What does טָבַע (ṭābaʿ) mean in the Bible?
טָבַע (ṭābaʿ): To sink downward into liquid or earth; often used of drowning or being submerged irretrievably
Hebrew · H2883
טָבַע
To sink
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טָבַע H2883
Pronunciation ṭābaʿ
What does טָבַע (ṭābaʿ) mean in the Bible?
טָבַע (ṭābaʿ): To sink downward into liquid or earth; often used of drowning or being submerged irretrievably
Full entry for טָבַע (H2883) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2883?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include sank (2), are drowned (1), have fallen (1), have sunk (1), I have sunk (1).
Where does טָבַע (ṭābaʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 15:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (3), Jeremiah (2), 1 Samuel (1), Exodus (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It sank 2× 1 Samuel 17:49, Jeremiah 38:22
are drowned 1× Exodus 15:4
have fallen 1× Psalms 9:15
have sunk 1× Lamentations 2:9
I have sunk 1× Psalms 69:2
let me sink 1× Psalms 69:14
sank down 1× Jeremiah 38:6
set 1× Job 38:6
were settled 1× Proverbs 8:25
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 15:4 טֻבְּע֥וּ to are drowned Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person common plural 1 Samuel 17:49 וַתִּטְבַּ֤ע to sank Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Job 38:6 הָטְבָּ֑עוּ to set Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person common plural Psalms 9:15 טָבְע֣וּ to have fallen Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Psalms 69:2 טָבַ֤עְתִּי׀ to I have sunk Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Psalms 69:14 אֶטְבָּ֑עָה to let me sink Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular Proverbs 8:25 הָטְבָּ֑עוּ to were settled Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person common plural Jeremiah 38:6 וַיִּטְבַּ֥ע to sank down Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Jeremiah 38:22 הָטְבְּע֥וּ to sank Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person common plural Lamentations 2:9 טָבְע֤וּ to have sunk Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 15:4
Aligned rows 10
Books represented 7
Exodus 1 1 Samuel 1 Job 1 Psalms 3 Proverbs 1 Jeremiah 2 Lamentations 1
Source forms
הָטְבָּ֑עוּ 2x hā·ṭə·bā·‘ū Job 38:6, Proverbs 8:25
אֶטְבָּ֑עָה 1x ’eṭ·bā·‘āh Psalms 69:14
הָטְבְּע֥וּ 1x hā·ṭə·bə·‘ū Jeremiah 38:22
וַיִּטְבַּ֥ע 1x way·yiṭ·ba‘ Jeremiah 38:6
וַתִּטְבַּ֤ע 1x wat·tiṭ·ba‘ 1 Samuel 17:49
טָבְע֣וּ 1x ṭā·ḇə·‘ū Psalms 9:15
טָבְע֤וּ 1x ṭā·ḇə·‘ū Lamentations 2:9
טֻבְּע֥וּ 1x ṭub·bə·‘ū Exodus 15:4
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person common plural 3x Job 38:6, Proverbs 8:25, Jeremiah 38:22
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x Psalms 9:15, Lamentations 2:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x 1 Samuel 17:49
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 38:6
Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person common plural 1x Exodus 15:4
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular 1x Psalms 69:14
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 1x Psalms 69:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To sink downward into liquid or earth; often used of drowning or being submerged irretrievably
Strong's H2883
Lexical occurrences 10 verses Word forms 3 forms 8 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Jeremiah 38:1-6 Source Gloss
to sink
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
To sink downward into liquid or earth; often used of drowning or being submerged irretrievably
to sink BDB: sink Usage: drown, fasten, settle, sink.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 8
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 3×
Perfect Jer 38:22 · Job 38:6 · Prov 8:25 3×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 4×
Perfect Lam 2:9 · Ps 9:16 · Ps 69:3 3×
Cohortative Ps 69:15 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Perfect Exod 15:4 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
to sink into mud or mire, literally descending into a pit
Showing 1 selected witness from 10 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
טָבַע is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain