H0662 H0662
To restrain oneself, hold back, exercise self-control; Hitpael of אפק, describing forcible containment of powerful emotion.
A verb in the Hitpael (reflexive) stem meaning to restrain or control oneself, especially when overwhelmed by strong emotion. Joseph's desperate struggle to contain his tears before his brothers provides the most vivid instances (Gen 43:31; 45:1). The word also describes Saul's fateful decision to force himself to act at Gilgal (1 Sam 13:12), Haman swallowing his rage (Esth 5:10), and — most strikingly — God Himself holding back His own power (Isa 42:14) or His compassion being 'restrained' toward Israel (Isa 63:15; 64:11). The range moves from human emotional struggle to divine self-restraint.
Senses
1. restrain oneself, exercise self-control — To compel or restrain oneself, holding back strong emotion or impulse through deliberate effort. The reflexive Hitpael stem emphasizes the internal struggle of the subject against their own feelings. Spanish 'contenerse' and 'se contuvo' precisely capture this reflexive restraint. The most memorable uses involve Joseph forcing himself not to weep before revealing his identity (Gen 43:31; 45:1), but the theological weight lies in passages where God restrains Himself — Isaiah 42:14 pictures God holding back like a woman in labor who can no longer contain her cries, while Isaiah 63:15 asks whether God's compassion has been 'restrained' from Israel. Esther 5:10 shows Haman controlling his fury, and 1 Samuel 13:12 describes Saul compelling himself to offer the sacrifice unlawfully. 7×
AR["أَتَمَالَكُ", "أَنْ-يَتَمَالَكَ", "امْتَنَعَتْ", "تَتَمَالَكُ", "فَ-تَمَالَكَ", "وَ-تَجَلَّدْتُ", "وَ-تَمَالَكَ"]·ben["আর-আমি-নিয়ন্ত্রণ-করলাম", "আর-সংযত-করল-নিজেকে", "ও-সংযম-করলেন", "তুমি-সংযত-হবে", "সংযত-করতে-নিজেকে", "সংযত-হয়েছে", "সংযম-করি"]·DE["[אתאפק]", "[התאפקו]", "[ויתאפק]", "[תתאפק]", "sich-zu-beherrschen", "und-bezwang-sich", "und-ich-restrained-mich-selbst"]·EN["I-restrained-Myself", "and-I-restrained-myself", "and-he-controlled-himself", "and-restrained-himself", "are-restrained", "to-restrain-himself", "will-You-restrain-Yourself"]·FR["[אתאפק]", "[התאפקו]", "[ויתאפק]", "[תתאפק]", "et-il-controlled-lui-même", "et-je-retint-moi-même", "à-retenir-lui-même"]·heb["אתאפק", "התאפקו", "ו-התאפקתי", "ו-יתאפק", "ל-התאפק", "תתאפק"]·HI["और-रोका-अपने-आपको", "और-संभाला", "तौभी-रोका-अपने-आप-को", "थामूँगा-अपने-आप", "रोकना", "रोकी-हुई-है", "रोकेगा-अपने-आप-को"]·ID["Aku-menahan-diri", "Engkau-akan-menahan-diri", "dan-aku-menguatkan-diri", "dan-ia-menahan-diri", "dan-menahan-diri", "menahan-diri", "untuk-menahan-diri"]·IT["[ויתאפק]", "a-restrain-se-stesso", "e-egli-controlled-se-stesso", "e-io-trattenne-me-stesso", "trattenersi"]·jav["Ingsun-nahan", "Lan-ngampet", "Panjenengan-badhe-nahan-sarira", "lan-kawula-nahan", "lan-menep", "menep", "nahan-sarira"]·KO["그리고-억눌렀다", "그리고-억눌렀다-나는", "그리고-억제했다", "억누르지", "억제하셨나이까", "억제하시나이까", "참았느니라"]·PT["E-conteve-se", "e-conteve-se", "e-contive-me", "me-contenho", "para-conter-se", "se-detêm", "te-conterás"]·RU["И-сдержался", "и-сдержался", "и-сдержался-я", "сдерживаешься-Ты", "сдерживался", "сдерживаться", "удержались"]·ES["Y-se-contuvo", "contenerse", "me-contuve", "se-han-contenido", "te-contendrás", "y-me-contuve", "y-se-contuvo"]·SW["kumnyamaa", "na-akajitambulisha", "na-akajizuia", "na-nikajizuia", "nimejizuia", "utajizuia", "zinajizuia"]·TR["kendini-tutmayı", "tutacagim-kendimi", "tutacaksin-kendini", "tutuldular", "ve-kendimi-zorladım", "ve-kendini-tuttu", "ve-tuttu"]·urd["اور-ضبط-کیا", "اور-ضبط-کیا-میں-نے", "تُو-اپنے-آپ-کو-روکے-گا", "روک-لی-گئیں", "ضبط-کرنا", "میں-برداشت-کرتا-رہا"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [אָפַק] vb. hold, be strong (so Thes wh. comp. Arabic أَفِقَ excel = multum valuit; MV comp. also فاق )— Hithp. Pf. 3 pl. הִתְאַפָּ֑קוּ Is 63:15; Inf. לְהִתְאַפֵּק Gn 45:1; Impf. וְיִּתְאַפַּק Gn 43:31; 2 ms. תִּתְאַפַּק Is 64:11; אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק Is 42:14; וָאֶתְאַפַּק 1 S 13:12— 1. compel oneself 1 S 13:12. 2. restrain oneself, refrain Gn 43:31; 45:1 Is 42:14 Est 5:10; of י׳ Is 64:11; of Yahweh’s compassion Is 63:15, מֵעֶיךָ וְרַחֲמֶיךָ אֵלַי הִתְאַפָּ֑קוּ (almost passive).