Hebrew word · H8471

תַּחְפַּנְחֵס

uvitchafneches

Tahpanhes

A place name taken from Egyptian. It is often explained as t3-ḥwt-p3-nḥsy, 'the fortress of the Nubian', though that derivation is not certain. It is identified with Greek Daphnai, modern Tell Defenneh, in the eastern Delta near Pelusium.

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Tahpanhes or Tahapanes or Tehaphnehes = "thou will fill hands with pity"

a city in Egypt; modern 'Tel Defenneh' or 'Tel Defneh' located approx 18 miles (29 km) east southeast from Tanis

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 Jeremiah 44:1

Range of meaning

A place name taken from Egyptian. It is often explained as t3-ḥwt-p3-nḥsy, 'the fortress of the Nubian', though that derivation is not certain. It is identified with Greek Daphnai, modern Tell Defenneh, in the eastern Delta near Pelusium.

Against the English

Transliterated in all versions. Jeremiah 2:16 has the spelling Taḥpanḥēs, and Ezekiel 30:18 has Teḥaphnəḥēs.

Used elsewhere in the period

Herodotus (Histories 2.30) says Psammetichus I kept a garrison at Daphnai of Pelusium to guard against Arabians and Assyrians. Excavations by Flinders Petrie in 1886 found a fort with Greek mercenary material of the 26th Dynasty. The local name of the ruin, Qasr Bint el-Yahudi ('Palace of the Jew's Daughter'), was linked by Petrie to 'the king's daughters' of Jeremiah 43:6. That link is a later tradition, not evidence.

Where it appears

Jeremiah · 6

  1. Jeremiah 2:16 וְתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס and Tahpanhes

    The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.

  2. Jeremiah 43:7 תַּחְפַּנְחֵֽס׃ ס Tahpanhes

    So they entered the land of Egypt because they did not obey the voice of the LORD, and they went as far as Tahpanhes.

  3. Jeremiah 43:8 בְּתַחְפַּנְחֵ֖ס in Tahpanhes

    Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah at Tahpanhes:

  4. Jeremiah 43:9 בְּתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס in Tahpanhes

    “In the sight of the Jews, pick up some large stones and bury them in the clay of the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes.

  5. Jeremiah 44:1 וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵ֣ס and in Tahpanhes

    This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in the land of Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis—and in the land of Pathros:

    Here: 'And in Tahpanhes', the eastern Delta garrison town (Greek Daphnai) where the refugee group first stopped and where Jeremiah acted out his sign with stones (43:7–9).

  6. Jeremiah 46:14 וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס and in Tahpanhes

    “Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol; proclaim it in Memphis and Tahpanhes: ‘Take your positions and prepare yourself, for the sword devours those around you.’

    Here: A garrison town in the eastern Delta (Greek Daphnae, modern Tell Defenneh). Jeremiah himself was taken there after Jerusalem fell (43:7-9).

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 30:18 וּבִֽתְחַפְנְחֵס֙ and in Tahpanhes

    The day will be darkened in Tahpanhes when I break the yoke of Egypt and her proud strength comes to an end. A cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.

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