Lexical Summary tequphah: Circuit, cycle, season, revolution Original Word: תְּקוּפָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance circuit, come about, end Or tquphah {tek-oo-faw'}; from naqaph; a revolution, i.e. (of the sun) course, (of time) lapse -- circuit, come about, end. see HEBREW naqaph NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a coming round, circuit NASB Translation circuit (1), due (1), turn (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [תְּקוּפָה] noun feminine coming round, circuit; — construct תְּקוּפַת הַשָּׁנָה Exodus 34:22 (JE), adverb, at the circuit (completion) of the year, so הַשָּׁנָה ׳לִת2Chron 24:33; = plural construct לִתְקֻפוֺת הַיָּמִים 1 Samuel 1:20; singular suffix of finished circuit of sun Psalm 19:7 (opposed to מוֺצָאוֺ; compare of moon, בתקופתו Ecclus 43:7). Topical Lexicon Overview of the Concept The Hebrew term תְּקוּפָה captures the idea of a completed cycle that reaches its predetermined limit and then begins anew. Whether describing the sun’s path across the heavens, the span of human gestation, the annual return of agricultural milestones, or the strategic time for military campaigns, the word frames time as a divinely ordered circuit that unfailingly comes full circle under God’s governance. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Exodus 34:22 – The Feast of Ingathering is celebrated “at the turn of the year,” anchoring Israel’s worship to the completion of the harvest cycle. Liturgical and Agricultural Meaning Tequphah links worship to agrarian life. By placing the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s turning, Israel publicly acknowledged that the completion of each agricultural cycle was due to the Lord’s providence (Exodus 34:22). The closing of the year ushered in rest, celebration, and renewed dedication, reinforcing the theme that God brings every season to its appointed end. Historical Timing and Calendar Insight In the ancient Near East, the “turn of the year” roughly aligned with the autumnal equinox, when daylight and darkness balanced and the main harvest was gathered. The same phrase marks the time armies resumed campaigns after the rainy season (2 Samuel 11:1; cf. 2 Chronicles 24:23). Israel’s calendar, therefore, was not an abstract construct but an integrated acknowledgment of God’s created order governing agriculture, family life, and national security. Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty over Time – Each circuit testifies that “Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter… shall never cease” (Genesis 8:22). Practical Ministry Application • Rhythm of Rest and Work – Congregational life benefits from patterned seasons of labor, reflection, and celebration, echoing the biblical festivals tied to tequphah. Prophetic and Christological Resonances The concept of a completed circuit anticipates New Testament assurances that history itself is moving toward its God-appointed consummation. Galatians 4:4 declares, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son,” reflecting the same principle that the culmination of divinely measured periods ushers in redemptive milestones. Just as the sun finishes its course each day, so the risen Christ will complete His redemptive circuit when He returns “at the proper time” (1 Timothy 6:15). Forms and Transliterations וּתְקוּפָת֥וֹ ותקופתו לִתְקֻפ֣וֹת לִתְקוּפַ֣ת לתקופת לתקפות תְּקוּפַ֖ת תקופת liṯ·qū·p̄aṯ liṯ·qu·p̄ō·wṯ litkuFat litkuFot liṯqūp̄aṯ liṯqup̄ōwṯ tə·qū·p̄aṯ tekuFat təqūp̄aṯ ū·ṯə·qū·p̄ā·ṯōw utekufaTo ūṯəqūp̄āṯōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 34:22 HEB: וְחַג֙ הָֽאָסִ֔יף תְּקוּפַ֖ת הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ NAS: of Ingathering at the turn of the year. KJV: of ingathering at the year's end. INT: and the Feast of Ingathering the turn of the year 1 Samuel 1:20 2 Chronicles 24:23 Psalm 19:6 4 Occurrences |
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