G0680 G0680
To touch physically, especially for healing; to touch as prohibited or restricted contact; to touch with intent to harm or affect.
The Greek verb haptomai (middle voice of hapto, 'to fasten, kindle') in its New Testament usage centers almost entirely on physical touch -- and especially on the extraordinary power conveyed through touching Jesus. In 30 of its 36 occurrences, haptomai describes healing touch: the leper whom Jesus touched (Matt 8:3), the hemorrhaging woman grasping his garment (Matt 9:20-21), crowds pressing to touch him (Mark 6:56). Spanish tocar, French toucher, and German beruehren all render this with their standard tactile verbs. But a small cluster of passages (4 occurrences) flips touch into prohibition: 'Do not cling to me' (John 20:17), Paul's rhetorical 'it is good not to touch a woman' (1 Cor 7:1), and the ascetic rules 'do not handle, do not taste, do not touch' (Col 2:21). A final pair of verses uses haptomai for threatening or malevolent contact: the evil one 'does not touch' the one born of God (1 John 5:18).
2. touch as prohibited contact — Touch as prohibited, restricted, or taboo contact -- haptomai used in commands forbidding or questioning physical contact, whether for purity, ascetic, or christological reasons. Four occurrences: Jesus telling Mary 'do not cling to me' (John 20:17), Paul's quotation 'do not touch a woman' (1 Cor 7:1), the prophetic command 'touch no unclean thing' (2 Cor 6:17), and the ascetic prohibitions 'do not handle, do not touch' (Col 2:21). Spanish no toques, French ne touche pas, and German beruehre nicht preserve the negative imperative framing that marks this as forbidden contact. 4×
AR["أَنْ-يَمَسَّ","تَلْمِسِي","تَمَسَّ","تَمَسّوا"]·ben["ধর,","স্পর্শ-কর!","স্পর্শ-কর।","স্পর্শ-করা;"]·DE["beruehren"]·EN["handle","to-touch","touch"]·FR["toucher"]·heb["לִנְגֹּעַ","תִּגְּעִי","תִּגְּעוּ","תִּגַּע"]·HI["छुयो","छू","छूओ","छूना"]·ID["menyentuh","menyentuh;","pegang!"]·IT["apsē","aptou","toccare"]·jav["kagepok.","ndemek","ndemek;","ngggepok"]·KO["만지다","만지라","맛보지-말라"]·PT["tocar;","toqueis","toques"]·RU["касайся","касайтесь","касаться;","прикасайся"]·ES["te-agarres","tocar","toques","toquéis"]·SW["asimguse;","msiguse.","nishike","shike"]·TR["ben de","dokun","dokunma","dokunmak"]·urd["مت-چکھو","چھو","چھوؤ","چھونا"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. touch physically for healing — Physical touch, especially in healing contexts -- reaching out to make bodily contact with Jesus, his garments, or sick persons, with the expectation or result of healing power being conveyed. This overwhelmingly dominant sense (30 occurrences) includes Jesus touching the leper (Matt 8:3), touching Peter's mother-in-law (Matt 8:15), the hemorrhaging woman touching his cloak (Matt 9:20), and blind men whose eyes Jesus touched (Matt 9:29). Spanish tocar/le toco, French toucher, and German beruehren uniformly render the tactile action without distinguishing healing from ordinary touch. 30×
AR["لامِسُ","لَمَسَ","لَمَسَت","لَمَسَتهُ","لَمَسَتْ","لَمَسَني","لَمَسَهُ","وَلَمَسَهُ","يَلمُسَ","يَلْمِسَهُ","يَلْمِسَهُمْ","يَلْمِسُوا"]·ben["স্পর্শ-করল","স্পর্শ-করলেন","স্পর্শ-করলেন,","স্পর্শ-করে","স্পর্শ-করেছিল","স্পর্শ-করেছিল-যে","স্পর্শ-করেন"]·DE["beruehren","berührt"]·EN["having-touched","he-might-touch","he-touched","she-touched","they-might-touch","touched"]·FR["toucher"]·heb["הַנֹּגֵעַ","יִגְּעוּ","יִגַּע","יִגָּע","נָגְעָה","נָגַע"]·HI["छुअ","छुआ","छुए","छुएन","छूआ","छूई"]·ID["Dia-menyentuh","Ia-menjamah","Ia-menjamah,","Ia-menyentuh","Ia-sentuh","ia-menyentuh","menjamah","menyentuh","mereka-menyentuh"]·IT["apsamenos","apsetai","apsontai","aptetai","epsato"]·jav["ndemek","ndemek;","ndemèk","ndemèk,","ndemèk?","sami-ndemèk."]·KO["만졌느냐","만졌느냐?","만졌다","만지게","만지기를","만지도록","만지셨다","만지시도록","만진-사람이"]·PT["que-tocou","tocasse","tocassem","tocou","tocou,","tocou?","toque"]·RU["касался","коснувшийся","коснулась","коснулся","коснуться","прикоснулся"]·ES["le-tocó","que-me-tocó","tocara","tocaran","tocase","tocó"]·SW["-","akagusa","akamgusa","akawagusa","aligusa","alimgusa","alimgusa,","aliyenigusa","amegusa","amegusa?","amguse","awaguse","waguse"]·TR["dokunan","dokundu","dokundu,","dokundu?","dokunsun","dokunsunlar"]·urd["چھوئیں","چھوئے","چھوا","چھُوا","چھُونے-والے"]
Matt 8:3, Matt 8:15, Matt 9:20, Matt 9:21, Matt 9:29, Matt 14:36, Matt 14:36, Matt 17:7, Matt 20:34, Mark 1:41, Mark 3:10, Mark 5:27 (+18 more)
3. touch to harm or affect — Touch with harmful, threatening, or spiritually significant effect -- haptomai implying that contact carries danger, judgment, or spiritual consequence. Only 2 occurrences: the Pharisee's objection that a prophet should know 'what kind of woman is touching him' (Luke 7:39), where the touch implies ritual contamination, and John's assurance that 'the evil one does not touch' the one born of God (1 John 5:18), where touch means hostile spiritual contact. Spanish toca and German beruehrt carry the same verb but context transforms its valence from healing to menace. 2×
AR["تَلمَسُهُ","يَلمِسُهُ"]·ben["স্পর্শ-করছে","স্পর্শ-করে"]·DE["beruehren","berührt"]·EN["touches"]·FR["toucher"]·heb["נוֹגֵעַ","נוֹגַעַת"]·HI["छूता","छूती-है"]·ID["menyentuh"]·IT["aptetai"]·jav["ndemèk"]·KO["만지는","만지지"]·PT["o-toca","toca"]·RU["касается","прикасается"]·ES["le-toca","toca"]·SW["anayemgusa","gusi"]·TR["dokunur","dokunuyor"]·urd["چھوتا","گناہگار-ہے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Included with: ἅπτω, future ἅψω: aorist ἧψα:—passive, perfect ἧμμαι, Ionic dialect ἅμμαιRefs 5th c.BC+: future ἅψομαιRefs 8th c.BC+ (συν-) Refs 2nd c.AD+ —middle, see.below (compare ἑάφθη):—fasten or bind to, used by Refs 8th c.BC+active, ἅψας ἀμφοτέρωθεν.. ἔντερον οἰός (of a lyre-string) Refs 8th c.BC+; once in middle, ἁψαμένη βρόχον.. ἀφ᾽ ὑψηλοῖο μελάθρου having fastened the noose to the beam…