Lexical Summary chophen: Handful, hollow of the hand Original Word: חֹפֶן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fists, both hands, handful From an unused root of uncertain signification; a fist (only in the dual) -- fists, (both) hands, hand(-ful). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition the hollow of the hand NASB Translation fists (2), handfuls* (2), hands (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [חֹ֫פֶן] noun [masculine] hollow of hand (Late Hebrew חוֺפֶן, Aramaic חָפְנִי, חוּפְנָא,  ; Ethiopic  — also Arabic  hollow in the ground; and, acc, to ZehnpfBAB i, 635, Assyrian —upunnu, bowl, but — =  ?) — only dual חָפְנַיִם Ecclesiastes 4:6; construct חָפְנֵי Ezekiel 10:7 (strike out Co internal grounds); suffix חָפְנֶיךָ Ezekiel 10:2; חָפְנָיו Leviticus 16:2; Proverbs 30:4; חָפְנֵינֶם Exodus 9:8; ׳מַלֵּא ה Ezekiel 10:2 + Ezekiel 10:7 (strike out Co compare above); — ׳מְלֹא ח = handful Exodus 9:8; Leviticus 16:12 (both P), Ecclesiastes 4:6, material follows in implicit accusative; ׳מיאֿסף רוח בח Proverbs 30:4. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery חֹפֶן denotes the “hollow of the hand” or “a handful.” As a unit of measure it conveys smallness and intimacy—what can be held, offered, or withheld in one’s palms. In Scripture the term becomes a vivid symbol of divine power, human limitation, judgment, intercession, and contentment. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Exodus 9:8 – Moses and Aaron take “handfuls of soot” to initiate the sixth plague. 5–6. Ezekiel 10:2, 7 – In the temple vision a cherub takes a “handful of burning coals” to scatter over the city in judgment. Liturgical and Sacrificial Context Leviticus 16:12 gives the word its richest cultic nuance. On the Day of Atonement the high priest’s palms became the measure for incense that would fill the Most Holy Place with fragrant smoke, shielding him from the consuming glory of God (Leviticus 16:13). The handful thus speaks of mediation: limited human capacity accepted by unlimited divine grace. Hebrews 9 draws on this imagery to present Christ as the greater High Priest whose own offering secures eternal redemption. Judgment and Divine Authority In Exodus 9:8 the same measure of the hand becomes an instrument of plague. The contrast with Leviticus is deliberate: the mediating hand that can cover sin can also release judgment when resisted. Ezekiel’s temple vision intensifies this. A burning “handful” taken from between the cherubim is hurled over Jerusalem, prefiguring the Babylonian conquest. The identical term links plague in Egypt with judgment on covenant-breaking Judah, showing that God is impartial in holiness. Wisdom and Ethical Instruction The sapiential books use חֹפֶן metaphorically. Proverbs 30:4 points to God’s transcendence: the universe fits within His “hands,” yet human hands remain tiny and dependent. Ecclesiastes 4:6 sets “one handful of tranquility” over against “two handfuls of toil,” warning that restless accumulation multiplies anxiety. The single handful pictures sufficiency under God; the double, an idolatrous striving that never satisfies. Theological Implications – Divine sovereignty: Only God can “gather the wind.” – Mediated atonement: Finite hands present incense; infinite mercy receives it. – Holiness and judgment: The same symbol that comforts the repentant strikes the unrepentant. – Contentment: True shalom requires open rather than clenched hands. Practical Application for Ministry 1. Worship: Encourage believers to visualize lifted, open palms when confessing sin or offering praise, echoing Leviticus 16:12. Through its six appearances חֹפֶן portrays the profound truth that what fits in human hands becomes powerful, gracious, or destructive only as God wills. Open hands before Him find atonement, contentment, and purpose. Clenched fists face inevitable judgment. Forms and Transliterations בְּחָפְנָ֡יו בחפניו חָפְנֵ֖י חָפְנֵיכֶ֔ם חָפְנֶ֤יךָ חָפְנַ֛יִם חָפְנָ֔יו חפני חפניו חפניך חפניכם חפנים bə·ḥā·p̄ə·nāw bechafeNav bəḥāp̄ənāw chafeNav chafeNayim chafeNei chafeNeicha chafeneiChem ḥā·p̄ə·na·yim ḥā·p̄ə·nāw ḥā·p̄ə·nê ḥā·p̄ə·ne·ḵā ḥā·p̄ə·nê·ḵem ḥāp̄ənāw ḥāp̄ənayim ḥāp̄ənê ḥāp̄əneḵā ḥāp̄ənêḵemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 9:8 HEB: לָכֶם֙ מְלֹ֣א חָפְנֵיכֶ֔ם פִּ֖יחַ כִּבְשָׁ֑ן INT: Take all along fists of soot A kiln Leviticus 16:12 Proverbs 30:4 Ecclesiastes 4:6 Ezekiel 10:2 Ezekiel 10:7 6 Occurrences |
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