Brown-Driver-Briggs
רָדַף141 verb pursue, chase, persecute (Late Hebrew
id., Aramaic
רְדַף,
; Arabic
; Sabean
רדף id., SabDenkm
No. 7, 1. 2); —
Qal128 Perfect3masculine singular ׳ר Judges 4:16 +; 1 singular וְרָדַפְתִּ֫י Jeremiah 29:18, etc.; Imperfect יִרְדֹּף Deuteronomy 19:6 +, ִירַדֹּף Psalm 7:6 (apparently to give choice of Qal or Pi, Ki JHMich Bae and others; Ges§ 63n explanation as developed from יִרֲדֹף, compare Ol§ 236 e, and, further, Köi. 160), suffix יִרְ דְָּפֶ֑ךָ Ezekiel 35:6 (twice in verse), etc.; Imperative masculine singular רְדֹף Genesis 44:4 +, suffix רָדְפֵהוּ Psalm 34:15; masculine plural רִדְפוּ Judges 3:28 +; Infinitive construct רָדְפִף Joshua 8:16 +, מִרְדֹף 1 Samuel 23:28; 2 Samuel 18:16, suffix רָדְפִי Psalm 38:21 Qr, רדופי Kt, etc.; Participle רֹדֵף Judges 4:22 +, plural רֹדְפִים Judges 8:4 +; —
1. a. pursue (sometimes + הִשִּׂיג): literal with אַחֲרֵי person, in order to overtake Genesis 44:4 (J), 2 Kings 5:21; especially with hostile purpose Genesis 31:23 (+ הִדְבִּיק), Genesis 35:5; Joshua 24:6 (all E), Joshua 2:5,7 (twice in verse); Joshua 8:16 (twice in verse); Joshua 8:17; Joshua 10:19 (JE), Deuteronomy 11:4; Deuteronomy 19:6; Joshua 20:5 (all D), Exodus 14:4,8,9 (P), Judges 1:6; 2 Samuel 20:6,7,10,13; 2 Kings 9:27 17t., + 2 Kings 25:5 (אַחַר), + Judges 4:16 (אַחֲרֵי הָרֶכֶב); + רִדְפוּ אַחֲרֵי Judges 3:28 = follow me (as leader; but this meaning not elsewhere; read רְדוּ ᵐ5 Kit GFM).
b. literal, with accusative of person, put to flight, chase (defeated foe; sometimes with הִשִּׁיג): Amos 1:11; Hosea 8:3; Deuteronomy 32:30 (poem; "" הֵנִיס), Deuteronomy 28:22,45; Joshua 23:10 (D), Leviticus 26:8 (twice in verse) (H); וְרָדַף אֹתָם קוֺל עָלֶה נִדָּף Leviticus 26:36 a (H); Joshua 7:5; Joshua 8:24; Joshua 10:10; Joshua 11:8 (all J E), Genesis 14:15; Deuteronomy 1:44; Judges 4:22; Isaiah 41:3 13t. + Judges 7:25 (read אֶתֿ for אֶלֿ, ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ7 GFM Bu Now).
c. literal, accusative omitted Judges 8:4; 1 Samuel 30:8 (+ הִשִּׂיג), 1 Samuel 30:10; Genesis 14:14; Exodus 14:23 (P), Exodus 15:9 (poem; + הִשִּׂיג), Leviticus 26:36 b. 37 (H), Proverbs 28:1; especially participle plural ׳הָר the pursuers Joshua 2:16 (twice in verse); Joshua 2:22 (twice in verse); Nehemiah 9:11; Isaiah 30:16, so הָרֹדֵף Joshua 8:20; Lamentations 1:6.
d. chase, hunt, partridge (קֹרֵא) 1 Samuel 26:20 (in simile; "" בִּקֵּשׁ).
