H2653 H2653
covering over, sheltering, protecting (hovering protectively)
This Qal participle means 'covering over' or 'sheltering,' appearing in Moses' blessing of Benjamin in Deuteronomy 33:12. The image is of Yahweh covering over Benjamin protectively, like a bird sheltering its young with outstretched wings. The verb is related to Arabic words for surrounding or enclosing. The poetic image conveys divine protection and favor, appropriate for the tribe whose territory included Jerusalem and the temple.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Deuteronomy 33:12 blesses Benjamin: 'The beloved of Yahweh dwells in safety by Him; He covers over him all the day, and between His shoulders he dwells.' The multilingual glosses (English/French/German 'covering,' Spanish 'lo-cubrirá') emphasize protective sheltering. The image is intimate—God as a protective parent or shepherd. The location 'between His shoulders' suggests being carried like a lamb. This blessing foreshadows Jerusalem's (Benjamin's territory) role as God's dwelling place. 1×
AR["يُظَلِّلُهُ"]·ben["আবৃত-করে"]·DE["covering"]·EN["covering"]·FR["couverture"]·heb["חופף"]·HI["ढकनेवाला"]·ID["melindungi"]·IT["covering"]·jav["ngayomi"]·KO["덮으시다"]·PT["cobrindo-o"]·RU["покрывающий"]·ES["lo-cubrirá"]·SW["anamlinda"]·TR["koruyan"]·urd["چھاتا-ہے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [חָפַף] vb. enclose, surround, cover (Arabic حَفَّ, surround, حِفَافٌ side, or border of a thing)—only Qal Pt. חֹפֵף עָלָיו Dt 33:12 (poem) he (י׳) is covering him over, fig. of י׳’s sheltering Benj. (in temple; on omission of subj. v. Ges§ 116. 5. R 3).