H2658 H2658
To dig in the earth (wells, pits); by extension, to search out, explore, or seek eagerly as one digs for hidden treasure.
A concrete verb rooted in the physical act of breaking ground. In Genesis 21 and 26, Abraham and Isaac dig wells in contested land, and the Hebrew chapar captures both the labor and the claim staked by that labor. The verb extends naturally into reconnaissance: in Deuteronomy 1:22 the spies are sent to 'dig out' the land, and in Joshua 2:2-3 Rahab's visitors come 'to search out' Jericho. Job 3:21 pushes the image furthest, describing those who seek death more eagerly than men dig for buried treasure.
Senses
1. dig, excavate ground — Physical digging or excavating the ground, especially the boring of wells and cutting of pits. This is the primary, concrete sense attested from the patriarchal narratives onward. In Genesis 26:15-22 Isaac re-digs his father Abraham's wells, and Ecclesiastes 10:8 warns that the one who digs a pit may fall into it. Spanish 'cavaron' and German 'graben' consistently render this literal action across translations. 17×
AR["حَفَروا", "حَفَروها", "حَفَرَها", "حَفَرَهَا", "حَفَرْتُ", "حُوفِير", "فَحَفَرَ", "وَ-حَفَروا", "وَ-حَفَرَ", "وَ-حَفَرْتُ", "وَ-عَمَّقَهَا", "وَتَحْفِرُ", "وَتَفْحَصُ", "يَحْفِرُونَ"]·ben["আর-খুড়লেন", "এবং-খুঁড়বে", "এবং-তুমি-খনন-করবে", "এবং-সে-এটিকে-গভীর-করেছে", "ও-খুঁড়ল", "ও-খুঁড়লাম-আমি", "খনন-করেছে-তাকে", "খননকারী", "খুঁড়েছি", "খুঁড়েছে", "খুড়েছিলেন", "তাঁকে", "তারা-খুঁড়ে"]·DE["[ואחפר]", "[וחפרת]", "[חפר]", "[יחפרו]", "dug-es", "gegraben-hatten", "gegraben-worden-waren", "ich-gegraben-habe", "sie-dug", "sie-gegraben-hatten", "und-du-soll-dig", "und-dug", "und-er-hollowed-es-heraus", "und-grub", "und-gruben"]·EN["I-dug", "and-I-dug", "and-dug", "and-he-hollowed-it-out", "and-they-dug", "and-you-dig", "and-you-shall-dig", "dug", "dug-it", "he-who-digs", "they-dug", "they-paw"]·FR["Je-dug", "[ואחפר]", "creuser", "dug", "dug-cela", "et-creuser", "et-dug", "et-ils-dug", "et-tu-devra-dig", "ils-dug"]·heb["ו-אחפור", "ו-חפרת", "ו-יחפר", "ו-יחפר ׀", "ו-יחפרהו", "ו-יחפרו", "חופר", "חפרו", "חפרוה", "חפרתי", "יחפרו"]·HI["और-खोद-डाला-उसे", "और-खोदा", "और-खोदा-मैंने", "और-खोदे", "और-खोदेगा", "और-तू-खोदेगा", "खोदनेवाला", "खोदा", "खोदे", "जिसे-खोदा", "मैंने-खोदा", "वे-खोदते-हैं"]·ID["Dan-menggali", "Mereka menggali", "Yang-menggali", "aku-menggali", "dan-aku-menggali", "dan-engkau-menggali", "dan-kamu-menggali", "dan-menggali", "dan-menggalinya", "digali", "mereka-gali", "yang-digali"]·IT["[ואחפר]", "dug", "dug-esso", "e-dug", "e-e-you-dig", "e-essi-dug", "e-scavo'", "e-tu-dovra-dig", "egli-chi-digs", "essi-dug", "essi-paw", "io-dug", "scavo'"]·jav["Lan-ngedhuk", "Lan-sami-ngeduk", "Piyambak-ipun-ndhudhuk", "dipunkedhuk", "kula-ngedhuk", "lan-kula-kedhuk", "lan-ngeduk", "lan-panjenengan-ndhudhuk", "saha-dipun-kedúki", "sami-ndhudhuk", "sami-ndhudhuk-piyambakipun", "tiyang-ingkang-ngeduk"]·KO["그것들이-파다", "그리고-깊이-팠도다", "그리고-내가-파고", "그리고-네가-파보았고", "그리고-파다", "그리고-파리라", "그리고-판다", "파는-자", "파였다-그것을", "판", "팠나이다", "팠다"]·PT["E-cavaram", "Escavam", "Quem-cava", "cavaram", "cavaram-o", "cavei", "e-a-aprofundou", "e-cavaram", "e-cavarás", "e-cavei", "e-cavou"]·RU["И-копали", "Копающий", "выкопал", "выкопали", "выкопали-его", "вырыли", "и-выкопаешь", "и-выкопал", "и-выкопали", "и-копали", "и-осмотришься", "и-раскопал", "и-рыл-её", "роют"]·ES["Escarban", "Y-cavaron", "cavaron", "cavaron-lo", "cavé", "el-que-cava", "y-cavarás", "y-cavarás,", "y-cavé", "y-cavó", "y-lo-excavó"]·SW["Anayechimba", "Na-wakachimba", "na-akachimba", "na-kulichimba-chini", "na-nikachimba", "na-utachimba", "na-wakachimba", "nikakumbuka", "walichimba", "wanachimba"]·TR["Kazıyorlar", "Ve-kazdılar", "Ve-kazılar", "kazan", "kazan-onu", "kazdılar", "kazmışlardı", "kaztım", "ve-ararsın", "ve-derinleştirdi-onu", "ve-kazacaksın", "ve-kazdı", "ve-kazıdım"]·urd["اور-اُسے-گہرا-کیا", "اور-کھودا", "اور-کھودا-انہوں-نے", "اور-کھودا-میں-نے", "اور-کھودیں", "اور-کھودے-گا-تُو", "تو-کھودے", "وہ-کھودتے-ہیں", "کھودا", "کھودا-اُسے", "کھودا-ہے-میں-نے", "کھودنے-والا", "کھودی-تھی", "کھودی-تھیں", "کھودے-تھے"]
2. search out, spy, explore — Searching out, spying, or exploring a region, extending the 'digging' metaphor to thorough investigation. When Moses sends scouts ahead in Deuteronomy 1:22, the verb conveys probing reconnaissance. Joshua 2:2-3 uses the same sense for the spies at Jericho. The French 'chercher' and Spanish 'espiar' in these passages highlight the investigative nuance that distinguishes this sense from mere physical excavation. 4×
AR["لِ-يَتَجَسَّسوا", "وَ-يَتَجَسَّسوا", "يَتَجَسَّسُ-"]·ben["অনুসন্ধান-করতে", "এবং-অনুসন্ধান-করুক-", "সে-খোঁজে-"]·DE["[חפר]", "und-lass-ihnen-durchsuchen-heraus-", "zu-durchsuchen-heraus"]·EN["and-let-them-search-out-", "it-spies-out-", "to-search-out"]·FR["creuser", "et-laisse-eux-search-dehors-", "à-chercher-dehors"]·heb["ו-יחפרו", "חפר", "ל-חפור"]·HI["और-जांचें", "जासूसी-करने-को", "वह-खोजता-है"]·ID["dan-biar-mereka-menyelidiki-", "mencari-", "untuk-mengintai"]·IT["a-search-fuori", "e-lascia-loro-cercare-fuori-", "esso-spies-fuori"]·jav["kangge-niti-priksa", "lan-madosi", "madosi"]·KO["그리고-정탐하게-하자", "찾는다", "파헤치려고"]·PT["busca-", "e-espiem-", "para-espiar"]·RU["высматривает-", "и-разведают-", "чтобы-выследить"]·ES["busca-", "para-espiar", "y-escudriñen"]·SW["anatafuta", "kumkaa", "kupeleleza"]·TR["arat-", "araştırmak-için", "ve-araştırsınlar-"]·urd["اور-جاسوسی-کریں-", "جاسوسی-کرنے-کے-لیے", "وہ-ڈھونڈتا-ہے"]
3. dig for eagerly, seek — Seeking something with intense eagerness, as though digging for hidden treasure. This metaphorical peak appears in Job 3:21, where the sufferer describes those who long for death and 'dig for it' more than for concealed riches. The single attestation preserves a vivid poetic extension: desire so desperate it mirrors the sweat of excavation. 1×
AR["وَيَبْحَثونَ-عَنْهُ"]·ben["এবং-খোঁজে-তাকে"]·DE["[ויחפרהו]"]·EN["and-dig-for-it"]·FR["et-creuser-lui"]·heb["ו-יחפרוהו"]·HI["और-खोदते-हैं-उसको"]·ID["dan-menggalinya"]·IT["e-e-dig-per-esso-suo"]·jav["lan-pados-piyambakipun"]·KO["그리고-파는다-그들이-그것을"]·PT["e-cavam-a"]·RU["и-ищут-её"]·ES["y-la-cavan"]·SW["na-wanachimba"]·TR["ve-kazıyorlar-onu"]·urd["اور-تلاش-کرتے-ہیں-اُسے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. חָפַר vb. dig, search for (Arabic حَفَرَ id.; Aramaic חֲפַר, ܚܦܰܪ, id.; NH חֵפֶר act of digging)— Qal Pf. ח׳ Jb 39:29; וְחָפַרְתָּ֫ Jb 11:18; וְחָפַרְתָּ֫ה Dt 23:14; חָפַרְתִּי Gn 21:30; חָֽפְרוּ Gn 26:18 + 2 times; חָפָ֑רוּ Gn 26:32; חֲפָרוּהָ Nu 21:18; Impf. וַיַּחְפֹּר Gn 26:18, 22; וַיַּחְפִּרֵהוּ ψ 7:16; וָאֶחְפֹּר Je 13:7; יַחְפְּדוּ Jb 39:21 (but read יַחְפֹּר so 𝔊 𝔙 𝔖 Di) Dt 1:22;…