Lexical Summary chephes: Delight, pleasure, desire Original Word: חֵפֶשׂ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance search From chaphas; something covert, i.e. A trick -- search. see HEBREW chaphas NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chaphas Definition a device, plot NASB Translation plot (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֵ֫פֶשׂ noun [masculine] a (shrewd) device, plot, only in מְחֻמָּשׂ ׳תָּֽמְנוּ ח Psalm 64:7 (compare חָפַשׂ above) Topical Lexicon Overview חֵפֶשׂ appears only once in the Hebrew canon, in Psalm 64:6, where David reports the wicked bragging that they have “perfected a secret plan”. The word captures the deliberate, methodical probing that precedes covert wrongdoing. Its solitary presence highlights both the intensity of the scheming and the certainty that God will ultimately uncover it. Scriptural Context Psalm 64 opens with David’s plea for protection from “the terror of the enemy” (64:1). The adversaries “sharpen their tongues like swords” (64:3) and lay ambushes with verbal arrows. Verse 6 presents the climactic boast: “They devise injustice and say, ‘We have perfected a secret plan.’” The noun under study expresses the painstaking search for vulnerabilities and the careful concealing of intent. Immediately, verse 7 reverses the scene: “But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be wounded.” The psalm thus contrasts human investigation of evil with divine counter-action that needs no search to be accurate or swift. Literary Setting in the Psalter Psalm 64 stands within a Davidic sequence (Psalms 52–64) that repeatedly exposes hidden plots (cf. Psalm 55:21; Psalm 59:3). Each psalm records the stress of covert opposition and ends with God’s decisive intervention. חֵפֶשׂ therefore belongs to a broader poetic strategy: secret sin is unmasked by righteous judgment, and whispered malice gives way to public praise (Psalm 64:10). The Motif of Secret Counsel 1. Concealed scheming appears throughout Scripture. Ziba’s slander (2 Samuel 16), Haman’s decree (Esther 3), and the Sanhedrin’s machinations against Jesus (Matthew 26:3–4) all echo the investigative plotting implied by חֵפֶשׂ. Comparative Hebrew Imagery Other roots for “search” (חקר, דרש) often involve inquiry for wisdom or divine guidance (Proverbs 25:2; Isaiah 34:16). חֵפֶשׂ, by contrast, depicts scrutiny turned inward toward wrongdoing. The rarity of the term prevents lexical dilution and sharpens its moral edge. Historical and Cultural Considerations In ancient Near Eastern courts, conspiracies advanced through covert interviews, bribes, and the collection of damaging testimony—processes neatly captured by the idea of a meticulous “search.” David’s royal experience with Saul’s court and later Absalom’s rebellion furnishes real-world parallels to the psalm’s language. Doctrinal and Spiritual Themes • Total divine omniscience: The One who “understands every thought from afar” (Psalm 139:2) is never surprised by human plots. Ministry Application 1. Personal integrity: Invite God’s probing rather than relying on self-assessment. Homiletical Suggestion Sermon title: “When Darkness Plans, Light Prevails.” Exegete Psalm 64:1-10 with special attention to verse 6. Illustrate with Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 37), the conspirators against Daniel (Daniel 6), and the plot to seal Christ’s tomb (Matthew 27:62-66). Conclude by calling hearers to rejoice that God’s searching gaze both vindicates the upright and exposes the covert schemes of the wicked. Forms and Transliterations מְחֻפָּ֑שׂ מחפש mə·ḥup·pāś mechupPas məḥuppāśLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 64:6 HEB: תַּ֭מְנוּ חֵ֣פֶשׂ מְחֻפָּ֑שׂ וְקֶ֥רֶב אִ֝֗ישׁ NAS: with a well-conceived plot; For the inward thought KJV: a diligent search: both the inward INT: are ready A well-conceived plot the inward of a man 1 Occurrence |
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