2950. taphal
Lexical Summary
taphal: To smear, plaster, attach, fabricate, or falsely attribute

Original Word: טָפַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: taphal
Pronunciation: tah-fahl
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-fal')
KJV: forge(-r), sew up
NASB: forged, smear, wrap
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to stick on as a patch
2. (figuratively) to impute falsely

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
forger, sew up

A primitive root; properly, to stick on as a patch; figuratively, to impute falsely -- forge(-r), sew up.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to smear, plaster over, stick, glue
NASB Translation
forged (1), smear (1), wrap (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[טָפַל] verb smear or plaster (over), stick, glue (Late Hebrew id., besmear, plaster; Aramaic טְפַל id., figurative attack; טְפֵילָא mortar; defile; Assyrian ‰apâlu, besmear (?), DlPr 48; HWB) —

Qal Perfect3plural טָֽפְלוּ Psalm 119:69; Imperfect2masculine singular וַתִּטְמֹּל Job 14:17 Participle plural construct טֹפְלֵי Job 13:4; — טָֽפְלוּ עָלַי שֶׁקֶר זֵדִים Psalm 119:69 insolent men have plastered falsehood over me, 'making his real character unrecognisable' (De); טִפְלֵי שֶׁקֶר Job 13:4 ye are falsehood-plasterers ("" רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל); compare Assyrian amât taš‡irti tâpilti Ullusum, a speech of falsehood besmearing Ullusum, DtPr 48; וַתִּטְמֹּל עַלעֲֿוֺנִי Job 14:17 and thou hast glued over mine iniquity, i.e. glued it up, for safe keeping against the day of reckoning ("" חָתֻם בִּצְרוֺר מִּשְׁעִי).

Topical Lexicon
Essential Idea

טָפַל depicts the act of coating or plastering something onto a surface. In Scripture the imagery is transferred from the physical craft of spreading mortar or pitch to the moral realm of spreading deception or concealing guilt. The verb therefore carries two inter-related nuances: (1) forging or “smearing” falsehood, and (2) covering or “plastering over” sin.

Canonical Occurrences

Job 13:4 – “You, however, smear with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you.”

Job 14:17 – “My offenses would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity.”

Psalm 119:69 – “Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep Your precepts with all my heart.”

Moral and Theological Dimensions

1. Falsehood that masquerades as help. Job rebukes his friends for “smearing” him with lies (Job 13:4). Their counsel looks like healing balm yet functions as a harmful coating that hides reality rather than revealing it. טָפַל exposes the danger of religious speech detached from truth.
2. Human longing for covered sin. In Job 14:17 the same verb is used positively: Job desires God Himself to “cover over” his iniquity. The contrast shows that only the Lord can apply a true covering; human attempts merely mask.
3. Persecution by slander. In Psalm 119:69 the proud “smear” the psalmist with fabricated charges. Yet the psalmist answers false coatings with wholehearted obedience, demonstrating that fidelity to God’s word is the sure defense against misrepresentation.

Historical and Literary Setting

Ancient builders mixed clay or lime with water and spread it over walls to protect them from weather. The prophets later criticized leaders who “whitewashed” flimsy walls (for example, Ezekiel 13:10), borrowing imagery familiar to every Israelite. Job and the psalmist harness the same picture. A coating can strengthen, but an insubstantial or deceptive coating eventually crumbles, exposing structural weakness. Scripture uses טָפַל to warn against moral quick-fixes that hide rot rather than repair it.

Ministry Implications

• Pastoral counsel must be rooted in truth, not pious clichés. To “smear with lies” is to offer theological plaster that cannot bear weight when suffering intensifies.
• Biblical preaching unmasks both individual and societal attempts to gloss over sin. Superficial morality is no substitute for genuine repentance and God’s divine covering.
• Believers slandered for righteousness’ sake find encouragement in Psalm 119:69: steadfast adherence to God’s precepts outlasts any false coating applied by opponents.

Connections to the Gospel

Job’s plea that God would “cover over” his iniquity anticipates the fuller revelation that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8) and that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:7). Human layers of deception fail, but the atoning work of Christ provides a permanent, righteous covering, satisfying both justice and mercy.

Reflective Questions for Application

• In what ways might my words act as a deceptive coating rather than a healing balm?
• Do I rely on self-made coverings—reputation, religiosity, achievement—to hide sin that only God can atone for?
• How can I help others remove false layers and encounter the true restorative work of the gospel?

Forms and Transliterations
וַ֝תִּטְפֹּ֗ל ותטפל טָפְל֬וּ טֹֽפְלֵי־ טפלו טפלי־ ṭā·p̄ə·lū tafeLu ṭāp̄əlū ṭō·p̄ə·lê- tofelei ṭōp̄əlê- vattitPol wat·tiṭ·pōl wattiṭpōl
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Job 13:4
HEB: וְֽאוּלָ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם טֹֽפְלֵי־ שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י
NAS: But you smear with lies; You are all
KJV: But ye [are] forgers of lies,
INT: But you smear lies physicians

Job 14:17
HEB: בִּצְר֣וֹר פִּשְׁעִ֑י וַ֝תִּטְפֹּ֗ל עַל־ עֲוֹנִֽי׃
NAS: up in a bag, And You wrap up my iniquity.
KJV: in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
INT: A bag my transgression wrap up my iniquity

Psalm 119:69
HEB: טָפְל֬וּ עָלַ֣י שֶׁ֣קֶר
NAS: The arrogant have forged a lie against
KJV: The proud have forged a lie
INT: have forged against A lie

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2950
3 Occurrences


ṭā·p̄ə·lū — 1 Occ.
ṭō·p̄ə·lê- — 1 Occ.
wat·tiṭ·pōl — 1 Occ.

2949
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