H4959 H4959
Feel or touch physically (Qal); grope about, search by feeling (Piel); cause to feel or touch (Hifil)
A tactile verb spanning from gentle touch to desperate groping. In its simplest Qal form, it is Isaac reaching out to feel Jacob's hands, testing whether this is truly Esau (Gen 27:12, 22)—intimate, deliberate, uncertain. The Piel intensifies this into searching by touch: Laban rummaging through Rachel's tent (Gen 31:34), or the blind groping at noonday as covenant curse (Deut 28:29). Job uses it for the wicked stumbling in darkness (Job 5:14, 12:25). The Hifil turns causative—Samson asks a boy to let him feel the pillars (Judg 16:26), and the Egyptian plague brings darkness so thick it can be 'caused to be felt' (Exod 10:21). Arabic mass ('touch') and Aramaic məshash confirm the root's haptic core.
1. grope, search by feeling — To grope about or search by feeling (Piel intensive), describing fumbling, sightless searching. Laban searched Rachel's entire tent by hand (Gen 31:34, 37). As a covenant curse, Israel would grope at noon like the blind (Deut 28:29). Job extends this to the wicked who 'grope in darkness' (Job 5:14, 12:25). Spanish 'a tientas' ('gropingly') and English 'gropes/groping' convey the desperate, tactile quality. 6×
AR["تَحَسَّسْتَ","مُتَلَمِّسًا","وَ-تَحَسَّسَ","يَتَلَمَّسونَ","يَتَلَمَّسُ"]·ben["আর-খুঁজল","খুঁজেছ","তারা-টেপাটেপি-করে","তারা-হাতড়ে","হাতড়াতে-থাকা","হাতড়ায়"]·DE["[ימששו]","du-hast-durchtastet","gropes","groping","und-durchtastete"]·EN["and-searched","gropes","groping","they-grope","they-grope-","you-searched"]·FR["et-fouilla","gropes","groping","tu-fouilla","ימששו"]·heb["ו-ימשש","ימשש","ימששו","ממשש","מששת"]·HI["और-टटोला","टटोलता","टटोलता-है","टटोलते-हैं","टटोला-है-तूने","वे-टटोलते-हैं"]·ID["Mereka-meraba-raba","dan-meraba-rabalah","engkau-meraba-raba","meraba-raba","mereka-meraba-raba"]·IT["e-cercò","essi-grope","gropes","groping","they-grope","tu-cercò"]·jav["grabya-grabya","lan-Laban-ngraba","panjenengan-ngraba","sami-nggrayahi"]·KO["그들이-더듬다-","그리고-만졌다","더듬는-자가","더듬는다","더듬는다-그들이","만졌다-당신이"]·PT["Apalpam-","apalpaste","e-apalpou","tateando","tateia","tâteam"]·RU["и-обыскал","обыскал-ты","ощупывает","ощупывать","ощупывают","ощупывают-"]·ES["Palpan","a-tientas","andan-a-tientas","palpa","palpaste","y-palpó"]·SW["anapapasa","na-akapapasa","umepapasa","unapapasa","wanapapasa"]·TR["aradın","el-yordamla-arar","el-yordamla-arayan","el-yordamıyla-ararlar","el-yordarlar-","ve-aradı"]·urd["اور-ٹٹولا","ٹٹولا-تُو-نے","ٹٹولتا-ہوا","ٹٹولتا-ہے","ٹٹولتے-ہیں"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. cause to feel, let touch — To cause or allow someone to feel or touch (Hifil causative). Samson's request—'let me feel the pillars'—uses this stem twice (Judg 16:26), as does the darkness plague that could be 'caused to be felt' (Exod 10:21). Spanish 'hazme palpar' ('make me feel') precisely captures the causative force, distinguishing this from voluntary touching. 3×
