2947. tephach

Lexicon

tephach: Handbreadth, span

Original Word: טֵפַח
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tephach
Pronunciation: TEH-fakh
Phonetic Spelling: (tay'-fakh)
Definition: Handbreadth, span
Meaning: a spread of the hand, a palm-breadth, a corbel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

coping, hand-breadth

From taphach; a spread of the hand, i.e. A palm- breadth (not "span" of the fingers); architecturally, a corbel (as a supporting palm) -- coping, hand-breadth.

see HEBREW taphach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from taphach
Definition
a span, handbreadth, coping
NASB Translation
coping (1), handbreadth (2), handbreadths (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

טֶ֫פַח noun [masculine]

1 a span, hand-breadth;

2 coping (?); —

1 a span, hand-breadth, טֶ֫פַח 1 Kings 7:26 2Chronicles 4:5 of thickness of the molten sea; plural טְפָחוֺת Psalm 39:6 (a few) hand-breadths are my days.

2 architectural term, perh. coping, וּמִמַּסַּד עַדהַֿטְּפָחוֺת 1 Kings 7:9.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb טָפַח (taphach), meaning "to flatten" or "to spread out."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent for the Hebrew טֵפַח (tephach) in the Strong's Concordance, as the concept of a handbreadth is more culturally specific to the Hebrew context. However, Greek terms related to measurements, such as πῆχυς (pēchys, Strong's Greek 4083), which means "cubit," may be considered in broader discussions of biblical measurements.

Usage: The term טֵפַח (tephach) is used in the Hebrew Bible to denote a unit of measurement equivalent to the breadth of a hand or palm. It is often used in the context of architectural descriptions and measurements.

Context: The Hebrew term טֵפַח (tephach) appears in the Old Testament as a unit of measurement, specifically referring to the width of a hand. This measurement is approximately four fingers wide and is used in various contexts, particularly in the description of sacred architecture and objects. The tephach is a smaller unit compared to the cubit, which is the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.

In the construction of the Tabernacle and the Temple, precise measurements were crucial, and the tephach was one of the units employed to ensure accuracy. For example, in Exodus 25:25, the term is used to describe the width of the border around the table of showbread: "And you are to make a frame around it a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the frame all around."

The use of the tephach highlights the attention to detail and the importance of following divine instructions in the construction of holy spaces. It reflects the broader biblical theme of order and precision in worship and the sacred.

Forms and Transliterations

הַטְּפָח֔וֹת הטפחות טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ טֶ֔פַח טפח טפחות haṭ·ṭə·p̄ā·ḥō·wṯ hattefaChot haṭṭəp̄āḥōwṯ ṭə·p̄ā·ḥō·wṯ ṭe·p̄aḥ Tefach tefaChot ṭep̄aḥ ṭəp̄āḥōwṯ

Englishman's Concordance

1 Kings 7:9
HEB: וּמִמַּסָּד֙ עַד־ הַטְּפָח֔וֹת וּמִח֖וּץ עַד־
NAS: even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside
KJV: even from the foundation unto the coping, and [so] on the outside
INT: the foundation against to the coping the outside against

1 Kings 7:26
HEB: וְעָבְי֣וֹ טֶ֔פַח וּשְׂפָת֛וֹ כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה
NAS: It was a handbreadth thick,
KJV: And it [was] an hand breadth thick,
INT: thick A handbreadth brim was made

2 Chronicles 4:5
HEB: וְעָבְי֣וֹ טֶ֔פַח וּשְׂפָתוֹ֙ כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה
NAS: It was a handbreadth thick,
KJV: And the thickness of it [was] an handbreadth, and the brim
INT: and the thickness of it an handbreadth and the brim the work

Psalm 39:5
HEB: הִנֵּ֤ה טְפָח֨וֹת ׀ נָ֘תַ֤תָּה יָמַ֗י
NAS: my days [as] handbreadths, And my lifetime
KJV: my days [as] an handbreadth; and mine age
INT: Behold handbreadths have made my days

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2947
4 Occurrences

haṭ·ṭə·p̄ā·ḥō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
ṭe·p̄aḥ — 2 Occ.
ṭə·p̄ā·ḥō·wṯ — 1 Occ.