Lexical Summary
saphaq: Clap, strike, smite, slap
Original Word:סָפַק
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:caphaq
Pronunciation:sah-fak'
Phonetic Spelling:(saw-fak')
KJV: clap, smite, strike, suffice, wallow
NASB:clap, strike, claps, smote, strikes, struck together, wallow
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to clap the hands (in token of compact, derision, grief, indignation, or punishment)
2. (by implication) of satisfaction, to be enough
3. (by implication) of excess, to vomit
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
clap, smite, strike, suffice, wallow
Or saphaq (1 Kings 20:10; Job 27:23; Isaiah 2:6) {saw-fak'}; a primitive root; to clap the hands (in token of compact, derision, grief, indignation, or punishment); by implication of satisfaction, to be enough; by implication of excess, to vomit -- clap, smite, strike, suffice, wallow.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto slap, clap
NASB Translationclap (2), claps (1), smote (1), strike (2), strikes (1), struck together (1), wallow (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. [] (Late Hebrew
suffice, abound, so Ecclus 15:18 +; , , Syriac
; Arabic
is
be niggardly, scanty, Lane
1573); —
Imperfect3masculine singular1 Kings 20:10, subject dust, with of thing.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe Hebrew verb סָפַק (Strong’s 5606) portrays forceful contact of the hands or body—clapping, striking, clasping, or sufficing—used by Scripture writers to register intense emotion, decisive judgment, covenantal alliance, or uncompromising warning.
Physical Gestures of Passionate Emotion
1. Anger and Frustration. Balak, enraged when Balaam blessed Israel, “struck his hands together” (Numbers 24:10). The gesture amplifies his fury at God’s overruling purpose.
2. Contempt and Mockery. Job pictures the wicked man’s demise: “It will clap its hands at him and hiss him out of his place” (Job 27:23; cf.Lamentations 2:15). Public scorn vindicates divine justice.
3. Bewildered Sorrow. Ezekiel is told: “Strike your thigh in grief” over Israel’s coming sword (Ezekiel 21:12). Jeremiah models the same motion in personal repentance (Jeremiah 31:19). The blow to one’s own body externalizes inner anguish.
Joining Hands—Covenantal or Compromising
Isaiah condemns Judah because “they clasp hands with the children of foreigners” (Isaiah 2:6). סָפַק here denotes a deliberate alliance with pagan practices, replacing covenant fidelity with syncretism. The text warns that seemingly harmless gestures of solidarity can become gateways to idolatry.
Sufficiency and Empty Boasting
Ben-hadad’s taunt—“if there remains in Samaria enough dust to give each of my people a handful” (1 Kings 20:10)—uses סָפַק to measure adequacy. The king’s arrogant assumption of overwhelming resources is quickly overturned when the Lord grants Ahab victory. Human claims of sufficiency melt before God’s sovereign allocation.
Judicial Striking—God’s Public Exposure of Evil
Job 34 twice employs the verb to describe divine retribution:
• “He strikes the wicked among them in a place where all can see” (Job 34:26).
• “He adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us” (Job 34:37).
The legal setting signals that God’s judgments are neither secret nor capricious; they are open demonstrations of His righteousness that silence every objection.
National Humiliation of Moab
Jeremiah 48:26 predicts that Moab, proud of its strength, will reel in drunken disgrace. Though the does not translate סָפַק as “clap” here, the underlying idea is unsparing exposure—Moab’s self-exaltation will meet a blow that leaves it staggering and mocked. Nations that magnify themselves against the Lord inevitably experience His emphatic strike.
Ministry Implications
• Prophetic Actions Speak. Physical signs such as thigh-striking or hand-clapping reinforce verbal messages. Preachers and teachers may highlight how embodiment underscores truth.
• Beware Compromising Handshakes. Modern believers must guard against alliances that dilute exclusive allegiance to Christ (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
• God’s Strikes Are Redemptive. Jeremiah’s thigh-slap leads to repentance; divine blows aim to bring wayward people home.
• Mockery of the Wicked Encourages the Righteous. Public vindication reassures the faithful that evil will not have the last word (Psalm 37:34).
• Human Sufficiency Is Illusory. Ben-hadad’s boast reminds Christians to boast only in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31).
Christological Trajectory
Just as راز סָפַק can convey both judgment and reconciliation, the Crucifixion reveals God’s hands striking His own Son (Isaiah 53:10) so that repentant sinners can “clap their hands” in thankful praise (Psalm 47:1). The gestural language anticipates the final scene where every hand will be lifted in worship before the pierced yet reigning Lamb.
Summary
Across its ten occurrences, סָפַק embodies vivid gestures that expose pretension, express deep emotion, seal alliances, and dramatize divine verdicts. Each context presses the reader to respond—either by stubbornly clapping against God or by striking one’s own heart in humble repentance.
Forms and Transliterations
וְסָפַ֤ק וַיִּסְפֹּ֖ק ויספק וספק יִסְפּ֑וֹק יִשְׂפֹּ֣ק יִשְׂפֹּק֙ יַשְׂפִּֽיקוּ׃ יספוק ישפיקו׃ ישפק סְפָקָ֗ם סְפֹ֥ק סָֽפְק֨וּ סָפַ֖קְתִּי ספק ספקו ספקם ספקתי sā·p̄aq·tî sā·p̄ə·qū saFakti safeKu sāp̄aqtî sāp̄əqū sə·p̄ā·qām sə·p̄ōq sefaKam seFok səp̄āqām səp̄ōq vaiyisPok vesaFak way·yis·pōq wayyispōq wə·sā·p̄aq wəsāp̄aq yaś·pî·qū yasPiku yaśpîqū yis·pō·wq yiś·pōq yisPok yiśpōq yispōwq
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