H2651 H2651
The cupped hollow of the hands; always dual, denoting both hands together as a vessel for holding or scooping.
The noun chophen appears only in the dual form chophnayim, picturing two cupped hands held together as a natural vessel. Moses and Aaron fill their chophnayim with soot to fling toward heaven, triggering boils on Egypt (Exod 9:8). The high priest takes a chophnayim-full of incense into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:12). Agur's riddle asks who has gathered the wind in his fists (Prov 30:4), and Qoheleth declares that one handful with quietness surpasses two handfuls with toil (Eccl 4:6). The Aramaic and Ethiopic cognates confirm the concrete image of cupped palms.
Senses
1. hollow of the hand, fistful — The hollow formed by two cupped hands together, always in dual form (chophnayim), used as a measure or container for grasping and holding material. Spanish 'puños' (fists) and English 'handfuls/fists' capture the concrete bodily image. In Exod 9:8 it holds furnace soot; in Lev 16:12 burning incense coals; in Prov 30:4 it is an impossible container for the wind; in Eccl 4:6 it measures the contrast between contentment and anxious toil. Ezekiel 10:2, 7 extends the image to the cherub's hands filling with coals. 6×
AR["بِ-كَفَّيْهِ", "حَفْنَتَيْ", "حَفْنَتَيْكَ", "قَبْضَتَيْكُمَا", "كَفَّيْهِ", "مِلْءِ"]·ben["-অঞ্জলি", "তার-মুঠো", "তার-মুঠোয়", "তোমাদের-মুঠো", "তোমার-অঞ্জলি", "দুই-মুঠো"]·DE["[בחפניו]", "[חפני]", "[חפניך]", "[חפנים]", "dein-handfuls", "handfuls-sein"]·EN["handfuls-his", "in-his-fists", "palms-of", "palms-of-you", "two-fists", "your-handfuls"]·FR["dans-son-בחפניו-lui", "handfuls-son", "poignée", "ton-handfuls", "חפנים"]·heb["ב-חופניו", "חופני", "חופניים", "חופניך", "חפניו", "חפניכם"]·HI["अपनी-चुल्लू", "अपनी-मुठ्ठियों", "उसकी मुठ्ठियाँ", "चुल्लुओं", "दोनों-मुट्ठियाँ", "मुट्ठियों-में-अपनी?"]·ID["dalam-genggamannya", "genggam-tangannya", "genggaman-tanganmu", "kedua-tanganmu", "penuh", "tangan-tangan"]·IT["[חפני]", "[חפניך]", "handfuls-suo", "in-in-suo-fists-suo", "tuo-handfuls", "two-fists"]·jav["epek-epek", "epek-epek-panjenengan", "epek-epekipun", "ing-epek-epekipun", "kalih-pèthit", "tanganipun"]·KO["그-의-손-을", "그의-주먹이들에", "너희의-주먹", "네-손바닥들을", "두-주먹", "손바닥들에"]·PT["em-seus-punhos", "palmas-de", "palmas-tuas", "palmas-vossas", "punhos", "suas-mãos-cheias"]·RU["в-пригоршни-свои", "горсти", "горсти-его", "горсти-твои", "пригоршни", "пригоршни-ваши"]·ES["ambos-puños", "en-sus-puños", "manos-de", "manos-de-ti", "sus-puños", "vuestros-puños"]·SW["konzi-zake", "mikono-yenu", "mikononi-mwake", "viganja", "viganja-viwili", "viganja-vyako"]·TR["avucuna", "avucunu", "avucunuzun", "avuçlarında", "iki-avuc"]·urd["اپنی-مٹھیاں", "اپنی-مٹھیں", "دونوں-ہاتھ", "مٹھیوں", "مٹھیوں-اپنی", "میں-مٹھیوں-اپنی"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [חֹ֫פֶן] n.[m.] hollow of hand (NH חוֹפֶן, Aramaic חָפְנִי, חוּפְנָא, ܚܽܘܦܢܳܐ; Ethiopic ሕፍን: —also Arabic حُفْنَةٌ hollow in the ground; and, according to Zehnpfund BAS i, 635, Assyrian ḫupunnu, bowl, but ḫ = ح ?)—only du. חָפְנַיִם Ec 4:6; cstr. חָפְנֵי Ez 10:7 (del. Co intern. grounds); sf. חָפְנֶיךָ Ez 10:2; חָפְנָיו Lv 16:12 Pr 30:4; חָפְנֵיכֶם Ex 9:8; מַלֵּא ח׳ Ez 10:2 + v 7 (del. Co cf.…