Search / H2664
H2664 H2664
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms | 3fse  |  23× in 4 senses
To search, seek out, investigate; in Hitpael, to disguise oneself; passively, to be searched out or exposed.
Chaphas covers the full arc of deliberate investigation — from rummaging through tent baggage to probing the hidden chambers of the human heart. In its Qal and Piel stems it describes thorough, purposeful searching: Laban ransacking Jacob's camp for his household gods (Gen 31:35), or God's spirit-lamp searching the inmost parts of a person (Prov 20:27). The Hitpael stem takes a surprising turn into disguise — kings like Ahab and Saul 'search themselves out' of their own identity, changing their appearance to avoid recognition. The multilingual evidence highlights this split cleanly: Spanish distinguishes buscar/escudriñar ('seek/scrutinize') from disfrazarse ('to disguise'), while French similarly separates chercher from se déguiser. Lamentations 3:40 captures the word's spiritual depth: 'Let us search out and examine our ways, and return to the LORD.'

Senses
1. to search, seek out The core active sense of searching, seeking out, or investigating — 12 occurrences across Qal and Piel stems. This ranges from physical searching of possessions (Gen 31:35, where Laban searches Rachel's tent; Gen 44:12, Joseph's steward searching the brothers' sacks) to spiritual investigation (Lam 3:40, 'let us search out our ways'). Spanish buscar/escudriñar and French chercher both select inquiry-focused vocabulary. The Piel intensifies the thoroughness: 1 Sam 23:23 has Saul commanding his men to 'search out all the hiding places' with meticulous diligence. 12×
MENTAL_LIFE Learn Seeking and Searching
AR["أُفَتِّشُ","باحِثٌ","تَبْحَثُ-عَنْهَا","فَتِّشُوا","نَفْحَصْ","وَ-أُفَتِّشُهُ","وَ-فَتَّشَ","وَ-يُفَتِّشونَ","وَيَفْحَصُ","يَبْحَثونَ-"]·ben["অনুসন্ধান-করব","অনুসন্ধান-করি","অনুসন্ধান-করে","আমি-খোঁজ-করব","আর-খুঁজল","এবং-অন্বেষণ-করে","এবং-খোঁজব","এবং-তারা-তল্লাশি-করবে","খুঁজো-তাকে","খোঁজো","তারা-খোঁজে"]·DE["[אחפש]","[חפש]","[נחפשה]","[תחפשנה]","search","sie-search-heraus-","und-durchsuchte","und-er-durchsuchte","und-ich-wird-search","und-searches","und-sie-wird-search"]·EN["I-will-search","Let-us-search","and-I-will-search","and-he-searched","and-searches","and-they-will-search","search","searching","they-search-out-","you-search-for-her"]·FR["[נחפשה]","chercher","et-chercher","et-il-fouilla","et-ils-fera-search","et-je-fera-search","search","sonder"]·heb["אחפש","אחפשׂ","ו-חיפשו","ו-חיפשתי","ו-יחפש","חופש","חפשו","יחפשו-","נחפשה","תחפשנה"]·HI["और-खोजा-उसने","और-खोजूँगा-मैं","और-खोजेंगे","और-ढूँढ़ा-उसने","खप्पसू","खोजती-है","खोजूँगा","ढूँढ़े-उसे","मैं-खोजूँगा","वयखप्पेस","वे-खोजते-हैं","हम-जांचें"]·ID["Dan-ia-memeriksa","Marilah-kita-memeriksa","Mereka-merencanakan-","dan-aku-akan-mencari","dan-ia-memeriksa","dan-menyelidiki","dan-mereka-akan-menggeledah","engkau-menyelidikinya","memeriksa","mencari","periksalah"]·IT["[נחפשה]","cerca","cercare","cerco'","e-cerco'","e-egli-cercò","e-essi-vorrà-cerca","e-io-vorrà-cerca","searching","voi-search-per-sua"]·jav["Kawula-badhé-madosi","Kawula-nglacak","Lan-madosi","Sumangga-kita-nitipriksa","Tiyang-tiyang-madosi-","lan-kawula-badhe-madosi","lan-piyambakipun-badhé-nggledahi","lan-piyambakipun-madosi","madosi","nggolèki","panjenengan-madosi","saha-madosi"]·KO["그것-을-찾으면","그리고-내가-찾겠다","그리고-뒤졌다","그리고-뒤질겠다","내가-찾으리라","살피는니라","우리-가-살피자","조사하라","찾다","찾도다","찾으리라"]·PT["Examinemos","Tramam","a-procurares","buscai","e-esquadrinha","e-pesquisarei","e-procurou","e-revistarão","e-revistou","esquadrinharei","examinando","os-buscarei"]·RU["Исследуем","будешь-разыскивать-её,","замышляют-","и-испытывает","и-обыскал","и-обыщут","и-разыщу","исследующее","обыщу","поищите","разыщу"]·ES["Buscad","Buscan-","Escudriñemos","Y-buscó","escudriñando","escudriñaré","la-escudriñas","los-buscaré","y-buscó","y-escudriña","y-lo-buscaré","y-registrarán"]·SW["Tuchunguze","Wanatafuta","huchunguza","na-akamtafuta","na-akatafuta","na-itachunguza","na-nitamtafuta","na-watapekua","nitasaka","nitawatafuta","tafuteni","ukiitafuta"]·TR["Araştıralım","Ve-aradı","ararsan-onu","arayacağım","araştıran","araştırın","arıyorlar-","ve-aradı","ve-arayacaklar","ve-arayacağım","ve-araştırıyor"]·urd["اور-تلاش-کرتی-ہے","اور-تلاش-کروں-گا","اور-تلاشی-لی","اور-تلاشی-کریں-گے","اور-ٹلاش-کیا","تلاش-کرنے-والی","تلاش-کرو","تلاش-کروں-گا","تلاش-کرے-گا-اسے","جانچیں","ڈھونڈتے-","ڈھونڈوں-گا"]
2. to disguise oneself To disguise oneself — 7 occurrences, all in the Hitpael reflexive stem. Kings and leaders alter their appearance to avoid recognition: Saul before visiting the medium at Endor (1 Sam 28:8), Ahab entering battle incognito (1 Kgs 22:30), and Jeroboam's wife disguising herself before the prophet Ahijah (1 Kgs 14:2). The reflexive morphology ('to search oneself out' of one's identity) is semantically transparent but has fully lexicalized into 'disguise.' Spanish disfrazarse and French se déguiser both use dedicated reflexive disguise verbs, confirming this as a wholly distinct sense from the search meaning.
DISCOURSE_NAMES Discourse Referentials Reflexive Pronouns
AR["أَتَنَكَّرُ","تَنَكَّر","تَنَكَّرَ","وَ-تَنَكَّرَ","وَتَنَكَّرَ"]·ben["আর-ছদ্মবেশ-করল","এবং-ছদ্মবেশ-করলেন","এবং-ছদ্মবেশ-ধরল","ছদ্মবেশ-করব","ছদ্মবেশ-করলেন","ছদ্মবেশ-ধরব"]·DE["[התחפש]","[ויתחפש]","disguising-mich-selbst","und-disguised-sich-selbst"]·EN["and-disguised-himself","disguising-myself","he-disguised-himself"]·FR["[התחפש]","[ויתחפש]","disguising-moi-même","et-disguised-lui-même"]·heb["התחפש","ו-התחפש","ו-יתחפש"]·HI["उसने-भेस-बदला","और-भेष-बदला","और-भेस-बदल","और-भेस-बदला","भेष-बदलूँगा","भेस-बदलूँगा"]·ID["Aku-akan-menyamar","Dan-menyamar","dan-dia-menyamarkan-diri","dan-menyamar","menyamar","menyamarlah"]·IT["[התחפש]","[ויתחפש]","disguising-me-stesso","e-si-travestì-sé-stesso"]·jav["Lan-nyamar","kula-badhé-nyamar","kula-nylamur","lan-nylamur","lan-piyambakipun-nyamar","mindhah-ageman"]·KO["그가-변장했다","그리고-변장하였다","그리고-변장했다","변장하겠다","변장하기를"]·PT["E-disfarçou-se","disfarçar-me-ei","disfarçou-se","e-disfarou-se","e-disfarçou-se"]·RU["и-переоделся","переоделся","переоденусь"]·ES["Disfrazarme","Y-se-disfrazó","disfrazarme","se-disfrazó","y-se-disfrazó"]·SW["hitchapeּsh","jibadilishe","na-akajibadilisha","na-akajigeuza","nitajigeuza"]·TR["Kılık-değiştireceğim","Ve-kılık-değiştirdi","kılık-değiştir","kılık-değiştirdi","ve-gizledi-kendini","ve-kılık-değiştirdi"]·urd["اور-بھیس-بدلا","بھیس-بدل","بھیس-بدلا","بھیس-بدلوںگا"]
3. to be searched out To be searched out, exposed, or plundered — 3 occurrences in Pual and Niphal passive stems. In Obad 1:6, Esau's hidden treasures are 'searched out' and exposed by enemies. Ps 64:6 speaks of iniquities being 'well searched out' — a thorough reckoning that cannot be escaped. Prov 28:12 uses the passive to describe people hiding when the wicked rise. German wurde-durchsucht ('was thoroughly searched') and French a-été-fouillé ('was ransacked') both emphasize the passive vulnerability of the one exposed.
