H5774a H5774a
Fly, soar; to move swiftly through the air; also to grow faint or exhausted; to brandish
Primarily denoting flight through the air, this verb describes the swift movement of birds (Gen 1:20), seraphim (Isa 6:2), and God himself riding on the wind (2 Sam 22:11). Metaphorically, riches 'fly away' like an eagle (Prov 23:5) and life vanishes like a dream that 'flies off' (Job 20:8). A second, homonymous root surfaces in Judges and Samuel with the meaning 'grow faint' or 'become exhausted,' as when Sisera's host or Jonathan's soldiers flagged in battle. The Piel and Hifil stems intensify and causativize the flight imagery, while one striking occurrence in Ezekiel describes the brandishing of a sword.
3. sense 3 — The 'flying serpent' (saraph me'opheph) of Isa 14:29 and 30:6 — a mythological or zoological creature of the Negev wilderness. Spanish 'volador' ('flying one') and the English 'fiery serpent' point to a winged venomous creature. These two occurrences combine flight imagery with the dangerous serpent motif unique to Isaiah's oracles against Philistia and Egypt. 2×
AR["طَائِرٌ","طَيَّارٍ"]·ben["উড়ন্ত","নাগ"]·DE["[מעופף]"]·EN["fiery-serpent","serpent"]·FR["voler"]·heb["מעופף"]·HI["उड़ता-हुआ","उड़ने-वाला"]·ID["yang-terbang"]·IT["volare"]·jav["ingkang-mabur"]·KO["나는","불뽀라"]·PT["que-voa","voadora"]·RU["летающий","летучий"]·ES["volador"]·SW["anayeruka","arukaye"]·TR["ejderha","ucan"]·urd["اڑنے-والا"]
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
1. to fly (Qal) — Basic Qal flight: physical movement through the air by birds, winged creatures, or metaphorical subjects. The flying scroll of Zech 5:1 and the sparrow's aimless flight in Prov 26:2 exemplify literal usage. Spanish 'voló/volarán' and French cognates consistently render aerial motion. Ps 18:10 pictures God soaring on cherub-wings, extending the image to theophany. 19×
AR["(يَطِيرُ)","[ويطير]","أَطيرُ","تَطِيرُ","حَائِمَةٍ","طَائِرًا","طَائِرٌ","طَيَرانًا","فَنَطِيرُ","لِلطَّيَرانِ","وَ-طَارَ","وَ-يَطِيرُونَ","وَطَارَ","يَطيرونَ","يَطِيرُ"]·ben["-উড়তে","[কেতীব]","উচ্চে","উড়ছে","উড়ন্ত","উড়িয়ে-যাব-আমি","উড়ে","উড়ে-যাবে","এবং-আমরা-উড়ে-যাই","এবং-উড়লেন","এবং-উড়ে-যায়","ও-উড়বে","ও-উড়ে-এল","তারা-উড়বে","যারা-উড়ে","যে-উড়ে","সে-উড়ে-যাবে"]·DE["[ויעף]","[ועפו]","[עפות]","[תעופינה]","fliegen","flies","floh","und-He-flew","und-fliegen","und-floh"]·EN["I-would-fly-away","[and-flies]","and-He-flew","and-flew","and-flies","and-flies-away","and-they-will-swoop","and-we-fly-away","flies","fly","flying","for-flying","he-flies-away","hovering","that-flies","they-fly","upward"]·FR["[אעופה]","[ויעף]","[ונעפה]","[יעוף]","et-Il-flew","et-il-s'est-envolé","et-voler","flies","ils-voleront","volant","voler","à-voler"]·heb["(יעוף)","[ועיף]","אעופה","ו-יעוף","ו-יעף","ו-נעופה","ו-עפו","יעוף","יעופו","ל-עוף","עוף","עפה","עפות","תעוף","תעופינה"]·HI["(उड़ेगा)","[और-उड़ेगा]","उड़ता-है","उड़ती","उड़ती-हुई","उड़ते-हुए","उड़ते-हैं","उड़ान","और-उड़-जाती-है","और-उड़ा","और-उड़ेंगे","और-हम-उड़-जाते-हैं","जो-उड़ता-है","वह-उड़-जाएगा","वे-उड़ेंगे"]·ID["(ia-terbang)","Dan-terbang","[dan-terbang]","