e. pursue, in figure, Jeremiah 20:11; Lamentations 4:19, רִדְפוּ וְתִפְשׂוּהוּ Psalm 71:11, compare Lamentations 1:3; Psalm 7:6 (+ הִשִּׂיג; see above); especially subject ׳י, pursue (figurative of punishment, judgment), with accusative of person Jeremiah 29:18 (בַּחֶרֶב), Lamentations 3:43 and (בְּאַף) Lamentations 3:66, Psalm 83:16 (בְּסַעֲרֶ֑ךָ); אֶתקַֿשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּף Job 13:25 ("" תַּעַרוֺץ); רֹדְפָם, of ׳מַלְאַךְ י, Psalm 35:6.
f. figurative persecute, harass, with accusative of person Deuteronomy 30:7; Job 19:22 (כְּמוֺאֵֿל), Psalm 69:27; Psalm 109:16; Psalm 119:86; Psalm 119:161; with accusative נַפְשִׁי Psalm 143:3, with accusative נֲדִבָתִי Job 30:15 (but subject obscure; read perhaps תֵּרָדֵף Bu; Du תִּנָּדֵף); with ל person Job 19:28; participle as substantive Jeremiah 15:15; Jeremiah 17:18; Psalm 7:2; Psalm 31:16 ("" אוֺיְבַי; We מְרַדְּפָ֑י for וַרֹדְפָ֑י), Psalm 35:3; Psalm 119:84; Psalm 119:157 (+ צָרַי), Psalm 142:7.
g. pursue, dog, subject דָּם, with accusative of person Ezekiel 35:6 (twice in verse) (del va ᵐ5 Co Toy Krae); in good sense, attend closely upon, טוֺב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי Psalm 23:6.
2 figurative follow after, aim to secure: in bad sense, with accusative שַׁלְמֹנִים Isaiah 1:23, שֵׁכָר Isaiah 5:11, קָדִים ׳ר Hosea 12:2, רֹדְפֵי זִמָּה Psalm 119:150; good sense, with infinitive ׳לְדַעַת אֶתיֿ Hosea 6:3, with accusative צֶדֶק Deuteronomy 16:20; Isaiah 51:1 ("" ׳מְבַקְשֵׁי י), צְדָקָה וָחָ֑סֶד Proverbs 21:21, שָׁלוֺם Psalm 34:15 ("" בַּוֵּשׁ), טוֺב Psalm 38:21.
Niph`al passive: Perfect1plural עַלצַֿוָּארֵנוּ נִרְדָּ֑פְנוּ Lamentations 5:5 upon our neck (i.e. closely) we are pursued (improbable, compare Bu); perhaps Imperfect3feminine singular תֵּרָדֵף Job 30:15 Bu (for תִּרְדֹּף); Participle ׳א יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶתנִֿרְדָּ֑ף Ecclesiastes 3:15 God seeketh the pursued (i.e. what has disappeared, is past, but dubious).
Pi`el Perfect3feminine singular consecutive וְרִדְּפָה Hosea 2:9; Imperfect3masculine singular יְרַדֶּףֿ Nahum 1:8 (Psalm 7:6 see
Qal); 3 feminine singular תְּרַדֵּף Proverbs 13:21; Participle מְרֵדֵּףֿ Proverbs 11:19 +; — pursue ardently, with accusative of person Hosea 2:9 (in figurative); figurative also חשֶׁךְ ׳יְר Nahum 1:8 (GunkZAW xiii (1893), 230, plausibly, יֶהְדֹּף), compare Proverbs 13:31; elsewhere participle, in Proverbs: aim (eagerly) to secure, with accusative רָעָה Proverbs 11:19, רֵיקִים Proverbs 12:11; Proverbs 28:19, אֲמָרִים Proverbs 19:7 (meaning dubious, see Toy); in good sense, צְדָקָה Proverbs 15:9.
Pu`al Perfect3masculine singular consecutive וְרֻדַּף כְמֹץ הָרִים Isaiah 17:13 it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains ("" וְנָס).
Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular suffix הִרְּדִיפֻהוּ Judges 20:43 usually they chased him (Benjamin, collective), but strange after כִתְּרוּ surrounded (still stranger after כתתו or כרתו ᵐ5), and why Hiph`il? GFM conjecture dittograph of הִדְרִיכֻהוּ following; the reverse conjectured by Bu Now.