Hebrew word · H8443

תּוֹעָפָה

keto'afot

peak

Rare and uncertain. It appears only in Num 23:22; 24:8; Ps 95:4 ('the heights/peaks of the mountains are his'); and Job 22:25 ('silver of tôʿāpôt', perhaps 'heaps' or 'choicest' silver). The common thread seems to be height, eminence or abundance.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) eminence, lofty horns, summit

1a) eminence (of towering horns, peaks, silver)

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 Numbers 23:22

Range of meaning

Rare and uncertain. It appears only in Num 23:22; 24:8; Ps 95:4 ('the heights/peaks of the mountains are his'); and Job 22:25 ('silver of tôʿāpôt', perhaps 'heaps' or 'choicest' silver). The common thread seems to be height, eminence or abundance. Proposed meanings: 'peaks, heights,' 'towering horns,' 'strength/might,' 'glory,' and (from a possible link to a root meaning 'fly/tire') 'swiftness.'

Against the English

BSB, KJV, WEB and NIV have 'strength'. ESV, NASB and NJPS have 'horns'. YLT has 'swiftness'. The supplied interlinear gloss 'horns' is an interpretation drawn from the wild-ox context, not the word's plain meaning.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ancient translators were already guessing. The Septuagint has doxa ('glory'), the Vulgate fortitudo ('strength'), and Targum Onkelos 'strength and might.' Ps 95:4 is the closest parallel, and its grammar matches: wətôʿăpôt hārîm lô, 'and the heights of the mountains are his,' set against 'the depths of the earth.' That makes 'heights / towering parts' the best-supported core sense (BDB 'eminence'; HALOT 'peaks' or 'horns').

From the study of Numbers 24:8

Range of meaning

It is rare and uncertain. Elsewhere it means 'peaks' (of mountains, Psalm 95:4) and something like 'choicest / heaped-up' silver (Job 22:25). Suggested meanings are: towering horns, height/eminence, strength, and swiftness.

Against the English

'Strength' (KJV, WEB, BSB), 'horns' (ESV and others), 'swiftness' (YLT). Each is a guess at the same obscure word. 'Horns' gives the clearest picture, and 'strength' gives the general sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

Only four occurrences: Numbers 23:22; 24:8; Job 22:25; Psalm 95:4. The Greek renders it doxa, 'glory', in both Numbers verses. Lexicons (BDB, HALOT) list it as uncertain, and HALOT tentatively favours 'horns' in the Numbers passages.

Where it appears

Numbers · 2

  1. Numbers 23:22 כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת like [the] horns of

    God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.

    Here: A rare poetic word (only four uses), in the plural and tied to the next word: 'like the ___ of a wild ox.' It probably means something high and towering, here the great raised horns or towering might of the bull. 'Horns' (the supplied gloss) is a reasonable reading from context, but the word itself does not plainly mean 'horn.'

  2. Numbers 24:8 כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת like [the] horns of

    God brought him out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox, to devour hostile nations and crush their bones, to pierce them with arrows.

    Here: This is a rare word and its meaning is uncertain. Elsewhere it describes the high peaks of mountains (Psalm 95:4) and 'choice' silver (Job 22:25). With a wild ox, 'towering horns' is the most likely picture, but 'strength' or 'eminence' are also possible.

Job · 1

  1. Job 22:25 תּוֹעָפ֣וֹת heaps

    then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 95:4 וְתוֹעֲפ֖וֹת and [the] peaks of

    In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.

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