dan-Dia-terbang","dan-kami-terbang","dan-terbang","dan-terbang.","ia-terbang","mereka-terbang","terbang","tinggi","untuk-terbang","yang-terbang"]·IT["e-He-flew","e-[and-flies]","e-flies","e-volare","e-volo'","egli-flies-via","flies","per-per-flying","upward","vola","volare","volo'"]·jav["Lan-mabur","Nanging-piyambakipun-badhé-mabur","badé-mabur","ingkang-mabur","lan-kita-mabur","lan-mabur","mabur","nutupi","saha-mibur","sami-mabur"]·KO["(날아가리라)","[그리고-날아가리라]","그리고-날아가도다","그리고-날았다","그리고-날았도다","나는","날리라","날아","날아가고","날아가나이다","날아가는","날아가리이다","날아오는","날아오는가","날아오니","날았도다"]·PT["E-voarão","E-voou","[e-voa]","e-voa","e-voamos","e-voou","para-voar","que-voa","voa","voam","voando","voaria","voará","voarão","vôo"]·RU["[ктив:и-улетит]","вверх","и-полетел","и-полетят","и-прилетел","и-улетаем-мы","и-улетела","летает","летать","летающие","летят","летящей","летящий","улетел-бы","улетит"]·ES["(volará)","Y-volarán","Y-voló","[y-volará]","para-volar","que-vuela","que-vuelan","volando","volará","volaría","vuelan","vuele","y-volamos","y-voló","y-vuela"]·SW["(huruka)","Na-akaruka","Na-wataruka","[na-kuruka]","ataruka","huruka","kuruka","linaruka","na-akaruka","na-anaruka","na-tunaruka","ningeruka","urukao","wanaruka"]·TR["(uçar)","[ve-uçar]","ucan","ucuyorlar","uçan","uçar","uçarlar","uçmak","uçup-giderdim","ve-ucacaklar","ve-uctu","ve-uçtu","ve-uçup-gidiyoruz"]·urd["اور-اُڑ-جاتی-ہے","اور-اُڑ-جاتے-ہیں-ہم","اور-اُڑا","اور-اُڑیں-گے","اُڑ جائے گا","اُڑ-جاؤں","اُڑ-جاتا-ہے","اُڑتا-ہوا","اُڑتی-ہے","اُڑتے-ہیں","اُڑتے-ہیں-جو","اڑتا-ہے","اڑتے-ہوئے","اڑنے","جو-اُڑتا-ہے"]
2. to grow faint, become exhausted (Qal) — A distinct homonymous root meaning to grow faint or become exhausted, appearing in battle narratives. Judg 4:21 describes Sisera in deep exhaustion; 1 Sam 14:28, 31 show Jonathan's troops fainting from hunger. Spanish 'agotado' ('exhausted') and 'se cansó' ('grew tired') confirm this is physical depletion, not flight. The semantic gulf from sense 1 suggests a separate etymological origin. 4×
AR["فَأَعْيَا","وَ-أَعْيَا","وَ-مُتْعَبٌ"]·ben["আর-ক্লান্ত","এবং-অচেতন-হল","এবং-ক্লান্ত-হলেন"]·DE["und-er-grew-weary","und-exhausted","und-sie-grew-faint"]·EN["and-exhausted","and-he-grew-weary","and-they-grew-faint"]·FR["et-exhausted","et-il-grandit-weary","et-ils-grandit-faint"]·heb["ו-יעף","ו-עייף","ו-עיף"]·HI["और-थक-गए","और-थक-गया","और-थका"]·ID["dan-lelah","dan-lemahlah-ia","dan-lesu"]·IT["e-egli-crebbe-stanco","e-essi-crebbe-faint","e-exhausted"]·jav["lan-kesel","lan-kèsèl","lan-sayah"]·KO["그리고-기진하였다","그리고-지쳤다","그리고-피곤해졌다"]·PT["e-cansou","e-esmoreceu","e-exausto"]·RU["и-изнемог","и-изнурённый","и-устал"]·ES["y-agotado","y-estaba-débil","y-se-cansó"]·SW["na-akachoka","na-alikuwa-amechoka","na-wakachoka"]·TR["ve-bitkin-düştü","ve-yoruldu"]·urd["اور-بیہوش","اور-تھک-گیا","اور-تھکے-ہوئے-تھے"]
4. to cause to fly (Hifil) — Hifil causative: to cause one's eyes to 'fly' toward riches (Prov 23:5), meaning to fix eager attention on wealth that will sprout wings and vanish. Spanish '¿harás volar?' ('will you make fly?') captures the causative force. Both occurrences appear in the same verse, creating a wordplay between setting eyes and watching wealth take flight. 2×
