Lexical Summary tippuchim: Apples Original Word: טִפֻּח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance span long From taphach; nursing -- span long. see HEBREW taphach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom taphach Definition tenderly cared for NASB Translation born healthy (1), who were born healthy (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs טִמֻּחִים noun masculine plural abstract dandling, עֹלֲלֵי ׳ט Lamentations 2:20. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imageryטִפֻּח portrays the tender wrapping or nurturing of a newborn. The term evokes the sight of an infant securely bound in soft cloths—an emblem of innocence, dependence, and maternal care. Its use highlights both the fragility of early life and the instinctive protection offered by parents. Old Testament Usage The noun appears once, in Lamentations 2:20, within Jeremiah’s funeral-dirge over Jerusalem: “Look, O LORD, and consider! Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their own children, the infants they have nurtured? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?” (Berean Standard Bible) There, the “infants they have nurtured” (טֻפָּחִים) stand as the starkest possible contrast to the horrors of siege-induced cannibalism. The word draws the reader’s focus to tiny lives that ought to be cherished, underscoring the unnatural depth of covenant judgment that has fallen on the city. Historical Background The verse reflects the Babylonian siege of 586 BC. Cut off from food and hope, Jerusalem’s inhabitants suffered exactly the curse forewarned in Leviticus 26:29 and Deuteronomy 28:53-57. Jeremiah, eyewitness to the devastation, selects the image of swaddled babies to intensify the lament: those once cradled in safety now become victims of desperation. The breach between Israel and her God is thus painted in the gravest of colors—life meant for nurture consumed in judgment. Theological Themes 1. Sanctity of Life טִפֻּח underscores Scripture’s valuation of the helpless. From Exodus 22:22-24 to Psalms 82:3-4, God calls His people to protect the vulnerable; to violate that duty is to rebel against His character. 2. Severity of Covenant Judgment The siege scene fulfills earlier prophetic warnings (Jeremiah 19:9). What seems unthinkable—mothers devouring their own swaddled infants—becomes grim reality when sin is pursued to its bitter end. 3. Maternal Compassion Reversed Isaiah 49:15 asks, “Can a woman forget her nursing child…?” Lamentations 2:20 answers with a tragic “yes,” magnifying both human depravity and God’s righteousness in judging it. 4. Lament as Worship By voicing horror, Jeremiah models faithful lament. Believers learn that even the darkest experiences may be brought before the Lord in confession and petition (Lamentations 2:19; Lamentations 3:40-42). Practical and Ministry Applications • Advocacy for the unborn and newly born: the image of swaddled babies calls the Church to defend life where it is most defenseless. New Covenant Echoes Luke records that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths” (Luke 2:7). The One laid in a manger experienced the same gentle care signified by טִפֻּח, yet He entered a world marred by the very judgments Lamentations laments. His later self-giving on the cross reverses the curse, offering life where death once reigned (John 10:10). Related Scriptures for Further Study Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomy 28:53-57; 2 Kings 6:28-29; Job 38:9; Isaiah 49:15; Ezekiel 16:4; Jeremiah 19:9; Lamentations 4:10; Luke 2:7. Forms and Transliterations טִפֻּחִ֔ים טפחים ṭip·pu·ḥîm tippuChim ṭippuḥîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 2:20 HEB: פִּרְיָם֙ עֹלֲלֵ֣י טִפֻּחִ֔ים אִם־ יֵהָרֵ֛ג NAS: The little ones who were born healthy? Should priest KJV: [and] children of a span long? shall the priest INT: their offspring the little who lo be slain 1 Occurrence |
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