H5595 H5595
To sweep away, snatch up, destroy; also to add or heap up; in Nifal, to be swept away or perish.
This verb captures the terrifying image of sudden, indiscriminate destruction — like a storm sweeping everything in its path. Abraham's famous intercession in Genesis 18:23-24 hinges on it: 'Will you really sweep away (תִּסְפֶּה) the righteous with the wicked?' The Spanish 'barrerá' (will sweep) and German 'hinwegraffen' (snatch away) both convey the violence. A second root (ספה II) means 'to add or heap up,' seen when God declares 'I will heap calamities upon them' (Deut 32:23). The Nifal passive — 'be swept away' — dominates in warnings about sharing the fate of the wicked, as when Lot was urged to flee Sodom lest he 'be swept away' (Gen 19:15).
Senses
1. be swept away, perish — Nifal passive meaning to be swept away, consumed, or destroyed — often in the context of perishing alongside the guilty. Genesis 19:15 and 19:17 use this urgently as angels warn Lot to flee 'lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.' The Spanish 'seas-barrido' (you be swept) and 'fueron-consumidas' (they were consumed) show the passive force. In Numbers 16:26 the congregation is warned away from Korah's tents for the same reason. This is the most frequent sense in the Hebrew Bible. 9×
AR["أَهلِكُ","تُكْتَسَحُوا","تُكْتَسَحُونَ","تُهْلَكَ","فَنِيَتْ","مُنْهَزِمًا","هالِكٌ","وَيَهلِكُ"]·ben["এবং-নিশ্চিহ্ন-হবে","তোমরা-ধ্বংস-হবে","ধ্বংস-হওয়া","নিশ্চিহ্ন-হব","ভস্ম-হও","যে-ধ্বংস-হয়","সংগ্রহ-হল","সরিয়ে-নেওয়া-হবে"]·DE["[נספה]","[ספתה]","du-hinweggerafft-wirst","du-sein-swept-weg","du-wird-sein-gekehrt-weg","ich-wird-sein-gekehrt-weg","und-sein-gekehrt-weg"]·EN["I-will-be-swept-away","and-be-swept-away","are-swept-away","being-swept-away","that-which-is-swept-away","you-be-swept-away","you-will-be-swept-away"]·FR["[נספה]","enlever","et-être-swept-au-loin","je-fera-être-swept-au-loin","périr","tu-fera-être-swept-au-loin","tu-être-swept-au-loin","tu-être-swept-away"]·heb["אספה","ו-נספה","נספה","ספתה","תספה","תספו"]·HI["और-नाश-होगा","तु-नअश-हो","तुम-भी-समाप्त-हो-जाओ","नष्ट-होता-है","नाश-होगे","भगाने","मित-जौनग","समाप्त-हो-गए"]·ID["akan-tersapu","aku-akan-binasa","dan-dia-akan-binasa","disapu","engkau-binasa","habis","kamu-tersapu","yang-disapu"]·IT["[נספה]","e-essere-spazzò-via","io-vorrà-essere-spazzò-via","quello-quale-è-swept-via","spazzare-via","tu-essere-swept-away","tu-essere-swept-via","tu-vorrà-essere-spazzò-via"]·jav["badhe-kasirnakaken","kang-dilebur","kasirna","kula-badhé-sirna","lan-sirna","panjenengan-dipunsapu","panjenengan-sadaya-dipun-sap","risak"]·KO["그리고-쓸려가리라","내가멸망하리라","너희가-쓸려갈-것이다","쓸려-버렸다","쓸려갈-것이다","휘쓸린-자-가","휘쓸림"]·PT["e-perecerá","foram-arrebatados","quem-é-consumido","sejais-consumidos","sejas-varrido","sendo-varrido","serei-arrebatado","sereis-varridos"]·RU["быть-сметаемым","быть-уничтоженными","гибнущий","и-погибнет","погиб-ты","погибли","погибнете","погибну"]·ES["arrebatado","fueron-consumidas","seas-barrido","ser-consumido","seré-barrido","seréis-consumidos","seáis-arrasados","y-perecerá"]·SW["-mkafagiliwa","kuangamizwa","mtaangamizwa","na-atafagiliwa","nitaondolewa","utaangamiza","wameangamizwa","yanayofagiliwa"]·TR["silindiğin","süprülen","süpürülürsünüz","sürüklenirsin","tükendi","ve-ölür","yok-edileceğim","yok-olacaksınız"]·urd["اور-فنا-ہوگا۔","برباد","بھاگنا","تم-کھپ-جاؤ","فنا-ہو-جاؤ-گے","فنا-ہو-گئے","فنا-ہوں-گا","مٹ-جائے"]
2. sweep away, destroy — Qal active meaning to sweep away or destroy, used of catastrophic or divine judgment upon persons or places. Abraham's plea in Genesis 18:23 — 'will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?' — is the paradigmatic instance. Isaiah 7:20 extends it to shaving: the Lord will 'sweep away' the beard with a hired razor, a metaphor for thoroughgoing devastation. The German 'hinwegraffen' (snatch away) vividly captures the totality of the destruction. 5×
AR["تَحلِقُ","تُهْلِكُ","لِيُهْلِكوها","يُضَافَ"]·ben["ধ্বংস-করতে-তাকে","ধ্বংস-করবে","মুড়িয়ে-দেবে","যোগ-করা-হয়"]·DE["[תספה]","hinwegraffen","zu-sweep-weg","zu-vernichten-es"]·EN["it-will-sweep-away","to-destroy-it","to-sweep-away","will-You-destroy"]·FR["--Tu-détruire","périr","à-balayer","à-sweep-away"]·heb["ל-ספות-ה","ספות","תספה"]·HI["तु-नअश-करेग","नाश-करने-को-उसे","बहाने-को","वह-हटाएगा"]·ID["akan-dihabiskan","membinasakan-Engkau","menambahkan"]·IT["a-sweep-via","distrusse","spazzare-via","will-Tu-distruggere"]·jav["badhé-dipunsingkiraken","kanggé-nyirnakaken","nambahi","nyapu","panjenengan-nyapu"]·KO["-멸망시키기-위해-그것-을","멸하시겠나이까","밀으시리라","쓸어-버리려고"]·PT["consumirá","destruirás","para-destruí-la","varrer"]·RU["погубить","погубить-её","погубишь","снимет"]·ES["añadir","barrerá","destruirás","para-destruirla"]·SW["itafagilia","kuiangamiza","kuongeza","utaharibu"]·TR["eklemek","kesilecek","yok-edecek-misin","yok-etmek-için-onu"]·urd["صاف-کر-دے-گا","ملانے","مٹا-دے-گا","مٹانے-کے-لئے"]
3. add, join to — A distinct root (ספה II) meaning to add, join to, or augment. In Numbers 32:14, the Reubenites and Gadites are warned not to 'add yet more' to God's anger. Isaiah 30:1 condemns those who 'add sin to sin,' and Jeremiah 7:21 sarcastically says 'add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices.' The French 'à-ajouter' and German 'zu-hinzufuegen' clearly distinguish this sense from the destructive meanings. Isaiah 29:1 ('add year to year') likewise belongs here. 4×
AR["أَضِيفُوا","ضُمُّوا","لِـ-تُضِيفُوا","يُضِيفُوا"]·ben["যোগ-কর","যোগ-করতে","যোগ-করো"]·DE["[ספו]","[ספות]","zu-hinzufuegen"]·EN["add","sin","to-add"]·FR["périr","à-ajouter"]·heb["הוסיפו","ל-ספות","ספו","ספות"]·HI["जोड़ने-के-लिए","जोड़ने-को","जोड़ो"]·ID["menambahkan","tambahkanlah","tambahlah","untuk-menambah"]·IT["a-aggiungere","spazzare-via"]·jav["kangge-nambah","nambahi","tambahna","tambahnana"]·KO["더하라","더하려-함이라","더하려고"]·PT["acrescentai","acrescentar","para-acrescentar"]·RU["добавить","добавьте","прибавлять"]·ES["añadid","añadir","para-añadir"]·SW["Ongezeni","kuongeza","ongezeni"]·TR["-için-artırmak","eklemek-icin","ekleyin"]·urd["بڑھانے-کو","شامل-کرو","شامل-کریں"]
4. be caught, overtaken — Nifal participial meaning to be caught, overtaken, or seized — implying pursuit and capture rather than mere destruction. Isaiah 13:15 says 'everyone who is caught (הַנִּסְפֶּה) will fall by the sword,' describing those overtaken by the conquering army. The Spanish 'el-alcanzado' (the one overtaken) highlights the chase-and-capture nuance that sets this apart from the general 'be swept away' of sense 1. 1×
AR["الْمُلْحَقِ"]·ben["-যাকে-ধরা-হবে"]·DE["[הנספה]"]·EN["the-caught"]·FR["périr"]·heb["ה-נספה"]·HI["पकड़ा-गया"]·ID["-yang-tertangkap"]·IT["spazzare-via"]·jav["ingkang-kacekel"]·KO["붙잡히는-자는"]·PT["o-que-for-apanhado"]·RU["схваченный"]·ES["el-alcanzado"]·SW["anayekamatwa"]·TR["yakalanan"]·urd["پکڑا-جانے-والا"]
5. heap up, gather together — Hifil causative meaning to heap up or accumulate — specifically of piling calamities upon someone. Deuteronomy 32:23, in the Song of Moses, has God declare 'I will heap (אַסְפֶּה) evils upon them.' The Spanish 'amontonaré' (I will pile up) and French 'je-fera-heap' capture the image of disasters stacked one upon another. This causative use turns the sweeping-away image into deliberate, measured accumulation of judgments. 1×
AR["أَجْمَعُ"]·ben["জড়ো-করব"]·DE["ich-wird-Haufen"]·EN["I-will-heap"]·FR["je-fera-heap"]·heb["אספה"]·HI["इकट्ठा-करूँगा"]·ID["Aku-mengumpulkan"]·IT["io-fara-cumulo"]·jav["Kawula-numpuk"]·KO["내가-쌓으리라"]·PT["Amontoarei"]·RU["Соберу"]·ES["amontonaré"]·SW["Nitawakusanyia"]·TR["yığacağım"]·urd["جمع-کروںگا-میں"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)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×)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×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [סָפָה] vb. sweep or snatch away, catch up (NH ספי, סָפָא collect (rare), 𝔊 סְפִי (rare), Syriac ܣܦܳܐ collect, pick up; Arabic سَفَا of wind, raise dust and carry it away Lane1377 [v. שָׁפָה]);— Qal 1. intrans.: Pf. 3 fs. סָֽפְתָה Je 12:4 be snatched away (read poss. סָ֫פָה [סוף]). 2. trans.: Impf. 3 fs. תִּסְפֶּה Is 7:20 sweep away beard; 2 ms. תִּסְפֶּה Gn 18:23, 24 sweep away…