כַּף

n.f. 1 K 8:54 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan (NH id.; Aramaic id., ܟܰܦܳܐ; Assyrian kappu, hand, pan, kippatu, hollow; Arabic كَفٌّ palm, hand)—abs. כ׳ Jb 29:9 +, so read prob. also Ez 29:7b for MT כָּתֵף (𝔊 𝔖 Sm Co, cf. v a); כָּ֑ף 2 K 11:12 +; more often cstr. כַּף Gn 40:11 +; sf. כַּפִּי Ju 12:3, כַּפְּךָ Jb 13:21, etc.; in Ez 29:7 read כַּף Qr for כפך Kt (so Ew Hi Sm Co Da); du. כַּפַּיִם Is 49:16 +; cstr. כַּפֵּי Ex 29:24(×2) + 3 times; sf. כַּפַּי Gn 20:5 +, כַּפָּיו Nu 24:10 +, כַּפֵּיהֶם Is 59:6 + 2 times, כַּפֵּימוֹ Jb 27:23, etc.; pl. כַּפּוֹת (especially of soles, and in metaph. senses) abs. Nu 4:7 +; cstr. 2 K 9:35 +, sf. כַּפֹתָיו Ex 25:29; 37:16;— of human beings, hollow or flat of hand, palm, (c. 116 times) 2 K 4:34(×2); נָתַן אֵת הַכּום עַל־כַּף פ׳ Gn 40:11, 21 (E), set the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh (cf. v 11a וְכוֹס פַּרְעֹה בְּיָדִי), similarly Lv 8:27(×2) (P) +; הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל־כַּפּוֹ Lv 14:16, 17, 18, 27, 28; as disting. from wrist and arm, Dt 25:12; rarely c. ידים (always כַּכּוֹת), שְׁתֵּי כַּפּוֹת ידיו 1 S 5:4 (of Dagon), כ׳ הַיָּדַיִם 2 K 9:35, cf. Dn 10:10; כַּף הַשְּׂמָאלִית Lv 14:15, 26; note especially מְלֹא כ׳ קֶמַח 1 K 17:12 a handful of meal (lit. palmful), cf. Ec 4:6 (where disting. from מלא חָפְנַיִם a double fistful; in both these passages of a very small quantity); cf. וַיְמַלֵּא כַּפּוֹ מִן Lv 9:17 (ref. to מְלֹא קֻמְצוֹ 2:2; 5:12 cf. 6:8). In Ex 4:4 (JE), Pr 31:19 Ez 21:16 ψ 129:7, etc., the thought is that of grasping. anthropomorph. of י׳, covering Moses over with his palm, וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ Ex 33:22 (J), and so fig. (c. שׁית) ψ 139:5; withdrawing (הֵסִיר) his hand Ex 33:23 (J); removing (הִרְחִיק) his afflicting hand Jb 13:21; עַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה אוֹר Jb 36:22, i.e. he (God) hath filled his palms with light. once of animals, הוֹלֵךְ עַל־כַּפָּיו Lv 11:27 going upon their palms, i.e. paws (cats, dogs, etc.). phrases are:—†(1) הִכָּה כַּף = clap the hands, in applause 2 K 11:12 so תָּקַע כ׳ ψ 47:2, מָחָא כ׳ Is 55:12 (fig. of trees), ψ 98:8 (fig. of rivers); but especially in scorn, contempt, etc., סָפַק אֶת־כַּפָּיו Nu 24:10 (J), יִשְׂפֹּק עָלֵימוֹ כַפֵּ֑ימוֹ Jb 27:23; so תָּקַע כַּף על־ Na 3:19, הִכָּה כַפִּי אֶל־ Ez 22:13 (of י׳); abs., הִכָּה בְכַפְּךָ Ez 6:11 (as מחא יד 25:6), הִכָּה כַּף אֶל־כַּף 21:19, אַכֶּה כַפִּי אֶל־כַּפִּי