H2963 H2963
Tear, rend, seize as prey; be torn; provide food, feed
A visceral Hebrew verb evoking the tearing action of wild beasts on their prey. Jacob cries out upon seeing Joseph's bloodied coat: 'tarof toraf Yosef'—'Joseph has surely been torn to pieces' (Genesis 37:33). It appears in similes of lions, wolves, and bears, and extends metaphorically to God Himself tearing and then healing (Hosea 5:14, 6:1). The passive forms describe the victim's perspective—the animal found torn in the field (Exodus 22:13). Surprisingly, the Hiphil at Proverbs 30:8 shifts entirely: 'feed me my appointed bread,' connecting prey-seizure to provision. Aramaic cognate teraf and Arabic tarafa ('to depasture') confirm the semantic bridge between predation and feeding.
Senses
1. tear, rend, prey upon — Qal active: to tear, rend, or prey upon—the core predatory sense. Used literally of wild beasts (Genesis 49:27, Deuteronomy 33:20) and figuratively of enemies (Job 16:9, 18:4) and God Himself (Hosea 5:14, Psalm 50:22). The image is raw and kinetic: claws and teeth ripping flesh. French 'dechirer' and Spanish 'desgarrar' preserve the violent physical force. 18×
AR["أفْتَرِس", "أَفتَرِسُ", "افتَرَسَ", "افتِراساً", "افْتَرَسَ", "لِيَفْتَرِسَ", "لِيَفْتَرِسَ-", "مَزَّقَ", "مُفْتَرِسٌ", "مُفْتَرِسِ", "مُفْتَرِسِي", "مُمَزِّقُ", "وَ-افْتَرَسَ", "وَافْتَرَسَ", "وَيَفْتَرِسُ", "يَفْتَرِسَ", "يَفْتَرِسُ"]·ben["এবং-ছিঁড়ছে", "এবং-ছিঁড়ে-ফেলে", "এবং-ছিঁড়ে-ফেলেছে", "ছিঁড়ছে", "ছিঁড়তে-", "ছিঁড়ে-ফেলব", "ছিঁড়ে-ফেলব-আমি", "ছিঁড়ে-ফেলা", "ছিঁড়ে-ফেলা-হয়ে", "ছিঁড়ে-ফেলেছিল", "ছিঁড়েছে", "ছিঁড়েছেন", "যে-ছিঁড়ে-ফেলে", "শিকার-করতে", "সে-ছিঁড়ে-ফেলে", "সে-শিকার-করবে"]·DE["[אטרף]", "[וטרף]", "[ויטרף]", "[טרף]", "[טרפי]", "[לטרף]", "der-zerreißt", "er-tear", "ich-tear-du-in-pieces", "tearing", "und-tears", "zu-tear"]·EN["I-tear-you-in-pieces", "and-tears", "and-tore", "has-torn", "he-tear", "he-tears", "tearing", "tearing-", "tears", "to-tear", "to-tear-", "will-tear"]·FR["déchirer", "et-déchirer", "et-tears", "larmes", "tearing", "à-déchirer", "טרף"]·heb["אטרוף", "ו-טרף", "ו-יטרוֹף", "טורף", "טורפי", "טרוף", "טרף", "יטרוף", "יטרף", "ל-טרוף", "לטרוף-"]·HI["और-फाड़ता-रहा", "और-फाड़ता-है", "और-फाड़े", "फाड़-डालूं", "फाड़ना", "फाड़ने-को-", "फाड़ने-वाला", "फाड़ने-वाले", "फाड़नेवाला", "फाड़नेवाले", "फाड़ा", "फाड़ूँगा", "ले-फाड़ने", "वह-फाड़े"]·ID["akan-menerkam", "dan-mencabik", "dan-menerkam", "dan-merobek", "diterkam", "ia-merobek", "merobek", "merobek-robek", "untuk-merobek"]·IT["dilaniare", "e-dilaniare", "e-tears", "egli-tears", "has-torn", "rapiì", "tearing", "tears"]·jav["ingkang-nyuwék", "kanggé-nyuwek", "lan", "lan-lumampah", "lan-nyuwek", "lan-nyuwèk", "nyuwek", "nyuwèk", "nyuwék", "supados-nyuwil-", "suwek-suwek"]·KO["그리고-찢는다", "그리고-찢었다", "그리고-찢으리라", "찢기고", "찢는", "찢는-자여", "찢어-먹기를-", "찢어-먹는-자가", "찢어-먹는-자들이다", "찢었나니", "찢었으나", "찢으려고", "찢으리라", "찢으리이다", "찢으며", "찢을까"]·PT["Que-despedaça", "a-despedaçar-", "despedaçando", "despedaçar", "despedaçarei", "despedaçará", "despedaçasse", "despedaçava", "despedaçou", "e-despedaça", "e-despedaçará", "e-despedaçou", "por-despedaçar", "que-despedaça", "rasgou", "vos-despedaçe"]·RU["её", "и-раздерёт", "и-разрывает", "и-терзал", "как-лев", "раздирающий", "разрывающий", "растерзал", "растерзанием", "растерзать", "растерзаю", "терзать", "терзающий", "хищный"]·ES["a-despedazar", "desgarraba", "desgarrar", "desgarrará", "desgarre", "desgarró", "despedace", "despedazar", "despedazaré", "despedazó", "que-desgarra", "que-despedaza", "que-despedazan", "y-desgarró", "y-despedaza", "¿Desgarrador-de"]·SW["akarrarua", "alirarua", "amerarua", "anayejirarua", "anayerarua", "inararua", "itakula", "kurarua", "kuraruliwa", "kutafuna", "na-akararua", "na-anararua", "na-kurarua", "nikakurarua", "nitararua", "wanaotafuna"]·TR["parçaladı", "parçalamakla", "parçalamayı", "parçalar", "parçalarım", "parçalayacağım", "parçalayan", "parçalayıcıları", "ve-parçaladı", "ve-parçalar"]·urd["-پھاڑنے-کی", "اور-پھاڑتا-رہا", "اور-پھاڑتا-ہے", "اور-پھاڑے", "میں-پھاڑ-ڈالوں", "وہ-پھاڑ-ڈالے", "پھاڑا", "پھاڑا-جانا", "پھاڑتا-تھا", "پھاڑنا-", "پھاڑنے-والا", "پھاڑنے-والے", "پھاڑوں-گا"]
Gen 49:27, Exod 22:13, Deut 33:20, Job 16:9, Job 18:4, Ps 7:2, Ps 17:12, Ps 22:13, Ps 50:22, Ezek 19:3, Ezek 19:6, Ezek 22:25 (+6 more)
2. be torn, be preyed upon — Nifal and Qal passive: to be torn apart, to be the victim of predation. Genesis 37:33 and 44:28 use the emphatic infinitive absolute construction 'tarof toraf' to express certainty and grief. Exodus 22:13 applies it to livestock law: if an animal is torn, the torn remains serve as evidence. The passive voice centers the victim rather than the predator. 6×
AR["افتُرِسَت", "افْتُرِسَ", "افْتِرَاسًا", "تَمَزَّقَ", "تَمْزِيقًا", "يُفْتَرَسُ"]·ben["চিরে-ফাটা", "চিরে-ফাটা-হয়েছে", "ছিঁড়ে-ফেলা-হবে", "ছিন্নভিন্ন-হয়ে", "ছিন্নভিন্ন-হয়েছে"]·DE["[יטרף]", "es-ist-zerrissen", "zerrissen"]·EN["he-was-torn", "is-torn", "it-is-torn", "shall-be-torn", "torn"]·FR["[יטרף]", "cela-est-déchiré", "déchiré", "est-déchiré", "il-était-déchiré"]·heb["טרף", "ייטרף"]·HI["फाड़-दिया-गया", "फाड़ा-गया", "फाड़ा-जाए", "वह-फाड़-डाला-जाएगा"]·ID["akan-dicabik", "dirobek", "diterkam", "ia-diterkam", "merobek", "sungguh-sungguh"]·IT["[יטרף]", "egli-fu-strappato", "esso-è-strappato", "strappato", "è-strappato"]·jav["badhé-dipun-semburat", "dipun-suwek", "dipunsuwek", "dipunsuwek-suwek,", "sampun-dipun-suwek", "suwek-suwek"]·KO["찢겼다", "찢기고-찢겼다", "찢기면", "찢기어", "찢기었다", "찢길-것이다"]·PT["despedaçando", "despedaçar", "foi-despedaçado", "for-despedaçado", "será-despedaçado"]·RU["будет-растерзан", "растерзан", "растерзанием", "растерзано"]·ES["despedazado", "despedazar", "es-despedazado", "fue-despedazado", "será-despedazado"]·SW["ameraruliwa", "ata", "atarakuliwa", "itararuliwa", "kuraruliwa", "pamoja"]·TR["Parçalayarak", "parçalanacak", "parçalanarak", "parçalandı", "parçalanırsa"]·urd["پھاڑا", "پھاڑا-جائے", "پھاڑا-جائے-گا", "پھاڑا-گیا", "پھاڑا-گیا-بیشک"]
3. feed, provide food — Hiphil causative at Proverbs 30:8: 'hatrifeni lehem hukki'—'feed me my appointed bread.' Here the predatory root is domesticated into provision and sustenance. The semantic bridge runs through the idea of seizing food: what the lion tears for its cubs becomes what God provides for His servant. Spanish 'alimentame' and the Aramaic cognate sense of 'seize provisions' confirm this extension. 1×
AR["أَطْعِمْني"]·ben["আমাকে-খাওয়াও"]·DE["[הטריפני]"]·EN["feed-me"]·FR["הטריפני-moi"]·heb["הטריפני"]·HI["खिला-मुझे"]·ID["berilah-makan-aku"]·IT["feed-me-mio"]·jav["sukani-kawula"]·KO["먹여라-나에게"]·PT["alimenta-me"]·RU["питай-меня"]·ES["aliemntame"]·SW["nilishe"]·TR["besle-beni"]·urd["کھلا-مجھے"]
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×)H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† טָרַף vb. tear, rend, pluck (NH id., especially of wild beasts; Aramaic טְרַף tear, seize, especially of creditors; טְרֵיפָא torn flesh or animal; Arabic طَرَفَ depasture, said of camel)— Qal Pf. טָרַף Jb 16:9; טָרָ֑ף Ho 6:1, etc.; Impf. יִטְרֹף ψ 7:3; וַיִּטְרֹף Am 1:11 (but v. infr.); יִטְרָ֑ף Gn 49:27; אֶטְרֹף Ho 5:14 ψ 50:22; Inf. לִטְרֹף ψ 17:12; Pt. act. טֹרֵף Jb 18:4, etc.;—tear rend, of…