MENTAL_LIFE Learn Seeking and Searching
amh["ተፈተሸ"]·AR["فُتِّش","مُدَقَّقاً","يَخْتَفِي"]·ben["অনুসন্ধান-করা","তল্লাশি-হয়েছে","লুকিয়ে-থাকে"]·ces["byli-prohledáni"]·dan["blev-gennemransaget"]·DE["[יחפש]","wohl-searched-heraus","wurde-durchsucht"]·ell["ερευνήθηκε"]·EN["have-been-searched","is-searched-for","well-searched-out"]·FR["a-été-fouillé","de-chercher","sonder"]·guj["શોધાયો"]·hat["fouye"]·hau["aka-bincika"]·heb["יחופש","מחופש","נחפשו"]·HI["खोजा-गया","खोजा-जाता","गहरी"]·hun["kifürkésztetett"]·ID["bersembunyi","digeledah","yang-terencana"]·IT["cerco'","è-searched-per","è-stato-perquisito"]·jav["Esau-dipungledhah","dipunpadosi","ingkang-dipunpanaliti"]·JA["探し出された"]·KO["수색되었느냐","숨다","찾은"]·mar["शोधले-गेले"]·mya["ရှာဖွေခဲ့ပြီး"]·nld["zijn-doorzocht"]·nor["ble-ransaket"]·pnb["تلاشیا-گیا"]·pol["został-przeszukany"]·PT["foi-revistado","tramada","é-procurado"]·ron["a-fost-scotocit"]·RU["задуманный","обысканы","прячется"]·ES["fue-escudriñado","rebuscada","se-esconde"]·SW["Esau-amechunguzwa","hujificha","uliofichwa"]·swe["blev-genomsökt"]·tam["சோதிக்கப்பட்டான்"]·tel["వెదకబడెను"]·tgl["hinalihalita"]·TH["ถูกค้นหา"]·TR["arandı","aranmış","gizlenir"]·ukr["обшуканий"]·urd["تلاشی","تلاشی-گیا","چھپ-جاتا-ہے"]·VI["đã-bị-lục-soát"]·yor["ni-a-ṣe-wá-"]·yue["被搜索-咗"]·ZH["被搜查了"]
4. to be disfigured To be disfigured or altered in appearance — a single occurrence in Job 30:18 where Job describes his garment being distorted by the violence of his disease. The Hitpael form here shifts from deliberate self-disguise (sense 2) to involuntary disfigurement: Job's outer garment is twisted and deformed, binding him like a collar. Spanish se disfraza preserves the disguise vocabulary but the context is pathological transformation rather than intentional concealment, marking a genuine semantic extension at the boundary between 'altered identity' and 'physical distortion.'
JUSTICE_PUNISHMENT Courts and Legal Procedures Judicial Examination
AR["يَتَنَكَّرُ"]·ben["পরিবর্তিত-হয়"]·DE["[יתחפש]"]·EN["is-disfigured"]·FR["sonder"]·heb["יתחפש"]·HI["बदल-गया-है"]·ID["menyamar"]·IT["is-disfigured"]·jav["kawangun"]·KO["변한다"]·PT["disforça-se"]·RU["изменяется"]·ES["se-disfraza"]·SW["limejigeuza"]·TR["tutulur"]·urd["بدل جاتا ہے"]

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
† [חָפַשׂ] vb. search (𝔗Jer חֲפַס dig, seek; Pal. Syriac dig (Schw); perhaps Assyrian êppêšu, êtpêšu, sensible, LyonSargontexte 65)— Qal Impf. 2 ms. sf. תַּחְפְּשֶׂ֫נָּה Pr 2:4; יַחְפְּשׂוּ ψ 64:7; נַחְפְּשָׂה La 3:40; Pt. חֹפֵשׂ Pr 20:27;—search, search out, fig.; 1. search for, obj. בִּינָה etc. Pr 2:4 (‖ בקשׁ). 2. = think out, devise, c. acc. עולות unjust acts ψ 64:7 (cf. also sub Pu.) 3.