H3709. kaph

כַּף‎₁₉₂ noun feminine^{1 Kings 8:54} hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic id., Assyrian kappu, hand, pan, kippatu, hollow; Arabic palm, hand) — absolute ׳כ‎ Job 29:9 +, so read probably also Ezekiel 29:7b for כָּתֵף ᵑ0‎ (ᵑ6 ᵐ5‎ Sm Co, compare v^a); כָּ֑ף‎ 2 Kings 11:12 +; more often construct כַּף‎ Genesis 40:11 +; suffix כַּמִּי‎ Judges 12:3, כַּמְּךָ‎ Job 13:31, etc.; in Ezekiel 29:7 read כַּף‎ Qr for כפך‎ Kt (so Ew Hi Sm Co Da); dual כַּמַּיִם‎ Isaiah 49:16 +; construct כַּמֵּי‎ Exodus 29:24 (twice in verse) + 3t.; suffix כַּמַּי‎ Genesis 20:5 +, כַּמָּיו‎ Numbers 24:10 +, כַּמֵּיהֶם‎ Isaiah 59:6 2t., כַּמֵּימוֺ‎ Job 27:23, etc.; plural כַּמּוֺת‎ (especially of soles, and in metaphor senses) absolute Numbers 4:7 +; construct 2 Kings 9:35 +, suffix כַּפֹתָיו‎ Exodus 25:29; 37:16; —

1. a. of human beings, hollow or flat of hand, palm, (c. 116 t.) 2 Kings 4:34 (twice in verse); פ עַלכּכַּף הַכּוס אֵת ׳נָתַן‎ Genesis 40:11, 21 (E), set the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh (compare 40:11a בְּיָדִי מַּרְעֹה וְכוֺס‎), similarly Leviticus 8:27 (twice in verse) (P) +; עַלכּכַּמּוֺ אֲשֶׁר הַשֶּׁמֶן‎ 14:16-17, 18, 27, 28; as distinguished from wrist and arm, Deuteronomy 25:12; rarely with ידים‎ (always כַּכּוֺת‎), ידיו כַּמּוֺת שְׁתֵּי‎ 1 Samuel 5:4 (of Dagon), ׳כ הַיָּדַיִם‎ 2 Kings 9:35, compare Daniel 10:10; הַשְּׂמָאלִית כַּף‎ Leviticus 14:15, 26; note especially כ ׳מְלֹא קֶמַח‎ 1 Kings 17:12 a handful of meal (literally palmful), compare Ecclesiastes 4:6 (where distinguished from חָפְנַיִם מלא‎ a double fistful; in both these passages of a very small quantity); compare מִן כַּמּוֺ וַיְמַלֵּא‎ Leviticus 9:17 (reference to קֻמְצוֺ מְלֹא‎ 2:2; 5:12; compare 6:8). In Exodus 4:4 (JE), Proverbs 31:19; Ezekiel 21:16; Psalm 129:7, etc., the thought is that of grasping.

b. anthropomorph. of ׳י‎ covering Moses over with his palm, עָלֶיךָ כַמִּי וְשַׂכֹּתִי‎ Exodus 33:22 (J), and so figurative (with שׁית‎) Psalm 139:5; withdrawing הֵסִירׅ (‎ his hand Exodus 33:23 (J); removing ׅ הִרְהִּיק (‎ his afficting hand Job 13:21; אוֺר כִּסָּה עַלכּכַּמַּיִם‎ 36:32, i.e. he (God) hath filled his palms with light.

c. once of animals, עַלכּכַּמָּיו הוֺלֵךְ‎ Leviticus 11:27 going upon their palms, i.e. paws (cats, dogs, etc.).

