---
title: הֶפֶךְ — the contrary · The Tanakh dictionary
description: הֶפֶךְ (2016), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 3 times: the contrary. BDB 1906: n.m. the contrary, contrariness, perversity. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# הֶפֶךְ

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«הֶפֶךְ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **the contrary** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 3 times · **Key:** 2016 · **BDB:** הֶ֫פֶךְ

### Glosses

contrariness (2); perversity (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

the contrary [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/2016/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. the contrary, contrariness, perversity [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/2016/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. the contrary, contrariness, perversity;—abs. ה׳ Ez 16:34; הֶ֑פֶךְ v 34; sf. הַפְכְּכֶם Is 29:16 (v. Baer);— the contrary, opposite thing וַיְהִי־בָךְ הֶפֶךְ מִן־הַנָּשִׁים Ez 16:34 \& there hath occurred in thee the contrary from other women; v 34 וַתְּהִי לְהֶ֑פֶךְ so thou hast become the contrary. הַפְכְּכֶם Is 29:16 Oh, your perversity!

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «הֶפֶךְ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1492/2016/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 29:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.29.16/)

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הַ֨פְכְּכֶ֔ם אִם־כְּחֹ֥מֶר הַיֹּצֵ֖ר יֵֽחָשֵׁ֑ב כִּֽי־יֹאמַ֨ר מַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לְעֹשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ לֹ֣א עָשָׂ֔נִי וְיֵ֛צֶר אָמַ֥ר לְיוֹצְר֖וֹ לֹ֥א הֵבִֽין׃

*Word for word:* perversity your (if)? like clay the potter will.he.be.regarded (cmp) it.will.say a.thing.made to the.\[one who\].made.it not he made.me and a.pot it.said to potter its not he.has.understood

*JPS 1917:* O your perversity! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it: 'He made me not'; or the thing framed say of him that framed it: 'He hath no understanding?'

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[Ezekiel 16:34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/EZK.16.34/)

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וַיְהִי־בָ֨ךְ הֵ֤פֶךְ מִן־הַנָּשִׁים֙ בְּתַזְנוּתַ֔יִךְ וְאַחֲרַ֖יִךְ לֹ֣א זוּנָּ֑ה וּבְתִתֵּ֣ךְ אֶתְנָ֗ן וְאֶתְנַ֛ן לֹ֥א נִתַּן־לָ֖ךְ וַתְּהִ֥י לְהֶֽפֶךְ׃

*Word for word:* and it.was in you contrariness from the women in prostitution(s) your and after you not it.was.approached.for.prostitution and because gave you \[the\].hire and.\[the\] hire not it.was.given to you and you.became (into) contrariness

*JPS 1917:* And the contrary is in thee from other women, in that thou didst solicit to harlotry, and wast not solicited; and in that thou givest hire, and no hire is given unto thee, thus thou art contrary.

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- ← previous: [הָפַךְ](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/2015.md)
- next →: [הֲפֵכָה](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/2018.md)
- ↑ back to [ה](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1492-2.md)