---
title: אָסַף — gather · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אָסַף (622), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 200 times: gather. BDB 1906: vb. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אָסַף

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«אָסַף» in the Tanakh dictionary: **gather** — 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:** 200 times · **Key:** 622 · **BDB:** אָסַף

### Glosses

they.gathered (27); he.gathered (19); gather (12)

### Meaning (OSHB)

gather [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/622/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/622/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. gather, remove (Assyrian esêpu, DlPr 45)— Pf. אָסַף Gn 30:23 +; אָסַפְתָּ ψ 85:4, etc.; Impf. יֶאֱסֹף 2 K 5:3; יַאַסְפֵנִי ψ 27:10, etc.; also וַיֹּסֶף 2 S 6:1; 2 ms. תֹּסֵף ψ 104:29; 1 s. אֹסְפָה Mi 4:6; so prob. (sf.) אֹסִֽפְךָ 1 S 15:6 (read אֹסִפְךָ) v. Köi 382 DrSm; Imv. אֱסֹף Nu 21:16 + אֶסְפָה Nu 11:16; 2 fs. אִסְפִּי Je 10:17; אִסְפוּ ψ 50:5 +; Inf. abs. אָסֹף Je 8:13 + (Hiph., from סוף according to BaNB 73); cstr. אֱסֹף 2 K 5:7 +; אָסְפְּךָ Ex 23:16; אָסְפְּכֶם Lv 23:39; Pt. act. אֹסֵף Nu 19:10; אֹסִפְךָ 2 K 22:20; 2 Ch 34:28 (pointed אֹסִֽפְךָ i.e. Hiph.; cf. Köl.c.); אֹסְפָם ψ 39:7; pass. pl. cstr. אֲסֻפֵי Ez 34:29;— gather, collect (a) persons Gn 29:22; 42:17 (sq. אֶל־) Ex 3:16; 4:29; Nu 11:16, 24; 21:16 Jos 2:18 (sq. אֶל־ + ־ה loc.) 24:1 (sq. ־ה loc.; all these JE); 1 S 5:8, 11; 2 K 23:1 (sq. אֶל־) Jo 2:16; Is 11:12 Zp 3:8; Hb 2:6; Ez 11:17 (all ‖ קבץ) +; collect men, people, armies, etc., for fighting Nu 21:23 (E) Ju 11:20; 1 S 17:1 2 S 10:17; 12:29 +; cf. Zc 14:2 (sq. אֶל־ against); (b) once obj. beasts Je 12:9; (c) things, especially fruits of earth Ex 23:10, 16 (Cov’t code) Lv 23:39; 25:3, 20 (H) Dt 11:14; 16:13; 28:38; Is 17:5; Je 40:10, 12; Jb 39:12 ψ 39:7; cf. Ru 2:7 (‖ לקט glean); the quails Nu 11:32(×2); food in gen. (מַאֲכָל) Gn 6:21 (sq. אֶל־); eggs Is 10:14; money 2 K 22:4; 2 Ch 24:11; ashes of red heifer Nu 19:9, 10; chariots 1 K 10:26; 2 Ch 1:14, etc.; of fisherman (בְּמִכְמַרְתּוֹ, in metaph.) Hb 1:15; of collecting wind Pr 30:4 מִי א׳־רוּחַ בְּחָפְנָיו. gather an individual into company of others: (a) obj. pers. especially gather to one’s fathers 2 K 22:20 (עַל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ) = 2 Ch 34:28 (אֶל־; both ‖ Niph. of same vb. q.v.); hence also (b) bring, obj. pers. 1 S 14:52 (on form here v. Dr) 2 S 11:27 (both sq. אֶל־), association, responsibility, protection being implied; also of stray ox or sheep Dt 22:2 (sq. אֶל־תּוֹךְ); hence also (c) take up, care for, subj. י׳ ψ 27:10 (cf. perhaps Is 40:11 קבץ); (d) draw up the feet upon the bed (אֶל־) Gn 49:33. bring up the rear of Is 58:8 כְּבוֹד י׳ יַאַסְפֶ֑ךָ i.e. be thy rear-guard (‖ הָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶ֑ךָ)—52:12 has Pi. מְאְסִּפְכֶם q.v. gather and take away, remove, withdraw 1 S 14:19 (obj. hand), Je 10:17 (bundle, sq. מִן), leper 2 K 5:11 (v. צרע); cf. also א׳ מִצָּרַעַת, remove (set free) a man from leprosy v 3, 6, 7; Gn 30:23; Is 4:1 (reproach), ψ 85:4 (wrath, ‖ הֵשִׁיב), Je 16:5 (peace, sq. מִן), Jo 2:10; 4:15 (light), ψ 26:9 (נֶפֶשׁ) so Ju 18:25; ψ 104:29 (רוּחַ) v. also Jb 34:14 (sq. אֶל־); hence destroy 1 S 15:6 (obj. pers.); pass. אֲסֻפֵי רָעָב destroyed with hunger Ez 34:29; also Inf. abs. Je 8:13; Zp 1:2 (joined with הֵסִיף from סוף, v. Köi. 445; considered Hiph. Inf. abs. by BaNB 73 v. supr.) Pf. נֶאֱסַף Nu 27:13 + נֶאֶסְפָה