H5606a H5606a
To strike, slap, or clap (hands or thigh); extended to clasping hands in alliance or splashing about in water.
At its core a verb of sharp physical contact -- the crack of palm against palm or hand against thigh. It covers the full emotional register of clapping: Balak claps his hands in fury (Num 24:10), the nations clap in mockery over Jerusalem's fall (Lam 2:15), and Jeremiah strikes his thigh in remorse (Jer 31:19). Spanish renders the hostile gesture as 'batir palmas' (beat palms), while the celebratory mockery at Nineveh's fall draws 'aplauden' (applaud, Nah 3:19). Two rare extensions push beyond this core: in Isaiah 2:6, the Hiphil describes clasping hands with foreigners to seal alliances, and in Ezekiel 47:2, the rising waters of the temple vision reach the point of splashing or wading.
Senses
1. clap, strike (hands/body) — The primary Qal meaning: to strike, slap, or clap -- the hands together in anger (Num 24:10), in scorn (Job 27:23; 34:37), or against the thigh in grief and repentance (Jer 31:19; Ezek 21:17). Passersby clap over Jerusalem's ruin (Lam 2:15). Spanish 'batir palmas' and 'aplaudir' distinguish scornful from celebratory clapping, while Job 34:26 extends to God striking the wicked -- a punitive slap. 7×
AR["اصْفِقْ","صَفَقْتُ","صَفَّقُوا","وَ-صَفَقَ","يَضرِبُهُم","يُصَفِّقُ"]·ben["আঘাত-কর","আঘাত-করেছিলাম-আমি","এবং-সে-চাপড়-দিল","চপেটাঘাত-মারেন-তাদের","চাপড়-মারে","তিনি-তালি-বাজাবেন","হাততালি-দিয়েছে"]·DE["[יספוק]","[ישפק]","[ספק]","[ספקו]","[ספקם]","[ספקתי]","und-schlug-together"]·EN["Clap","He-claps","He-strikes-them","I-struck","and-struck-together","he-claps","strike"]·FR["[ספקו]","[ספקתי]","et-frappa-ensemble","frapper-des-mains","יספוק","ישפק","ספקם-eux"]·heb["ו-יספק","יספוק","ספוק","ספקו","ספקם","ספקתי"]·HI["और-पीटा","छाती-पीट","ताली-बजाता-है","ताली-बजाते-हैं","पीटा-मैंने","मारता-है-उन्हें","वह-ताली-बजाएगा"]·ID["Bertepuk-tangan","Ia memukul mereka","aku-menampar","bertepuk-tangan","dan-menepuk","ia bertepuk tangan","tepuklah"]·IT["Egli-strikes-loro-loro","He-claps","[ספק]","[ספקו]","[ספקתי]","e-colpi-insieme","egli-claps"]·jav["Kawula-nuthuk","Keplok-tangan","Panjenengan-ipun-napuk","Piyambakipun-sami-keplok","lan-nepuk","nepuk","piyambak-ipun-keplok-tangan"]·KO["그가-그들을-쳤다","그가-손벽을-친다","그리고-쳤다","쳐네","쳐라","쳐리라","쳤다"]·PT["Bateram-palmas","Baterá","bate","bate-palmas","bati","e-bateu","golpeou-os"]·RU["Хлопали","всплеснёт","и-всплеснул","плещет","поразил-их","ударял-я"]·ES["Aplauden","Batirán-palmas","aplaudirá","golpea","golpeé","los-golpeó","y-golpeó"]·SW["Wamepiga-makofi","Watapiga-makofi","anapiga-makofi","anawapiga","na-akapiga","nilijipiga","piga"]·TR["Alkışladılar","alkışlar","ve-çırptı","vur","vurdu-onları","vurdum","çırpar"]·urd["اور-پیٹا","تالی بجائے گا","تالی بجاتا ہے","تالی-بجاتے","وہ مارتا ہے انہیں","ٹھوک","پیٹا-میں-نے"]
2. clasp hands, make alliance (Hifil) — Hiphil: to clasp or join hands with another person as a gesture of forming an alliance or pact. In Isaiah 2:6, Israel is condemned for clasping hands with foreigners -- Spanish 'se dan la mano' (they give each other the hand) makes the diplomatic handshake gesture explicit. This is a distinct social action, not mere clapping, marking covenant or agreement through physical contact. 1×
AR["يُصَافِحُونَ"]·ben["হাত-মেলায়"]·DE["[ישפיקו]"]·EN["they-clasp-hands"]·FR["[ישפיקו]"]·heb["ישפיקו"]·HI["वे-प्रसन्न-होते-हैं"]·ID["mereka-berjabat-tangan"]·IT["[ישפיקו]"]·jav["piyambakipun-gegandhengan"]·KO["님칠-것이라"]·PT["fazem-aliánças"]·RU["соединяются"]·ES["se-dan-la-mano"]·SW["wanawakaribisha"]·TR["el-sikarlar"]·urd["وہ-ہاتھ-ملاتے-ہیں"]
3. wallow, splash about — A rare extension to splashing or wading through water, used of the rising waters in Ezekiel 47:2 that reach ankle-depth and cause wading. Spanish 'chapotear' (to splash about) captures the playful or laborious flailing motion. The semantic link to the core meaning is the repeated striking motion -- here of limbs against water rather than hands against body. 1×
AR["وَيَصْفَعُ"]·ben["এবং-গড়িয়ে-পড়বে"]·DE["[וספק]"]·EN["and-shall-wallow"]·FR["[וספק]"]·heb["ו-ספק"]·HI["और-लोटेगा"]·ID["dan-berguling-guling"]·IT["[וספק]"]·jav["lan-gumlethak"]·KO["그리고-쳐대였다"]·PT["e-revolver-se-á"]·RU["и-будет-валяться"]·ES["y-chapoteará"]·SW["na-atagaagaa"]·TR["ve-çırpacak"]·urd["اور-لوٹ-پٹے-گا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† סָפַק [I. שָׂפַקִ] vb. slap, clap (NH Pi. id.; Arabic سَفَقَ slap (face), strike (hands) Lane 1373);—Qal Pf. 3 ms. וְסָפַק consec. Je 48:26, sf. סְפָקָם Jb 34:26; 1 s. סָפַ֫קְתִּי Je 31:19; 3 pl. סָֽפְקוּ La 2:15; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׂפֹּק (שׂ subst. for ס) Jb 27:23, יִסְפּוֹק 34:37, הִסְפֹּק Nu 24:10; Imv. ms. סְפֹק Ez 21:17;— 1. slap, sq. עַל־יָרֵךְ on the thigh, in remorse and sorrow Je 31:19 Ez…