5584. psélaphaó

Strong's Lexicon

psélaphaó: To touch, feel, handle

Original Word: ψηλαφάω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: psélaphaó
Pronunciation: psay-laf-ah'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (psay-laf-ah'-o)
Definition: To touch, feel, handle
Meaning: I feel, touch, handle; I feel after, grope for.

Word Origin: From a derivative of the base of ψάλλω (psalló), meaning "to touch lightly" or "to pluck."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with the concept of touching or feeling is נָגַע (naga, Strong's 5060), which also conveys the idea of physical contact or reaching out.

Usage: The verb "psélaphaó" is used in the New Testament to describe the act of touching or feeling something with the hands, often to ascertain its reality or to gain understanding through tactile experience. It conveys a sense of careful examination or investigation by touch.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient world, touching was a primary means of verifying the authenticity of objects or persons. In a time when written documents and visual media were not prevalent, physical touch served as a crucial method for confirming truth and reality. This cultural context underscores the significance of "psélaphaó" in biblical narratives, where physical interaction often symbolizes deeper spiritual truths.

HELPS Word-studies

5584 psēlapháō – properly, touch lightly, "feel after" to discover (personally investigate).

[5584 (psēlapháō) comes from a root meaning, "to rub, wipe"; hence, to feel on the surface (see Gen 27:12,21,22 in the LXX).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
probably from psalló and haphaó (to handle)
Definition
to feel or grope about
NASB Translation
grope (1), touch (1), touched (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5584: ψηλαφάω

ψηλαφάω, ψηλάφω: 1 aorist ἐψηλάφησα, optative 3 person plural ψηλαφήσειαν (Acts 17:27, the Aeolic form; see ποιέω, at the beginning); present passive participle ψηλαφωμενος; (from ψάω, to touch); to handle, touch, feel: τί or τινα, Luke 24:39; Hebrews 12:18 (see R. V. text and marginal reading, cf. Buttmann, § 134, 8; Winer's Grammar, 343 (322)); 1 John 1:1; metaphorically, mentally to seek after tokens of a person or thing: θεόν, Acts 17:27 (A. V. feel after). (Homer, Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, Polybius, Philo, Plutarch; often for מוּשׁ, הֵמִישׁ, מִשֵּׁשׁ.) [SYNONYMS: see ἅπτω, 2 c.]

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

grope around, handle, touch.

From the base of psallo (compare psephos); to manipulate, i.e. Verify by contact; figuratively, to search for -- feel after, handle, touch.

see GREEK psallo

see GREEK psephos

Forms and Transliterations

εψηλαφησαν εψηλάφησαν ἐψηλάφησαν εψηλάφησεν ψηλαφηθήσεται ψηλαφήσαι ψηλαφήσαισαν ψηλαφησατε ψηλαφήσατέ ψηλαφησειαν ψηλαφήσειαν ψηλαφήση ψηλαφήσουσι ψηλαφήσουσιν ψηλαφήσω ψηλαφητόν ψηλαφωμενω ψηλαφωμένω ψηλαφωμένῳ ψηλαφών epselaphesan epseláphesan epsēlaphēsan epsēláphēsan pselaphesate pselaphḗsaté psēlaphēsate psēlaphḗsaté pselapheseian pselaphḗseian psēlaphēseian psēlaphḗseian pselaphomeno psēlaphōmenō pselaphoménoi psēlaphōménōi

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 24:39 V-AMA-2P
GRK: εἰμι αὐτός ψηλαφήσατέ με καὶ
NAS: that it is I Myself; touch Me and see,
KJV: I myself: handle me, and
INT: am he Touch me and

Acts 17:27 V-AOA-3P
GRK: ἄρα γε ψηλαφήσειαν αὐτὸν καὶ
NAS: perhaps they might grope for Him and find
KJV: haply they might feel after him,
INT: perhaps indeed they might feel after him and

Hebrews 12:18 V-PPM/P-DNS
GRK: γὰρ προσεληλύθατε ψηλαφωμένῳ καὶ κεκαυμένῳ
NAS: For you have not come to [a mountain] that can be touched and to a blazing
KJV: unto the mount that might be touched, and
INT: indeed you have come to being touched and having been kindled

1 John 1:1 V-AIA-3P
GRK: χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ
NAS: we have looked at and touched with our hands,
KJV: our hands have handled, of the Word
INT: hands of us handled concerning the

Strong's Greek 5584
4 Occurrences

ἐψηλάφησαν — 1 Occ.
ψηλαφήσατέ — 1 Occ.
ψηλαφήσειαν — 1 Occ.
ψηλαφωμένῳ — 1 Occ.