H5968 H5968
to cover, enwrap; to faint or swoon from exhaustion; reflexively, to wrap or veil oneself
This verb spans a striking semantic arc from physical covering to loss of consciousness. In the Pual, it describes ivory 'encrusted with' sapphires (Song 5:14) and people 'enshrouded' or swooning at street corners from famine (Isa 51:20). The Hithpael captures Tamar wrapping herself in a veil as disguise (Gen 38:14) and Jonah fainting from the scorching east wind (Jonah 4:8). The common thread is envelopment — whether by fabric, precious stone, or overwhelming physical sensation. The Arabic cognate ghalafa ('to sheathe, cover') confirms the root meaning.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To cover, encrust, or overlay a surface, as in Song 5:14 where the beloved's body is described as ivory set or 'covered with' sapphires. The Pual passive form emphasizes the resulting state of being overlaid. Spanish 'cubierta' ('covered') and French 'couvert' directly reflect this concrete sense of physical surface covering. The Arabic cognate ghalafa ('to sheathe') and Assyrian elpitu support a primary meaning of envelopment or encasing. 5×
AR["تُغْشَى-عَلَيْهِنَّ", "غُشِيَ-عَلَيْهِمْ", "فَ-غُشِيَ-عَلَيْهِ", "مِعُلِّفِت", "وَ-تَلَفَّفَتْ"]·ben["অজ্ঞান-হয়েছে", "আর-জড়িয়ে-নিল", "এবং-অজ্ঞান-হল", "ঢাকা", "মূর্ছিত-হবে"]·DE["[ויתעלף]", "[מעלפת]", "[עלפו]", "[תתעלפנה]", "und-verhüllte-sich"]·EN["and-he-fainted", "and-wrapped-herself", "covered-with", "have-fainted", "will-faint"]·FR["[עלפו]", "couvert", "et-languir", "et-wrapped-elle-même", "languir"]·heb["ו-יתעלף", "ו-תתעלף", "מעולפת", "עולפו", "תתעלפנה"]·HI["और-मूर्छित-हुआ", "और-लपेटी", "बेहोश-हुए", "मढ़ी-हुई", "मूर्छित-हो-जाएँगी"]·ID["dan-ia-berkerudung", "dan-ia-hampir-pingsan;", "dihiasi", "pingsan"]·IT["[ויתעלף]", "[עלפו]", "[תתעלפנה]", "covered-with", "e-avvolse-se-stessa"]·jav["kang-dipuntutup", "lan-nutup-piyambakipun", "lan-semaput", "sami-semaput", "sampun-kekliruan"]·KO["그리고-기절했으니라", "그리고-두르고", "기절하리라", "기절하여", "덮인"]·PT["coberta-de", "desmaiaram", "desmaiarão", "e-desmaiou", "e-envolveu-se"]·RU["и-закуталась", "и-ослабел", "истомятся", "лишились-чувств", "покрытое"]·ES["cubierta", "desfallcerán", "desfallecieron", "y-se-desmayo", "y-se-envolvió"]·SW["iliyofunikwa", "na-akajifunika", "na-akazimia", "wamezimia", "watazirai"]·TR["bayildilar", "bayılacaklar", "kapli", "ve-bayıldı", "ve-sardı-kendini"]·urd["اور-بیہوش-ہو-گیا", "اور-لپیٹی", "بے-ہوش-ہوں-گی", "بےہوش-ہوئے", "مُنڈھی-ہوئی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [עָלַף] vb. cover (NH id., cover, faint; Arabic غَلَفَ smear, ii. cover, غِلَافٌ sheath; Assyrian elpitu, pining, exhaustion);— Pu. Pt. f. covered, encrusted, cstr. מְעֻלֶּפֶת Ct 5:14 his belly of ivory encrusted with sapphires. Pf. 3 pl. בָּנַיִךְ עֻלְּפוּ Is 51:20 thy sons are enshrouded, enwrapped, i.e. their senses obscured = have swooned away; so also Ez 31:15, reading 3 fs. עֻלָּ֑פָה for…