceit and subversion, not specifically sexual perversion.

  2. Proverbs 2:14 בְּֽתַהְפֻּכ֥וֹת in perverse things of

    from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,

    Here: "In the overturnings of": from the root 'to turn over, overturn'. It means things turned upside down, especially twisted, deceitful speech and scheming. The plural points to many particular acts or schemes, not an abstract quality.

  3. Proverbs 6:14 תַּֽהְפֻּכ֨וֹת׀ perverse things

    With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.

    Here: From the verb 'to turn over, overturn'. The plural means twisted schemes and lies that turn what is right on its head. It comes first in the sentence for emphasis: what fills this man's inner life is inversion.

  4. Proverbs 8:13 תַהְפֻּכ֬וֹת perversities

    To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

    Here: From hāpak, 'to turn over, overturn'. The plural describes speech that twists and inverts: saying the opposite of what is true, turning things around, setting people at odds.

  5. Proverbs 10:31 תַּ֝הְפֻּכ֗וֹת perversities

    The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

    Here: From the root 'to turn over, overturn'. A 'tongue of upside-down things' turns truth inside out: deceit, distortion, saying good is bad and bad is good. The plural means 'twistedness' as a habit, not one slip.

  6. Proverbs 10:32 תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ perversities

    The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

    Here: Literally 'turnings-over' or 'upside-down things': speech that inverts truth, twists words and overturns what is right. The line has no verb, so it lands bluntly: the wicked mouth is 'upside-downness'. The 'know' of the first line may also carry over: their mouth knows only this.

  7. Proverbs 16:28 תַּ֭הְפֻּכוֹת perversities

    A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.

    Here: From the verb 'to turn over, overturn'. These are things turned upside down: twisted words, warped schemes, saying the reverse of what is true. It is always plural, which suggests a habit, not a single act. The person is defined by turning things around.

  8. Proverbs 16:30 תַּהְפֻּכ֑וֹת perverse things

    He who winks his eye devises perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

  9. Proverbs 23:33 תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ perverse things

    Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.

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