What does תָּפַשׂ (tāpaś) mean in the Bible?
תָּפַשׂ (tāpaś): Seize and grip with authority or force, ranging from physical capture to illegitimate appropriation or control
Hebrew · H8610
תָּפַשׂ
To manipulate , i.e. seize ; chiefly to capture , wield , specifically, to overlay ; figuratively, to use unwarrantably
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תָּפַשׂ H8610
Pronunciation tāpaś
What does תָּפַשׂ (tāpaś) mean in the Bible?
תָּפַשׂ (tāpaś): Seize and grip with authority or force, ranging from physical capture to illegitimate appropriation or control
Full entry for תָּפַשׂ (H8610) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8610?
The BSB source-word alignment has 65 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and captured (3), take them (3), captured (2), he was trapped (2), seized (2).
Where does תָּפַשׂ (tāpaś) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:21. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (18), Ezekiel (12), 2 Kings (8), 1 Kings (6).
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 and captured 3× 2 Kings 18:13, Isaiah 36:1, Jeremiah 50:24
take them 3× 1 Kings 20:18, 2 Kings 10:14
captured 2× 2 Kings 14:13, 2 Chronicles 25:23
he was trapped 2× Ezekiel 19:4, Ezekiel 19:8
seized 2× Jeremiah 37:13, Jeremiah 48:41
. . . 1× Jeremiah 34:3
[The Chaldeans] seized 1× Jeremiah 52:9
and captured it 1× 2 Kings 16:9
and catch him 1× Ezekiel 17:20
and he seizes her 1× Deuteronomy 22:28
and he will be caught 1× Ezekiel 12:13
and seize him 1× Psalms 71:11
and take them captive 1× Ezekiel 21:23
and the one who wields 1× Jeremiah 50:16
are to lay hold 1× Deuteronomy 21:19
brandishing 1× Ezekiel 38:4
can be caught 1× Proverbs 30:28
capture 1× Jeremiah 50:46
carrying 1× Jeremiah 46:9
caught in the act 1× Numbers 5:13
has been seized 1× Jeremiah 51:41
have been seized 1× Jeremiah 51:32
He captured 1× 1 Samuel 15:8
He took 1× 2 Kings 14:7
I may take hold 1× Ezekiel 14:5
instead, he arrested 1× Jeremiah 37:14
let them be caught 1× Psalms 10:2
O occupiers 1× Jeremiah 49:16
overlaid 1× Habakkuk 2:19
profaning 1× Proverbs 30:9
Seize 1× 1 Kings 18:40
Seize him 1× 1 Kings 13:4
seized him 1× Jeremiah 26:8
She grabbed [Joseph] 1× Genesis 39:12
So [his men] took them 1× 2 Kings 10:14
So I took 1× Deuteronomy 9:17
So they seized them 1× 1 Kings 18:40
The archer 1× Amos 2:15
The Chaldeans seized 1× 2 Kings 25:6
The experts 1× Jeremiah 2:8
the troops 1× Numbers 31:27
they took 1× Joshua 8:23
to be grasped 1× Ezekiel 21:11
to capture it 1× Deuteronomy 20:19
to capture them 1× 1 Samuel 23:26
to hold 1× Ezekiel 30:21
took hold 1× 1 Kings 11:30
vvv 1× Jeremiah 46:9
we will take them 1× 2 Kings 7:12
When Israel took hold 1× Ezekiel 29:7
when you have taken 1× Joshua 8:8
who handle 1× Ezekiel 27:29
who play 1× Genesis 4:21
will seize 1× Isaiah 3:6
will surely be captured 1× Jeremiah 34:3
you have taken 1× Jeremiah 40:10
you shall be taken 1× Ezekiel 21:24
you will be seized 1× Jeremiah 38:23
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:21 תֹּפֵ֥שׂ to who play Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct Genesis 39:12 וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ to She grabbed [Joseph] Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular Numbers 5:13 נִתְפָּֽשָׂה׃ to caught in the act Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Numbers 31:27 תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י to the troops Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Deuteronomy 9:17 וָאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ to So I took Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular Deuteronomy 20:19 לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ to to capture it Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Deuteronomy 21:19 וְתָ֥פְשׂוּ to are to lay hold Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Deuteronomy 22:28 וּתְפָשָׂ֖הּ to and he seizes her Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Joshua 8:8 כְּתָפְשְׂכֶ֣ם to when you have taken Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural Joshua 8:23 תָּ֣פְשׂוּ to they took Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 4:21