d. phrases are: — (I) כַּף הִכָּה‎ = clap the hands, in applause 2 Kings 11:12 so כ ׳תָּקַע‎ Psalm 47:2, כ ׳מָחָא‎ Isaiah 55:12 (figurative of trees), Psalm 98:8 (figurative of rivers); but especially in scorn, contempt, etc., אֶתכַּֿמָּיו סָפַק‎ Numbers 24:10 (J), כַמֵּ֑ימוֺ עָלֵימוֺ יִשְׂמֹּק‎ Job 27:23; so עלֿ כַּף תָּקַע‎ Nahum 3:19, אֶלֿ כַמִּי הִכָּה‎ Ezekiel 22:13 (of ׳י‎); absolute, בְכַמְּךָהִכָּה‎ 6:11 (as יד מחא‎ 25:6), אֶלכַּֿף כַּף הִכָּה‎ 21:19, אֶלכַּֿמִּי כַמִּי אַכֶּה‎ 21:22 (of ׳י‎). (2) בַּכַּף תָּפַשׂ‎ grasp, seize with the hand 29:7 compare 29:7 (on text see above) (3) of hand-grasp as pledge כַּמֶּיךָתָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר‎ Proverbs 6:1 (if) thou hast smitten thy palms (given a double hand-grasp), for another (so De; "" לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ עָרַבְתָּ‎); so absolute כף תקע‎ 17:18; 22:26 (compare ליד תקע‎ Job 17:3). (4) often of hand spread out in prayer, as sign of longing to receive, with אֶלֿ מָּרַשׂ‎ Exodus 9:29, 33 (J), 1 Kings 8:38 2 Chronicles 6:29, etc. (see יד‎ Psalm 143:6; Lamentations 1:17 and יָד‎ 1d, above; also שׁטח נשׂא, פרשׂ,‎). (5) לְפֶה כַּף שׂים‎, in respectful silence, Job 29:9. (6) figurative נַפְשִׁי בְכַמִּיוָאָשִׂימָה‎ Judges 12:3 = I have taken my life in my hand (i.e. hazarded it), so 1 Samuel 19:5; 28:21; Job 13:14 and (without verb) Psalm 119:109. (7) כ ׳נִקְיֹן‎ Genesis 20:5 cleanness of palms is figurative for purity of act, compare Psalm 26:6, also Job 9:30; 22:30; Psalm 24:4; 73:13; conversely, בְּכַמָּ֑י חָמָס ) לֹא (‎ Job 16:17; 1 Chronicles 12:18; Isaiah 59:6; Jonah 3:8, compare Isaiah 59:3 (so ידים‎ 1:15), Job 31:7; Psalm 7:4. — In many cases כַּף‎ is not to be distinguished from יָד‎; so in phrase כ ׳יְגִיעַ‎ toil of the hands Genesis 31:42; Haggai 1:11; Job 10:3; Psalm 128:2; כ ׳מֹּעַל‎ 9:17, כ ׳חֵפֶץ‎ Proverbs 31:13; כ ׳תְּבוּנוֺת‎ Psalm 78:72, כ ׳מְּרִי‎ Proverbs 31:16 ; compare Micah 7:3.

2 = power (i.e. grasp) of any one, בכף נתן‎ Judges 6:13 = deliver into the power of, so Jeremiah 12:7, compare בכף בּוֺא‎ Proverbs 6:3; usually הִצִּיל מּדָה, הוֺשִׁיעַ,‎ etc., with מִכַּף‎ = out of the power of Judges 6:14; 1 Samuel 4:3; 2 Samuel 14:16; 19:10 (twice in verse); 22:1 (twice in verse) = Psalm 18:1 (title), 2 Kings 16:7 (twice in verse); 20:6 = Isaiah 38:6; Micah 4:10; Jeremiah 15:21; 2 Chronicles 30:6; 32:11; Ezra 8:31; Psalm 71:4 (compare יָד‎ 5g, p. 391 above)

3 רַגְלָהּכַּף‎, etc., = sole of foot, Genesis 8:9 (J), Joshua 3:13; 4:18 (both J E), 1 Kings 5:17; 2 Kings 19:24 = Isaiah 37:25; Deuteronomy 11:24; 28:56, 65; Joshua 1:3 (D) Ezekiel 43:7; Malachi 3:21; וְעַד רַגְלוֺ קָדְקֳדוֺמִכַּף‎ 2 Samuel 14:25; Job 2:7, compare Isaiah 1:6 (figurative); כ ׳מִדְרַךְ ׳ר‎ Deuteronomy 2:5 treading-place for the sole of a foot; of the cherubim Ezekiel 1:7, of a calf, (in simile) 1:7., (according to MT; compare however Co).

4 of various hollow, bending or bent objects: —

a. hollow (i.e. socket), of the thigh-joint, ׳כ יָרֵךְ‎ b. pan, vessel (as hollow), used in ritual, Exodus 25:29; 37:16; Numbers 5:7; 7:14-15t. Numbers 7; 1 Kings 7:50 2 Chronicles 4:22; 2 Kings 25:14 = Jeremiah 52:18-19, 2 Chronicles 24:14.

c. hollow of sling, 1 Samuel 25:29.

d. תְּמָרִים כַּמּוֺת‎ Leviticus 23:40 +?hand-shaped branches (or fronds) of palm-trees.

e. הַמַּנְעוּל כַּמּוֺת‎ Song of Solomon 5:5 the (bent) handles of the bolt.