v 22 (of י׳). †(2) תָּפַשׂ בַּכַּף grasp, seize with the hand Ez 29:7 cf. v 7 (on text v. supr.) †(3) of hand-grasp as pledge, תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּיךָ Pr 6:1 (if) thou hast smitten thy palms (given a double hand-grassp), for another (so De; ‖ עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ); so abs. תקע כף 17:18; 22:26 (cf. תקע ליד Jb 17:3). (4) often of hand spread out in prayer, as sign of longing to receive, c. פָּרַשׂ אֶל־ Ex 9:29, 33 (J), 1 K 8:38 = 2 Ch 6:29, etc. (v. יר ψ 143:6 La 1:17 and יָר 1 d, supr. p. 389; also פרשׂ, נשׂא, שׁטח). †(5) שׂים כַּף לְפֶה, in respectful silence, Jb 29:9. †(6) fig. וָאָשִׂימָה נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי Ju 12:3 = I have taken my life in my hand (i.e. hazard ed it), so 1 S 19:5; 28:21; Jb 13:14 and (without vb.) ψ 119:109. †(7) נִקְיֹן כ׳ Gn 20:5 cleanness of palms is fig. for purity of act, cf. ψ 26:6, also Jb 9:30; 22:30; ψ 24:4; 73:13; conversely, (לֹא)חָמָם בְּכַפָּ֑י Jb 16:17; 1 Ch 12:18; Is 59:6; Jon 3:8, cf. Is 59:3 (so ידים 1:15), Jb 31:7 ψ 7:4.—In many cases כַּף is not to be distinguished from יָד; so in phr. †יְגִיעַ כ׳ toil of the hands Gn 31:42; Hg 1:11; Jb 10:3; ψ 128:2; פֹּעַל כ׳ ψ 9:17, חֵפֶץ כ׳ Pr 31:13; תְּבוּנוֹת כ׳ ψ 78:72, פְּרִי כ׳ Pr 31:16 †; cf. Mi 7:3. = power (i.e. grasp) of any one, נתן בכף Ju 6:13 = deliver into the power of, so Je 12:7, cf. בּוֹא בכף Pr 6:3; usually הוֹשִׁיעַ, פָּדָה, הִצִּיל etc., c. מִכַּף = out of the power of Ju 6:14 1 S 4:3 2 S 14:16; 19:10(×2); 22:1(×2) = 18:1 (title), 2 K 16:7(×2); 20:6 = Is 38:6, Mi 4:10 Je 15:21 2 Ch 30:6; 32:11 Ezr 8:31 ψ 71:4 (cf. יָד 5 g, p. 391 supr.) כַּף רַגְלָהּ, etc., = sole of foot, Gn 8:9 (J), Jos 3:13; 4:18 (both JE), 1 K 5:17 2 K 19:24 = Is 37:25, Dt 11:24; 28:56, 65 Jos 1:3 (D), Ez 43:7 Mal 3:21; מִכַּף רַגְלוֹ וְעַד קָדְקֳדוֹ 2 S 14:25 Jb 2:7, cf. Is 1:6 (fig.); מִדְרַךְ כ׳ ר׳ Dt 2:5 treading-place for the sole of a foot; of the cherubim Ez 1:7, of a calf, (in sim.) v 7, (according to MT; cf. however Co). of various hollow, bending or bend objects:— hollow (i.e. socket), of the thigh-joint, כ׳ יָרֵךְ Gn 32:26(×2), 33(×2) (J). pan, vessel (as hollow), used in ritual, Ex 25:29; 37:16 Nu 4:7; 7:14 + 15 times Nu 7; 1 K 7:50 = 2 Ch 4:22, 2 K 25:14 = Je 52:18, Je 52:19, 2 Ch 24:14. hollow of sling, 1 S 25:29. כַּפּוֹת תְּמָרִים Lv 23:40 = of huge hand-shaped branches (or fronds) of palm-trees. כַּפּוֹת הַמַּנְעוּל Ct 5:5 the (bent) handles of the bolt.