H2778a H2778a
To reproach, taunt, or defy; to hurl insults or contemptuous challenges, especially against God or his people
A verb of hostile speech that ranges from verbal abuse to outright defiance. In its most common use it means to reproach or insult—casting shame on someone through cutting words, as when enemies reproach God's people (Ps 74:10) or when the Rabshakeh blasphemes the living God (2 Kgs 19:22). In military contexts it sharpens into defiance: Goliath defied the armies of Israel (1 Sam 17:10, 25, 26), and each time David frames the giant's words as a challenge hurled against God himself. The Spanish 'afrentar' (to affront) and French 'insulter' both track the core hostility. Related forms produce the noun 'cherpah' (reproach), one of the Bible's most common words for shame.
Senses
1. reproach, taunt, insult — The primary and most frequent sense: to reproach, taunt, or insult someone through hostile, shaming speech. Sennacherib reproached the living God (2 Kgs 19:22), and the psalmist asks how long the adversary will reproach God's name (Ps 74:10). The Spanish 'afrentar' (to affront) captures the personal offense involved, while French 'insulter' highlights the verbal aggression. This sense covers verbal abuse directed at both God and humans, always carrying a tone of contempt and intended shame. 28×
AR["المُعَيِّرِ","عَيَّروني","عَيَّرَ","عَيَّرَ-","عَيَّرَني","عَيَّرُوا","عَيَّرْتَ","لِيُعَيِّرَ","مُعَيِّريكَ","يُعَيِّرُ"]·ben["অপমান-করতে","অপমান-করবে","অপমান-করে","অপমান-করেছ","অপমান-করেছে","অপমান-করেছে-আমাকে","আমাকে-অপমান-করে","আমাকে-নিন্দা-করে","তুমি-নিন্দা-করেছ","নিন্দা-করেছে","নিন্দুকের","যারা-তোমাকে-অপমান-করে"]·DE["[חרפת]","[לחרף]","du-reproached","einer-der-reproaches","haben-taunted","hat-reproached","hoehnte","jene-der-schmähen-du","reproaches-mich","schmähen-mich","sie-haben-taunted","tat-du-reproach","taunt-mich","zu-reproach"]·EN["and-blasphemed","did-you-reproach","has-reproached","have-taunted","insults","one-who-reproaches","reproach-me","reproaches","reproaches-me","shall-reproach","taunt-me","they-have-taunted","they-taunted","those-who-reproach-You","to-reproach","to-taunt","you-have-reproached","you-reproached"]·FR["[חרפת]","[לחרף]","de-insulter","fit-tu-reproach","insulter","reprocher","tu-reproached","à-reproach","חרף","יחרף"]·heb["חורפיך","חירף","חירפת","חרפו","חרפו-אותי","חרפוני","יחרף","יחרפני","ל-חרף","מחרף"]·HI["उन्होंने-निंदा-की","उन्होंने-निन्दा-की-मुझे","डाँटेगा","तूने-तिरस्कार-किया","निंदा-करते-हैं-मुझे","निंदा-करने","निंदा-की","निंदा-की-तूने","निन्दा-करता-है","निन्दा-करनेवाले-की"]·ID["engkau-cela","engkau-mencela","engkau-telah-mencela","mencela","mencela-ku","menghina","orang-yang-mencela-Engkau","untuk-mencela","yang-kamu-hina"]·IT["[לחרף]","a-biasimo","fece-tu-biasimo","hanno-oltraggiato","insultare","insults","oltraggio'","reproaches","shall-reproach","tu-reproached"]·jav["badhe-ngasoraken","dipun-ngècè","ingkang-moyoki","kagem-ngina","kanggé-ngina","lan","lan-nyacad","ngina-kula","ngremèhaken","nista","nyacad-panjenengan","panjenengan-ina","panjenengan-ngina","sami-moyoki-kula","sami-nyela","sampun-nycacad","tiyang-ingkang-nycacad-Panjenengan"]·KO["꾼짓지-않으리라","네가-모욕했는가","네가-모욕했다","모욕하는-자-의","모욕하도록","모욕하려고","모욕하였나이다","모욕하였느냐","모욕하였다","모욕하였도다-나-를","모욕한다","비난하였나이다","비난한","비난했다","욕하느니라","욱하는도다","웅하였도다-나-를","을-비방하려고","주-를-치욕하는-자-들-의"]·PT["afronta","afrontaram","afrontaste","afrontou","dos-que-te-afrontam","me-afrontam","me-insulta","o-que-insulta","para-afrontar","para-blasfemar","reprovará"]·RU["поносил-ты","поносили","поносит","поносит-меня","поносить","поносят-меня","поносящего","поносящих-Тебя","укорит","хулил","хулить"]·ES["afrenta","afrentaron","afrentaste","el-que-afrenta","ha-afrentado","insultaste","los-que-te-afrentan","me-afrenta","me-afrentan","para-blasfemar","para-insultar","reprochará"]·SW["ametukana","anamtukana","anayenitukana","anayeshutumu","haitanisuta","kumdhihaki","lcharep","umemtukana","wamenisimanga","wametukana","wamewatukana","wananitukana","ya-wanaokutukana"]·TR["-hakaret-etmek-için","alay-etti","alay-ettin","aşağıladı-beni","aşağıladılar","aşağıladılar-beni","aşağılamak-için","aşağılar","aşağılayanın","hakaret-eder","hakaret-ediyor-bana","hakaret-ettiler","hakaret-ettin","sana-hakaret-edenlerin","suçlar"]·urd["بےعزتی-کرتا-ہے","تُو-نے-طعنہ-دیا","رسوا-کرنے-والوں-کی-تیرے","رسوا-کیا","رُسوا-کیا","طعنہ-کرتے-ہیں-مجھے","طعنہ-کرنے-والے","طعنہ-کرنے-کو","طعنہ-کی-تو-نے","طعنہ-کیا","مجھے-طعنہ-کرتے-ہیں","ملامت کرتا ہے","ملامت-کرتا-ہے","مَلامَت-کَرتا-مُجھے"]
Judg 8:15, 2 Sam 23:9, 2 Kgs 19:4, 2 Kgs 19:16, 2 Kgs 19:22, 2 Kgs 19:23, 2 Chr 32:17, Neh 6:13, Job 27:6, Ps 42:10, Ps 44:16, Ps 55:12 (+16 more)
2. defy, challenge contemptuously — A more intensified, confrontational sense: to defy or challenge contemptuously, especially in a military or combat setting. Goliath defied Israel's armies (1 Sam 17:10, 25, 26, 36, 45), and his words were not merely insults but formal challenges to battle. The distinction from sense 1 lies in the public, structured nature of the defiance—it is an act of war, not just verbal abuse. The Spanish 'desafió' (challenged) precisely marks this escalation from insult to provocation. 9×
AR["عَيَّرَ","عَيَّرْتَ","عَيَّرْتُ","فَعَيَّرَ","لِـ-يُعَيِّرَ","وَ-عَيَّرَ"]·ben["অপমান-করতে","অপমান-করেছি","অপমান-করেছে","এবং-সে-অবমাননা-করল","ও-তিরস্কার-করল","তুমি-অপমান-করেছ","নিন্দা-করতে"]·DE["[ויחרף]","[לחרף]","du-habe-defied","er-defies","er-hat-defied","habe-defied","und-er-taunted","zu-defy"]·EN["Elohim","and-defied","and-he-taunted","have-defied","he-defies","he-has-defied","living","to-defy","you-have-defied"]·FR["[ויחרף]","[לחרף]","ai-défia","et-il-railla","il-a-défia","il-defies","tu-ai-défia","à-défie"]·heb["ו-יחרף","חרף","חרפת","חרפתי","ל-חרף"]·HI["और-चिढ़ाया","और-ताना-मारा","तिरस्कअर-करत-है","तिरस्कअर-करन","तिरस्कअर-किय-उस्ने","तिरस्कअर-किय-तुने","तिरस्करत-होओन","तिरस्कार-करने-के-लिए"]·ID["dan-dia-mencela","dan-ia-mencela","dia-mencemooh","kamu-cemooh","mencemooh","untuk-mencela","untuk-mencemooh"]·IT["[ויחרף]","a-sfida","avere-sfidò","e-egli-taunted","egli-defies","egli-ha-sfidò","insultare","tu-avere-sfidò"]·jav["Gusti-Allah","Lan-ngala-ala","Lan-ngremehaken","kang-gesang","kanggé-ngina","ngina"]·KO["그리고-도전했다","그리고-모욕했다","네가-모욕했다","모욕하려고-","모욕했다","에-모욕하려고"]·PT["E-afrontou","afrontaste","afrontei","afrontou","para-afrontar"]·RU["и-поносил","позорил","позорил-ты","позорит","позорить","позорю","поносить"]·ES["Y-desafió","afrentaste","afronté","afrontó","para-afrentar"]·SW["ametukana","kumtukana","kutukana","na-akaidhihaki","na-akawatukana","nimeaibisha"]·TR["Ve-aşağıladı","alay-etmek-icin","aşağıladı","aşağıladın","aşağılamak-için","meydan-okudum","ve-utandırdı"]·urd["اور-اُس-نے-طعنہ-کی","اور-للکارا","اُس-نے-للکارا","تُو-نے-للکارا۔","طعنہ-دینے-کو","للکارتا-ہوں","للکارنے-کے-لیے"]
3. sense 3 — In Judges 5:18, Zebulun is described as a people who scorned or despised their lives unto death—risking everything on the battlefield. This unique usage applies the verb reflexively to one's own life rather than directing it at an opponent, yielding a sense of reckless disregard or contempt for personal safety. The context of Deborah's song gives it a heroic, even admiring tone. 1×
AR["حَقَرَ"]·ben["তুচ্ছ-করেছিল"]·DE["jenes-verachtete"]·EN["that-scorned"]·FR["ce-scorned"]·heb["חרף"]·HI["तुच्छ-करती"]·ID["menghinakan"]·IT["quello-scorned"]·jav["ngremehaken"]·KO["멸시하였다"]·PT["que-desprezou"]·RU["презревший"]·ES["que-expuso"]·SW["waliodharau"]·TR["hor-gören"]·urd["خطرے-میں-ڈالی"]
4. sense 4 — In Psalm 57:3, God sends from heaven and reproaches or puts to shame those who trample the psalmist. Here the reproaching comes from God himself as an act of divine intervention and vindication, inverting the usual pattern where enemies reproach God's people. God turns the weapon of verbal shaming back upon the aggressors. 1×
AR["عَيَّرَ"]·ben["নিন্দা-করেছে"]·DE["er-reproaches"]·EN["He-reproaches"]·FR["insulter"]·heb["חירף"]·HI["लज्जित-करता-है"]·IT["oltraggio'"]·jav["dhateng-Gusti Allah"]·KO["꾸짖었도다"]·PT["envergonha"]·RU["посрамит"]·ES["reprende"]·SW["atamkemea"]·TR["alay-etti"]·urd["رُسوا-کَرے"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [חָרַף] vb. reproach (NH Pi. id.; Aramaic חֲרַף id., ܚܰܪܶܦ sharpen, ܚܰܪܺܝܦ sharp, keen, acute);— Qal Impf. לֹא־יֶחֱרַף לְבָבִי מִיָּמָ֑י Jb 27:6; Pt. sf. חֹרְפִי ψ 119:42 Pr 27:11; חוֹרְפֶיךָ ψ 69:10. Piel. Pf. חֵרֵף Ju 5:18 + 6 times; חֵרַפְתָּ Is 37:23 + 4 times etc. + 10 times pf.; Impf. יְחָרֵף 2 S 21:21 1 Ch 20:7; וְחָ֫רֶף ψ 74:10 + 2 times sf.; Inf. לְחָרֵף Is 37:4 + 5 times;…