AR["(وَ-أَلْمِسْنِي)","[والمسني]","وَ-يُلْمَسُ"]·ben["এবং-স্পর্শ-করা-যায়","এবং-স্পর্শ-করাও","এবং-স্পর্শ-করাও-আমাকে"]·DE["[und-lass-mich-feel]","und-lass-eins-feel","und-lass-mich-feel"]·EN["[and-let-me-feel]","and-let-me-feel","and-let-one-feel"]·FR["[et-que-moi-feel]","et-que-moi-feel","et-que-un-sentir"]·heb["ו-המשני","ו-ימש"]·HI["(और-छूने-दे-मुझे)","[और-छुला-मुझे]","और-छूआ-जाए"]·ID["[qere]","dan-biarlah-aku-meraba","dan-terasa"]·IT["[e-lasciare-me-sentire]","e-lasciare-me-sentire","e-let-uno-feel"]·jav["(lan-purupen-kawula)","[lan-purupen-kawula]","lan-saged-dipun-grayang"]·KO["그리고-느껴지게-하라","그리고-느끼게-해-줘라-나를","그리고-느끼게-해주소서-나를"]·PT["(e-deixa-me-sentir)","[e-deixa-me-tatear]","e-apalpará"]·RU["(и-дай-мне-ощупать)","[и-дай-мне-ощупать]","и-ощутима"]·ES["hazme-palpar","y-hazme-palpar","y-palparán"]·SW["(na-niguze)","[na-niguze]","na-iwe-nzito"]·TR["dokundur-beni","ve-dokundur-beni","ve-dokunsun"]·urd["[ketiv]","اور-محسوس-کرا-مجھے","اور-ٹٹولا-جائے"]
3. feel, touch physically — To feel or touch physically with the hands (Qal basic stem), direct tactile contact. Found only in the Jacob-Isaac deception narrative: Isaac fears Jacob's smooth skin will betray him (Gen 27:12), then reaches out and feels him (Gen 27:22). Spanish 'palpó/palpará' and German 'betastete' both convey deliberate, exploratory touch—not groping, but careful examination. 2×
AR["وَ-تَحَسَّسَهُ","يَتَحَسَّسُني"]·ben["আমাকে-স্পর্শ-করবেন","আর-তাঁকে-স্পর্শ-করলেন"]·DE["betastet-mich","und-betastete-ihn"]·EN["and-felt-him","will-feel-me"]·FR["--sentir-moi","et-sentit-lui"]·heb["ו-ימשהו-ו","ימשני-י"]·HI["और-छूआ-उसे","छूएगा-मुझे"]·ID["akan-meraba-aku","dan-merabanya"]·IT["e-felt-lui","will-feel-me"]·jav["lan-panjenenganipun-ngraos","rama-kula-ngraos"]·KO["그리고-만졌다-그를","만질-것이다-나를"]·PT["apalpe-me","e-apalpou-o"]·RU["и-ощупал-его","ощупает-меня"]·ES["me-palpará","y-lo-palpó"]·SW["atanigusa","na-akamgusa"]·TR["dokunur-bana","ve-dokundu-ona"]·urd["اور-چھوا-اُسے","چھوئے-مجھے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מָשַׁשׁ] vb. feel, grope (NH id. Pi; Arabic مَسَّ fell; Ethiopic መርሰሰ: Di166; Aramaic ܡܰܫ, מְשַׁשׁ Pa., Palp.—v. also ימשׁ, II. מושׁ);— Qal Impf. 3 ms. sf. יְמֻשֵּׁנִי Gn 27:12 perhaps my father will feel me; וַיְמֻשֵּׁהוּ v 22 and he felt of him (both J). Pi. Pf. 2 ms. מִשַּׁשְׁתָּ; Impf. 3 ms. יְמַשֵּׁשׁ Dt 28:29, וַיְמַשֵּׁשׁ Gn 31:34; 3 mpl. יִמַשִׁשׁוּ Jb 5:14; 12:25; Pt. מְמַשֵּׁשׁ Dt…