H6617 H6617
to twist, wrestle; in Niphal/Hithpael, to be tortuous, deal crookedly or shrewdly
A verb meaning to twist, with both physical and moral applications. Rachel's declaration 'I have wrestled' (Gen 30:8) uses the Niphal for intense personal struggle. In wisdom literature, the Niphal participle describes the tortuous or crooked — plans of the devious (Job 5:13) and speech that is twisted and perverse (Prov 8:8). The Hithpael in the psalms expresses God's reciprocal response: 'with the crooked you show yourself shrewd' (Ps 18:26; 2 Sam 22:27), matching crookedness with inscrutable wisdom.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To twist, wrestle, or deal tortuously. In the Niphal, it denotes wrestling or struggle (Gen 30:8, Rachel's naming of Naphtali) and moral crookedness — the 'twisted' counsel of the devious (Job 5:13) and speech that is 'tortuous and twisted' (Prov 8:8). In the Hithpael, it describes God's reciprocal dealings: with the crooked He shows Himself shrewd (Ps 18:26; 2 Sam 22:27). Spanish 'sagaz' (shrewd) and French 'pervers' capture the moral-intellectual duality — cunning that can be either wicked or divinely wise. 5×
AR["المُلْتَوينَ", "تَتَصَارَعُ", "تَكُونُ-مُلْتَوِيًا", "صَارَعْتُ", "مُلْتَوٍ"]·ben["আপনি-কুটিলতা-দেখান", "কুটিলদের", "তুমি-বক্র-হবে", "পেঁচানো", "মল্লযুদ্ধ-করেছি"]·DE["You-zeige-Yourself-shrewd", "[נפתל]", "[נפתלים]", "du-show-dich-selbst-shrewd", "habe-ich-gerungen"]·EN["I-wrestled", "You-show-Yourself-shrewd", "the-twisted", "twisted", "you-show-yourself-shrewd"]·FR["Je-lutta", "Tu-montre-Yourself-shrewd", "pervers", "נפתל", "נפתלים"]·heb["נפתל", "נפתלים", "נפתלתי", "תתפל", "תתפתל"]·HI["कुश्ती-की-मैंने", "चतुर-है", "टेढ़ा", "टेढ़ा-होगा", "टेढ़ों-की"]·ID["Engkau-menunjukkan-diri-berliku", "Engkau-menunjukkan-licik", "aku bergulat", "orang-orang-licik", "yang-bengkok"]·IT["You-mostra-Yourself-shrewd", "[תתפתל]", "il-twisted", "io-wrestled", "twisted"]·jav["Panjenengan-nedahaken-karaosan", "Panjenengan-tumindak-bengkong", "bengkong", "kula-sampun-perang", "tiyang-bengkong"]·KO["굽은-자들의", "비뚱어지게-하신다", "비틀어진-것-이", "씨름했다-나는", "지혜롭게-행하시나이다"]·PT["lutei", "mostras-te-astuto", "perversos", "te-mostras-astuto", "tortuoso"]·RU["Ты-изворотлив", "боролась-я", "кривизны", "лукавых", "поступаешь-изворотливо"]·ES["luché", "te-muestras-sagaz", "torcido", "torcidos"]·SW["nimepambana", "uliopindwa", "unajionyesha-mjanja", "utajionyesha-mwerevu", "walio-potovu"]·TR["eğri", "güreştim", "hileli-davranırsın", "sapkınların", "çarpık-göstereceksin-kendini"]·urd["تُو-ٹیڑھا-دکھاتا-ہے", "لڑی-میں-نے", "ٹیڑھا", "پیچیدہ-لوگوں-کا"]
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
† [פָּתַל] vb. twist (NH Pi. and deriv.; Arabic فَتَلَ; Ethiopic ፈተለ:; Aramaic פְּתַל, chiefly deriv., in fig. senses; Syriac ܦܬܰܠ );— Niph. Pf. 1 s. נִפְתַּלְתִּי עִם Gn 30:8 I have wrestled (lit. twisted myself) with; Pt. עֲצַת נִפְתָּלִים Jb 5:13 the plan of the tortuous; נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ Pr 8:8 anything tortuous and twisted. Hithp. Impf. 2 ms. עִם־עִקֵּשׁ תִּתְפַּתָּ֑ל ψ 18:27 with the twisted thou dost deal tortuously = 2 S 22:27 (so read for imposs. תִּתַּפָּ֑ל).