AR["(هَلْ-تُطِيرُ)","[تطير]"]·ben["[কেতীব]","তুমি-কি-উড়াবে"]·DE["fliegen"]·EN["[do-you-set]","do-you-set"]·FR["voler"]·heb["(ה-תעיף)","[התעוף]"]·HI["(उड़ाएगा)","[उड़ाएगा]"]·ID["(Apakah-engkau-menatap)","[Apakah-engkau-menatap]"]·IT["[do-voi-set]","fare-voi-porre"]·jav["punapa-badé-mabur"]·KO["(날리겠느냐)","[날리겠느냐]"]·PT["Farás-voar","[Voarão]"]·RU["[ктив:устремишь-ли]","устремишь-ли"]·ES["(¿harás-volar)","[harás-volar]"]·SW["(ukiitazama)","[ukiitazama]"]·TR["(uçuracak-mısın)","[uçuracak-mısın]"]·urd["گڑائے-گا-کیا-تو"]
5. to fly about, dart (Piel) — Piel intensive: sustained or repeated flying, as the swarming creatures that fly across the firmament (Gen 1:20) and the seraphim hovering above the divine throne (Isa 6:2). Spanish 'volaba' and 'vuele' reflect continuous aerial activity. The Piel intensification suggests darting, fluttering flight rather than a single trajectory. 2×
AR["يَطِيرُ"]·ben["উড়ত","উড়ুক"]·DE["[יעופף]","sollen-fliegen"]·EN["he-flies","let-fly"]·FR["que-mouche","voler"]·heb["יעופף","עף"]·HI["उड़ें","वह-उड़ता-था"]·ID["biarlah-terbang","ia-terbang"]·IT["let-mosca","volare"]·jav["mugi-mabur","piyambakipun-mabur"]·KO["날아다니라","날았도다"]·PT["voava","voe"]·RU["да-летает","летал"]·ES["volaba","vuele"]·SW["aliruka","waruke"]·TR["ucuyordu","uçsun"]·urd["اُڑیں","وہ-اُڑتا-تھا"]
6. sense 6 — A unique Polel usage at Ezek 32:10: 'when I brandish my sword before them.' The root's aerial motion is transferred to the arc of a swinging blade. Spanish 'cuando yo blanda' ('when I brandish') and the Hebrew infinitive construct be'ophephi show the flight metaphor applied to weaponry, a hapax semantic extension. 1×
AR["عِنْدَ-تَلْوِيحِي"]·ben["যখন-আমি-ঝুলাব"]·DE["[בעופפי]"]·EN["when-I-brandish"]·FR["[בעופפי]"]·heb["ב-עופפי"]·HI["में-मेरे-घुमाने"]·ID["ketika-Aku-mengayunkan"]·IT["volare"]·jav["nalika-Kawula-ngobataken"]·KO["에-내가-휘두를-때에"]·PT["quando-brandir"]·RU["когда-взмахну"]·ES["cuando-yo-blanda"]·SW["ninapoipepea"]·TR["salladığımda"]·urd["اُڑاتے-ہوئے-میں"]
7. sense 7 — Hitpolel at Hos 9:11: Ephraim's glory 'shall fly away' like a bird — a metaphor for the swift, irreversible departure of national honor. Spanish 'volará' and English 'shall fly away' both convey sudden vanishing. The reflexive-intensive stem underscores the totality of the loss, distinguishing this from simple Qal flight. 1×
AR["يَطيرُ"]·ben["উড়ে-যাবে"]·DE["fliegen"]·EN["shall-fly-away"]·FR["[יתעופף]"]·heb["יתעופף"]·HI["उड़-जाएगा"]·ID["terbang"]·IT["volare"]·jav["mabur"]·KO["날아가리라"]·PT["voará"]·RU["улетит"]·ES["volará"]·SW["utaruka"]·TR["uçacak"]·urd["اُڑ-جائے-گی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. עוּף vb. fly (NH id., (rare) flicker, flutter, עוֹף fowl; Aramaic עוֹפָא, ܥܰܘܦܳܐ id.; Ethiopic ዖፍ id.; Arabic عَوْفٌ augury, from birds (cf. WeHeid. 2, 202), fortune, عيف, عَافَ practice augury, عَاىَٔفٌ augur; also عوف, عَاَفَ fly about, of birds);— Qal Pf. 3 mpl. וְעָפוּ consec. Is 11:14; Impf. 3 ms. יָעוּף Jb 20:8 ψ 91:5 + Pr 23:5b Qr (> Kt ועוף [van d. H.], or ועיף [Ginsb]); וַיָּעֹ֑ף 2…