Lexical Summary
taphas: To seize, capture, grasp, take hold of
Original Word:תָּפַשׂ
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:taphas
Pronunciation:tah-FAS
Phonetic Spelling:(taw-fas')
KJV: catch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, X surely, surprise, take
NASB:seized, captured, caught, seize, handle, take, took
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to manipulate, i.e. seize
2. chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay
3. (figuratively) to use unwarrantably
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
catch, handle, lay, take hold on, over, stop, surely, surprise,
A primitive root; to manipulate, i.e. Seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantably -- catch, handle, (lay, take) hold (on, over), stop, X surely, surprise, take.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto lay hold of, wield
NASB Translationarrested (2), capture (2), captured (8), caught (5), grasp (1), grasps (1), handle (4), handled (1), hold (1), lay hold (1), lays hold (1), occupy (1), overlaid (1), play (1), profane (1), seize (5), seized (13), seizes (1), surely be captured (1), take (3), taken over (1), took (3), took hold (3), wielding (1), wields (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
( = Late Hebrew , , Aramaic , ); —
Perfect3masculine singular2 Kings 14:13 +, suffix consecutiveDeuteronomy 22:28, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularIsaiah 3:6, 1plural2 Kings 7:12, etc.;Imperative masculine plural1 Kings 18:40, etc.;Infinitive absoluteJeremiah 34:3; constructEzekiel 14:5,Ezekiel 21:16;Ezekiel 30:21, suffixDeuteronomy 20:19, etc.;ParticipleGenesis 4:21 +, constructJeremiah 49:16 (Ges§ 90l), etc.; —
lay hold of, seize (with the hand), accusative of person,Genesis 39:12 (J; + ), also ( person)Isaiah 3:6;Deuteronomy 21:19;Jeremiah 37:14;Ezekiel 29:7 (in figurative; + instrumental); with of thing1 Kings 11:30;Deuteronomy 9:17;arrest, catch, accusative of person1 Samuel 23:26;1 Kings 13:4;1 Kings 18:40 (twice in verse);Jeremiah 26:8;Jeremiah 37:13;2 Kings 14:13 2Chronicles 25:23;2 Kings 25:6 =Jeremiah 52:9;Psalm 71:11; in phrasecatch, capture alive (), accusative of personJoshua 8:28 (JE),1 Samuel 15:8;1 Kings 20:18 (twice in verse);2 Kings 7:12;2 Kings 10:14 (twice in verse);seize city (accusative)Joshua 8:8 (JE),2 Kings 14:7;2 Kings 16:9;2 Kings 18:13 =Isaiah 36:1;Deuteronomy 20:9;Jeremiah 40:10; figurativeEzekiel 14:5seize Israel (accusative) by () their heart (terrorize them);Proverbs 30:9seize (do violence to) the name (accusative) of my God;Habakkuk 2:19grasped (sheathed)in gold;Jeremiah 49:16holding (occupying)the height of the hill.
grasp in order towield, wield, use skilfully : grasp swordEzekiel 21:16 (accusative omitted), compareEzekiel 30:21 ( of sword), and especially participle:Amos 2:15,Genesis 4:21 (J),Jeremiah 50:16,Jeremiah 46:9a (strike outJeremiah 46:9b Gie Co Du),Ezekiel 27:29,Ezekiel 38:4; evenJeremiah 2:8they that handle (deal with, are expert in)the law,Numbers 31:27 (P)those skilled in war. —Jeremiah 34:8 see below
Perfect3masculine singularEzekiel 19:4, 2feminine singularJeremiah 50:24, etc.;Imperfect3feminine singularJeremiah 51:41, 2masculine singularJeremiah 34:3;Jeremiah 38:23, etc.;Infinitive constructEzekiel 21:28; —be seized, arrested, caught (sometimes "" ), subject person,Jeremiah 38:23 ( instrumental),Jeremiah 50:24 (figurative of Babylonian ), also (with instrumental)Ezekiel 12:13;Ezekiel 17:20;Ezekiel 19:4,8 (both figurative of Israel),Ezekiel 21:29, and (without )Ezekiel 21:28;Numbers 5:13; +Infinitive absolute
Jeremiah 34:3;be seized, of fortress, cityJeremiah 48:41 (both "" ),Jeremiah 50:46, compareJeremiah 51:32; figurativePsalm 10:2may they be caught in ()the devices which they have planned.
Imperfect2masculine singularProverbs 30:28 a lizardthou mayest grasp with the hands (); — or read Niph`al Imperfect 3 feminine singular, see De Toy.
I. see .
Topical Lexicon
Overviewתָּפַשׂ (tāfas) describes the decisive act of seizing, grasping, or taking hold—whether of people, objects, or even abstract realities such as teaching or guilt. Across its roughly sixty-five appearances, the verb portrays both righteous and unrighteous hands closing upon their object. It ranges from military conquests and legal arrests to priests “handling” God’s Law, thereby engraving a theological portrait of human responsibility under divine sovereignty.
