Lexical Summary chapha: To cover, overlay Original Word: חָפָא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance do secretly An orthographical variation of chaphah; properly, to cover, i.e. (in a sinister sense) to act covertly -- do secretly. see HEBREW chaphah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to do secretly NASB Translation did...secretly (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [חָפָא] verb do secretly (properly cover, = חפה, q. v.); — only Pi`el Imperfect וַיְחַמְּאוּד֗֗֗ברים and they did things secretly 2 Kings 17:9. Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Biblical Usage The verb חָפָא occurs only once in the Hebrew Scriptures (2 Kings 17:9). It pictures the deliberate effort to keep something out of sight, stressing stealth and secrecy rather than mere physical covering. In that lone appearance the act is moral and spiritual rather than spatial: the northern tribes “secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right” (2 Kings 17:9). The nuance is not accidental; it exposes a heart that hides rebellion while outwardly claiming covenant loyalty. Historical Setting in 2 Kings 17:9 2 Kings 17 records the final decades of the Northern Kingdom before its fall to Assyria in 722 B.C. Although earlier kings had institutionalized idolatry, the chronic assessment in verse 9 reveals how deeply the population embraced covert wickedness. High places sprang up “from watchtower to fortified city,” signaling a systematic, grass-roots betrayal. Their clandestine idolatry broke the first and second commandments, nullified the promise of Deuteronomy 28, and hastened the exile. The single use of חָפָא therefore crystallizes the indictment: secret sin, though unseen by human eyes, invites public judgment. Theological Implications of Concealed Sin 1. God perceives the hidden: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from His sight” (Hebrews 4:13). Thus חָפָא illustrates the futility of attempting to mask evil before an omniscient God. Whereas other Hebrew roots for “cover” (such as כָּפַר, kaphar) can denote atonement, חָפָא marks the counterfeit—an effort to hide sin rather than have it covered by sacrificial blood. Contrast with Divine Omniscience In Scripture, human beings hide; the Lord uncovers. Adam and Eve sought fig leaves; Cain denied knowledge of Abel; Achan buried the devoted things; and here Israel built clandestine shrines. Each episode ends with divine exposure. Psalm 90:8 voices the principle: “You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.” The lone use of חָפָא amplifies that theme: even a single, subtle verb can carry a canonical warning. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Cultivate transparency in personal discipleship and corporate worship. Canonical Links and Typology The negative covering of חָפָא finds its redemptive answer in the positive covering of the gospel. David prays, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1, echoing כָּסָה). The contrast is typological: what sinners try to hide, God must unveil so that He may truly cover it through the blood of the covenant, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25). Practical Lessons for Believers 1. Secret sin corrodes covenant identity. Thus the solitary appearance of חָפָא stands as a perpetual summons: abandon the illusion of secrecy and walk in the light, where grace both exposes and forgives. Forms and Transliterations וַיְחַפְּא֣וּ ויחפאו vaychappeU way·ḥap·pə·’ū wayḥappə’ūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 17:9 HEB: וַיְחַפְּא֣וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל NAS: The sons of Israel did things secretly KJV: of Israel did secretly [those] things INT: did the sons of Israel 1 Occurrence |
    |