H6452b H6452b
limp, hobble, or go lame (physically disabled through injury or birth defect)
This verb captures both the onset of physical lameness (becoming lame through injury) and the ongoing action of limping. The Niph'al in 2 Sam 4:4 describes how Mephibosheth fell and became permanently lame. The Pi'el in 1 Kgs 18:26 depicts the limping dance of Baal's prophets around the altar, while 1 Kgs 18:21 uses a participial form to describe wavering or hobbling metaphorically between two opinions. The multilingual evidence consistently supports physical disability and impaired gait.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The word appears in both literal contexts (Mephibosheth's injury-induced lameness in 2 Sam 4:4) and metaphorical ones (limping between two opinions in 1 Kgs 18:21). The dance of Baal's prophets in 1 Kgs 18:26 may be literal limping as part of a ritual. Spanish cojeáis/cojeó (hobble, limp) and French boitant (limping) confirm the physical disability sense across contexts. 4×
AR["عارِجونَ", "فَعَرِجَ", "وَ-تَرَنَّحوا", "وَالْعُرْجُ"]·ben["আর-খোঁড়া-হলেন", "আর-খোঁড়াদেরকে", "এবং-তারা-লাফিয়ে-বেড়াচ্ছিল", "লংঘিঞ্জা"]·DE["limping", "und-became-lame", "und-der-lame", "und-sie-limped"]·EN["and-became-lame", "and-the-lame", "and-they-limped", "limping"]·FR["boitant", "et-devint-lame", "et-ils-limped", "et-le-lame"]·heb["ו-ה-פיסחים", "ו-יפסח", "ו-פסחו", "פוסחים"]·HI["और-लंगड़ा-हो-गया", "और-लंगड़े", "और-लंगड़ों-ने", "लंगड़े-हो"]·ID["dan-menjadi-pincang", "dan-mereka-timpang", "dan-orang-orang-pincang", "timpang"]·IT["e-divenne-zoppo", "e-essi-zoppicò", "e-il-zoppo", "limping"]·jav["lan-ajeg-ajegan", "lan-pincang", "lan-tiyang-pincang", "pincang"]·KO["그리고-그-절다리들이", "그리고-절뚝거렸다", "그리고-절었다", "절뚝거리느냐"]·PT["e-ficou-coxo", "e-os-coxos", "e-saltavam", "vacilando"]·RU["и-охромел", "и-скакали", "и-хромых", "хромаете"]·ES["cojeáis", "y-cojeó", "y-los-cojos", "y-saltaban"]·SW["akawa-kilema", "mnachechemea", "na-viwete", "na-wakaruka"]·TR["topallayan", "ve-sıçradılar", "ve-topal-oldu", "ve-topallar"]·urd["اور-لنگڑا-ہو-گیا", "اور-لنگڑے", "اور-کودتے-تھے", "لنگڑاتے-ہو"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [פָּסַח] vb. limp (Thes sub I. פ׳, but dub.; Arabic فَسَخَ is dislocate; according to Gerber73 II. פ׳ is denom. from פִּסֵּחַ [and this sub I. פ׳?]);— Qal Pt. pl. פֹּסְחִים עַל־שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים 1 K 18:21 fig. (v. [סְעִפָּה]). Niph. Impf. 3 ms. וַיִּפֹּל וַיִּפָּסֵחַ 2 S 4:4 and he fell and was made limping (lame). Pi. Impf. 3 mpl. וַיְפַסְּחוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ 1 K 18:26 they went…