Patterns of Usage
• Physical capture in warfare (Numbers 21:32;Joshua 8:8;2 Kings 14:13).
• Arrest or detainment of individuals (Jeremiah 37:13;Jeremiah 38:28).
• Grasping garments, hair, weapons, or tools (Genesis 39:12;Nehemiah 13:25).
• Handling, managing, or manipulating non-material things—most often the Law (Jeremiah 2:8;Jeremiah 8:8).
• Figurative “seizure” by sin, judgment, or wisdom (Ecclesiastes 7:26;Hosea 7:4).
Narrative Examples
1.Genesis 39:12-13 records Potiphar’s wife who “caught Joseph by his cloak,” illustrating sudden temptation and Joseph’s steadfast flight. Ministry implication: victory over sin begins with refusing its grasp before it becomes inescapable.
2.Numbers 21:32 shows Israel seizing villages of the Amorites. The conquest scenes proclaim the Lord’s covenant faithfulness; yet the same verb later condemns faithless kings who relied on human might (2 Kings 14:13).
3.1 Samuel 15:27 reports Saul seizing Samuel’s robe, symbolizing a desperate attempt to hold onto rejected kingship, immediately followed by the garment’s tear and the prophetic verdict: “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today” (verse 28).
Liturgical and Prophetic Contexts
• Jeremiah repeatedly employs תָּפַשׂ to unveil religious corruption:
– “The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’… Those who handle the law did not know Me” (Jeremiah 2:8).
– “The lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely” (Jeremiah 8:8).
In both texts, the shepherds’ hands are on the sacred scrolls, yet their hearts are far from the Author. The verb therefore warns that mere possession of revelation does not equal obedience.
•Jeremiah 26:8-9 pictures civil authorities seizing the prophet for proclaiming judgment. Their action anticipates later opposition to Christ and to Gospel messengers (Acts 4:3).
Wisdom Literature
Ecclesiastes 7:26 speaks of the adulterous woman: “the sinner is captured by her.” Here תָּפַשׂ diagrams moral entanglement; sin does not merely entice—it imprisons.Proverbs 30:9 (LXX nuance) and related wisdom motifs reinforce that the wicked “are trapped by their own evil desires.”
Theological Implications
1. Human agency versus divine sovereignty: Though men seize, the Lord determines outcomes. Jehu orders, “Seize them alive!” (2 Kings 10:14), yet every coup fulfills prophetic word (1 Kings 19:17).
2. Covenant responsibility: Priests who “handle the law” stand accountable for fidelity (Jeremiah 2:8); mishandling accelerates national ruin (Jeremiah 8:8).
3. Deliverance motif: God alone can release what sin has captured.Psalm 68:18 (using a cognate idea) celebrates the victorious ascent that leads captives free—a trajectory climaxing inEphesians 4:8.
Messianic and Eschatological Foreshadowing
The unlawful seizure of Jeremiah anticipates the arrest of Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:50). Both events disclose that unrighteous hands cannot thwart redemptive purpose; rather, God turns the arrest of His Servant into the release of sinners. The eschatological Day will see the final reversal when the Lamb “takes hold” of kingdoms (Revelation 11:15).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Guard the heart before sin gains a grip. Joseph’s flight (Genesis 39) provides a template for purity ministries.
• Handle the Word with reverence; teaching ministries must combine orthodoxy with obedience lest they repeat Jeremiah’s indictment.
• Counsel captives of addiction or guilt by pointing to Christ who “binds up the broken-hearted” (Isaiah 61:1).
• Encourage believers to “take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12)—a deliberate, covenantal appropriation mirroring the positive use of תָּפַשׂ.