Je 48:33 etc.; Impf. יֵאָסֵף Ex 9:19 +; וַיֵּאָ֫סֶף Gn 25:8 +; יֵאָסֵכּ֑וּן ψ 104:22 etc.; Imv. הֵאָסֵף Dt 32:50; הֵאָֽסְפִי Je 47:6; הֵאָֽסְפוּ Gn 49:1 +; Inf. abs. הֵאָסֹף 2 S 17:11 (on form cf. BaNB 74); cstr. הֵאָסֵף Gn 29:7; Nu 12:15; Pt. נֶאֱסָף Gn 49:29; נֶאֱסָפִים 1 S 13:11; Is 13:4; נֶאֱסָפִים Is 57:1;— assemble, be gathered, reflex. (a) subj. men Gn 49:1 (‖ קבץ v 2), Is 43:9 (‖ קבץ), 2 Ch 30:3 (sq. לְ) v 13 (sq. acc. loc.), Ezr 3:1; 9:4; Ne 8:1, 13 (all sq. אֶל־) 9:1; 12:28; earlier mostly of assembling for war Gn 34:30 (sq. עַל־), Jos 10:5; Ju 6:33; 9:6; 10:17 (‖ נצעק), 20:11 (sq. אֶל־) v 14 (sq. ־ה loc.), 1 S 13:11 (sq. acc. loc.) +; (b) subj. flocks, etc. Gn 29:3 (pass.; sq. שָׁמָּה) v 7, 8 (all J); fish Nu 11:22 (cf. Hb 1:16 Qal); (c) inanim. subj. herbs Pr 27:25; water 2 S 14:14 (in sim.); bones for burial Je 8:2 cf. 25:33 (bodies of slain) v. also Ez 29:5 (‖ קבץ which Co reads קבר), appar. = compose, arrange for burial. so יֵאָסֵף Jb 27:19; but read prob. יאסִף = יוֹסִף (Ex 5:7), 𝔊 𝔖 Ew De Di Du. pass. of Qal 2; (a) be gathered to one’s fathers נֶא׳ אֶל־אֲבוֹהָיו Ju 2:10; elsewhere to one’s people אֶל־עַמָּיו (all P) Gn 25:8, 17; 35:29 (‖ וַיִּגְוַע וַיָּמָת) 49:29, 33 (‖ גוע), Nu 20:24, 26 (‖ מות) 27:13; 31:2; Dt 32:50(×2) (both ‖ מות); also אֶל־קִבְרֹתֶיךָ 2 K 22:20 = 2 Ch 34:28 (both ‖ Qal q.v.); abs. Nu 27:13; (b) be brought in (into association with others, etc.) Nu 12:14, 15 (E) of Miriam, after leprosy; also refl. betake oneself, of Moses 11:30 (E), cf. 2 S 17:13 (both sq. אֶל־); even with inanim. subj. Je 47:6 הֵאָֽסְפִי אֶל־תַּעְרֵךְ (addressed to sword); of man \& beast brought home (sq. ־ה loc.) for protection Ex 9:19. Pass. of Qal 4; be taken away, removed, perish, of men Is 57:1(×2) (‖ אבד); fish Ho 4:3; gladness Is 16:10 Je 48:33 (sq. מִן); also reflex., withdraw itself, of moon Is 60:20 (‖ בוא שׁמשׁ). Pt. מְאַסֵּף Nu 10:25 +; מְאָֽסְפָיו Is 62:9 (so BD v. Köi201); מְאַסִּפְכֶם Is 52:12;— gather harvest Is 62:9 (‖ קבץ); bodies for burial Je 9:21. take in, receive into (sq. בַּיְתָה) Ju 19:15, 18. as subst. rearguard, rearward Nu 10:25 (P) Jos 6:9, 13 (both E); fig. of God Is 52:12. Pf. וְאֻסַּף (cons.) Is 33:4; Zc 14:14 etc.; Pt. מְאֻסָּף, Ez 38:12—be gathered, of men Is 24:22; Ho 10:10 (sq. עַל against), Ez 38:12; booty Is 33:4; wealth Zc 14:14. Inf. הִתְאַסֵּף Dt 33:5 gather themselves.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 145 of its verses cited, 0 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 «אָסַף» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/622/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Genesis 42:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.42.17/)

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וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף אֹתָ֛ם אֶל־מִשְׁמָ֖ר שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים׃

*Word for word:* and he.removed them to custody three days

*JPS 1917:* And he put them all together into ward three days.

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[Psalms 85:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.85.4/)

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אָסַ֥פְתָּ כָל־עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ הֱ֝שִׁיב֗וֹתָ מֵחֲר֥וֹן אַפֶּֽךָ׃

*Word for word:* you.withdrew all fury your you.turned.back from the.burning your.anger your

*JPS 1917:* Thou hast withdrawn all Thy wrath; Thou hast turned from the fierceness of Thine anger.

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