---
title: חָפַשׂ — search · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חָפַשׂ (2664), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 23 times: search. BDB 1906: vb. search Pu. Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חָפַשׂ

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«חָפַשׂ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **search** — 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:** 23 times · **Key:** 2664 · **BDB:** חָפַשׂ

### Glosses

he.disguised.himself (5); I.will.disguise.myself (2); he.searched (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

search [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2664/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. search Pu. Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2664/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. search (𝔗Jer חֲפַס dig, seek; Pal. Syriac dig (Schw); perhaps Assyrian êppêšu, êtpêšu, sensible, LyonSargontexte 65)— Impf. 2 ms. sf. תַּחְפְּשֶׂ֫נָּה Pr 2:4; יַחְפְּשׂוּ ψ 64:7; נַחְפְּשָׂה La 3:40; Pt. חֹפֵשׂ Pr 20:27;—search, search out, fig.; search for, obj. בִּינָה etc. Pr 2:4 (‖ בקשׁ). = think out, devise, c. acc. עולות unjust acts ψ 64:7 (cf. also sub Pu.) search = test, La 3:40 (obj. דרכינו; ‖ חקר), Pr 20:27. Pf. נֶחְפְּשׂוּ Ob6 subj. עֵשָׂו coll.; searched out = exposed and plundered (‖ נִבְעוּ מַצְפּוּנָיו). Pf. וְחִפַּשְׂתִּ֫י 1 S 23:23; וְחִפְּשׂוּ 1 K 20:6; Impf. וַיְחַפֵּשׂ Gn 31:35 + 2 times; אֲחַפֵּשׂ Am 9:3 Zp 1:12; Imv. חַפְּשׂוּ 2 K 10:23;— search through, c. acc., a house 1 K 20:6, Jerusalem (metaph.) Zp 1:12; no obj. expr. 2 K 10:23. search for: a person c. acc. 1 S 23:23. a thing, c. acc. Gn 44:12 (J; Joseph searching for his cup); Gn 31:35 (E; no obj. expr., Laban looking for his teraphim); Am 9:3 (י׳ searching for evildoers), ψ 77:7 (soul searching to understand י׳’s dealings with his servants). Impf. יְחֻפַּשׂ Pr 28:12 be searched for = be hidden; Pt. מְחֻפָּשׂ ψ 64:7 in חֵפֶשׂ מ׳ = a searched out search, i.e. a device well thought out (cf. Che; ‖ Qal q.v.); v. also חֵ֫פֶשׂ. Pf. הִתְחַפֵּשׂ 2 Ch 35:22 (but 𝔊 הִתְחַזֵּק, cf. also 𝔙 𝔖 3 Esdr 1:26, so Be Öt); Impf. יִתְחַפֵּשׂ Jb 30:18; וַיִּתְחַפֵּשׂ 1 S 28:8 + 3 times; Inf. abs. הִתְחַפֵּשׂ 1 K 22:30 = 2 Ch 18:29;—disguise oneself (lit. let oneself be searched for) 1 S 28:8 1 K 22:30(×2) = 2 Ch 18:29(×2), 2 Ch 35:22 (but v. supr.), all of disguise by change of garments; 1 K 20:38 באפר i.e. with headgear over eyes; subj. לבושׁ Jb 30:18, i.e. his garment is disguised, no longer looks like the mantle it is.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 19 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (5 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חָפַשׂ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2664/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Obadiah 1:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/OBA.1.6/)

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אֵ֚יךְ נֶחְפְּשׂ֣וּ עֵשָׂ֔ו נִבְע֖וּ מַצְפֻּנָֽיו׃

*Word for word:* how! they.will.be.plundered Esau they.will.be.searched.out treasures its.hidden

*JPS 1917:* How is Esau searched out! How are his hidden places sought out!

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[Proverbs 20:27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.20.27/)

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נֵ֣ר יְ֭הוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כָּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃

*Word for word:* the.lamp of.Yahweh \[is.the\].breath of.a.human \[it.is\].searching all \[the\].chambers of.\[the\].belly

*JPS 1917:* The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inward parts.

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