Key Reference List
Genesis 39:12;Numbers 21:32;Joshua 8:8-9;Judges 8:14;1 Samuel 15:27;2 Kings 10:14;2 Kings 14:13;Nehemiah 13:25;Jeremiah 2:8;Jeremiah 8:8;Jeremiah 26:8;Jeremiah 37:13;Jeremiah 38:28;Hosea 7:4;Ecclesiastes 7:26.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּתָפְשָׂ֨ם בתפשם וְ֝תִפְשׂ֗וּהוּ וְ֝תָפַ֗שְׂתִּי וְנִתְפְּשֵׂ֣ם וְנִתְפַּ֖שׂ וְתָ֥פְשׂוּ וְתָפַ֥שׂ וְתֹפְשֵׂ֤י וְתֹפֵ֤שׂ וְתֹפֵ֥שׂ וַֽיִּתְפְּשֵֽׂם׃ וַֽיִּתְפְּשֶׂ֔הָ וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂ֑וּם וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂ֖וּם וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂוּ֙ וַיִּתְפְּשׂ֨וּ וַיִּתְפֹּ֛שׂ וַיִּתְפֹּ֞שׂ וַיִּתְפֹּ֣שׂ וַיִּתְפֹּ֤שׂ וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ וַתִּתָּפֵ֖שׂ וָאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ וּתְפָשָׂ֖הּ ואתפש ויתפש ויתפשה ויתפשו ויתפשום ויתפשם׃ ונתפש ונתפשם ותפש ותפשה ותפשו ותפשוהו ותפשי ותפשתי ותתפש ותתפשהו יִתְפֹּ֨שׂ יִתָּפְשׂ֓וּ ׀ יתפש יתפשו כְּתָפְשְׂכֶ֣ם כתפשכם לְהִתָּפֵֽשׂ׃ לְתָפְשָֽׂם׃ לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ לִתְפֹּ֣שׂ לִתְפֹּ֥שׂ להתפש׃ לתפש לתפשה לתפשם׃ נִתְפְּשָׂ֣ה נִתְפַּ֔שְׂתְּ נִתְפָּ֑שָׂה נִתְפָּ֑שׂ נִתְפָּ֔שׂוּ נִתְפָּֽשָׂה׃ נִתְפָּֽשׂ׃ נתפש נתפש׃ נתפשה נתפשה׃ נתפשו נתפשת תְּפַשְׂתֶּֽם׃ תְּפֹ֥שׂ תְּתַפֵּ֑שׂ תִּפְשֻׂ֑הוּ תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃ תִּפְשׂ֣וּ ׀ תִּפְשׂ֣וּם תִּתָּפֵ֔שׂ תִּתָּפֵֽשׂוּ׃ תָּ֣פְשׂוּ תָּפַ֛שׂ תָּפֹ֣שׂ תָּפוּשׂ֙ תֹּפְשִׂ֖י תֹּפְשֵׂ֖י תֹּפְשֵׂ֣י תֹּפְשֵׂ֥י תֹּפֵ֥שׂ תפוש תפש תפשהו תפשו תפשום תפשום׃ תפשי תפשתם׃ תתפש תתפשו׃ bə·ṯā·p̄ə·śām betafeSam bəṯāp̄əśām kə·ṯā·p̄ə·śə·ḵem ketafeseChem kəṯāp̄əśəḵem lə·hit·tā·p̄êś lə·ṯā·p̄ə·śāh lə·ṯā·p̄ə·śām lehittaFes ləhittāp̄êś letafeSah letafeSam ləṯāp̄əśāh ləṯāp̄əśām liṯ·pōś litPos liṯpōś niṯ·pā·śāh niṯ·pā·śū niṯ·pāś niṯ·paśt niṯ·pə·śāh nitPas niṯpāś nitPasah niṯpāśāh nitPast niṯpaśt nitPasu niṯpāśū nitpeSah niṯpəśāh tā·p̄aś tā·p̄ə·śū tā·p̄ōś tā·p̄ūś taFas Tafesu taFos taFus tāp̄aś tāp̄əśū tāp̄ōś tāp̄ūś tə·p̄aś·tem tə·p̄ōś tə·ṯap·pêś tefasTem teFos təp̄aśtem təp̄ōś tetapPes təṯappêś tifSu tifSuhu tifSum tip̄·śū tip̄·śu·hū tip̄·śūm tip̄śū tip̄śuhū tip̄śūm tit·tā·p̄ê·śū tit·tā·p̄êś tittaFes tittaFesu tittāp̄êś tittāp̄êśū tō·p̄ə·śê tō·p̄ə·śî tō·p̄êś toFes tofeSei tofeSi tōp̄êś tōp̄əśê tōp̄əśî ū·ṯə·p̄ā·śāh utefaSah ūṯəp̄āśāh vaetPos vaiyitpeSeha VaiyitpeSem vaiyitpeSu vaiyitpeSum vaiyitPos vattitpeSehu vattittaFes venitPas venitpeSem vetaFas vetaFasti veTafesu vetifSuhu vetoFes vetofeSei wā’eṯpōś wā·’eṯ·pōś wat·tiṯ·pə·śê·hū wat·tit·tā·p̄êś wattiṯpəśêhū wattittāp̄êś way·yiṯ·pə·śe·hā way·yiṯ·pə·śêm way·yiṯ·pə·śū way·yiṯ·pə·śūm way·yiṯ·pōś wayyiṯpəśehā wayyiṯpəśêm wayyiṯpəśū wayyiṯpəśūm wayyiṯpōś wə·niṯ·paś wə·niṯ·pə·śêm wə·ṯā·p̄aś wə·ṯā·p̄aś·tî wə·ṯā·p̄ə·śū wə·ṯip̄·śū·hū wə·ṯō·p̄ə·śê wə·ṯō·p̄êś wəniṯpaś wəniṯpəśêm wəṯāp̄aś wəṯāp̄aśtî wəṯāp̄əśū wəṯip̄śūhū wəṯōp̄êś wəṯōp̄əśê yiṯ·pōś yit·tā·p̄ə·śū yitPos yiṯpōś yittafeSu yittāp̄əśū
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