Aligned rows 65
Books represented 15
Genesis 2 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 4 Joshua 2 1 Samuel 2 1 Kings 6 2 Kings 8 2 Chronicles 1 Psalms 2 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 18 Ezekiel 12 Amos 1 Habakkuk 1
Source forms
תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י 3x tō·p̄ə·śê Numbers 31:27, Jeremiah 46:9, Ezekiel 27:29
וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂוּ֙ 2x way·yiṯ·pə·śū 2 Kings 25:6, Jeremiah 52:9
וַֽיִּתְפְּשֵֽׂם׃ 2x way·yiṯ·pə·śêm 2 Kings 18:13, Isaiah 36:1
וְנִתְפַּ֖שׂ 2x wə·niṯ·paś Ezekiel 12:13, Ezekiel 17:20
תָּפַ֛שׂ 2x tā·p̄aś 2 Kings 14:13, 2 Chronicles 25:23
תִּפְשׂ֣וּם 2x tip̄·śūm 1 Kings 20:18, 2 Kings 10:14
תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ 2x tit·tā·p̄êś Jeremiah 34:3, Jeremiah 38:23
בְּתָפְשָׂ֨ם 1x bə·ṯā·p̄ə·śām Ezekiel 29:7
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 5x Numbers 31:27, Jeremiah 46:9, Ezekiel 27:29, Ezekiel 38:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x 1 Samuel 15:8, 1 Kings 11:30, Jeremiah 37:13, Jeremiah 37:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 3x 2 Kings 25:6, Jeremiah 26:8, Jeremiah 52:9
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 3x Numbers 5:13, Jeremiah 48:41, Jeremiah 50:46
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | third person masculine plural 3x 1 Kings 20:18, 2 Kings 10:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 2x Ezekiel 12:13, Ezekiel 17:20
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural 2x 1 Kings 18:40, 2 Kings 10:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 2x 2 Kings 18:13, Isaiah 36:1
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Seize and grip with authority or force, ranging from physical capture to illegitimate appropriation or control
Strong's H8610
Lexical occurrences 65 verses Word forms 3 forms 28 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Jeremiah 26:7-11 Source Gloss
to manipulate , i.e. seize ; chiefly to capture , wield , specifically, to overlay ; figuratively, to use unwarrantably
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Seize and grip with authority or force, ranging from physical capture to illegitimate appropriation or control
to manipulate, i.e. seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantably BDB: lay hold of Usage: catch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, × surely, surprise, take.
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 28
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 16×
Participle active Ezek 27:29 · Ezek 38:4 · Gen 4:21 · Jer 46:9 · Jer 49:16 · Num 31:27 7×
Perfect 2Chr 25:23 · 2Kgs 14:13 · Jer 40:10 · Josh 8:23 4×
Sequential imperfect 1Kgs 18:40 1×
Infinitive construct Ezek 14:5 1×
Participle passive Hab 2:19 1×
Imperfect Isa 3:6 1×
Infinitive absolute Jer 34:3 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 11×
Perfect Jer 48:41 · Jer 50:46 · Num 5:13 · Ezek 19:4 · Ezek 19:8 · Jer 50:24 · Jer 51:32 7×
Imperfect Jer 34:3 · Jer 38:23 · Ezek 21:29 · Ps 10:2 4×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Imperfect Prov 30:28 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Physical capture or arrest of a person by officials or crowd
Capture in military context, as enemy forces seize a person or city
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 65 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
תָּפַשׂ 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