H8419 H8419
Perversity, crookedness — morally twisted speech, conduct, or character, used almost exclusively in Proverbs
This noun, always plural in form, describes what is morally twisted, distorted, or turned upside down — the opposite of straightforward integrity. Proverbs deploys it as a concentrated vocabulary of moral corruption: perverse speech (Prov 2:12; 10:31-32; 23:33), a 'man of perversity' who sows discord (Prov 16:28), and the devising of crooked schemes (Prov 6:14; 16:30). The word's single appearance outside Proverbs is in Moses' Song (Deut 32:20), where Israel is called a 'generation of perversity' — faithless children in whom there is no steadfastness. The root suggests a fundamental inversion of what is right.
Senses
1. perversity / crookedness — Perversity or moral crookedness, always in the plural (tahpukhot), denoting twisted speech, devious conduct, or warped character. Nearly all occurrences cluster in Proverbs, where it describes perverse utterances (Prov 2:12; 10:31-32; 23:33), a tongue of perversity (Prov 10:31), a mouth of perversity (Prov 8:13), a man of perversity who stirs up strife (Prov 16:28, 30), and evil devices (Prov 6:14). The sole non-Proverbial use in Deuteronomy 32:20 labels Israel a 'generation of perversity.' Spanish 'perversidades' and French 'perversité' directly mirror the Hebrew sense of fundamental moral inversion. 10×
AR["أَكَاذِيبُ", "الْأَكَاذِيبِ", "بِأَكَاذِيبِ", "بِالْأَكَاذِيبِ", "بِمُعْوَجاتٍ", "تَقَلُّبَاتٍ", "مَكْرًا", "مَكْرٍ"]·ben["-এ-বিকৃতিতে", "বিকৃত-কথা", "বিকৃতি", "বিকৃতির", "বিপর্যয়", "বিপর্যয়কর"]·DE["Verkehrtheit", "in-Verkehrtheit", "perversions"]·EN["in-the-perversity-of", "perverse-things", "perversions", "perversity", "what-is-perverse"]·FR["dans-perversité", "perversions", "perversité"]·heb["ב-תהפוכות", "תהפוכות"]·HI["टेढ़ाई-में", "टेढ़ापन", "टेढ़ापन-की", "टेढ़ापन-को", "टेढ़ी-बातें", "टेढ़ेपन-का", "विपरीतताओं-की"]·ID["Hal-hal-yang-sesat", "curang", "dalam-hal-hal-yang-sesat", "hal-hal-yang-sesat", "hal-hal-yang-terbalik", "kecurangan", "pemberontakan", "yang-sesat"]·IT["in-perversità", "perversions", "perversità"]·jav["barang-bengkong", "bengkong", "goroh", "ing-goroh", "kang-goroh"]·KO["뒤틀림들의", "비틀어지는-것-의", "비틀어진-것-들-이다", "비틀어진-것-의", "뽐틀어지는-것-들-이", "뽑은-것-들-에", "뽑은-것-을", "패역한", "패역한-것들을"]·PT["Perversidades", "em-perversidades-de", "perversidades"]·RU["Извращённость", "в-извращениях", "извращений", "извращения", "извращённое;", "извращённые", "превратное", "развращённое"]·ES["Perversidades", "de-perversidades", "en-las-perversidades-de", "perversidades"]·SW["cha-ukaidi", "katika-upotovu-wa", "ni-upotovu", "upotovu", "wa-upotovu"]·TR["dönekler", "sapkın", "sapkınlıklar", "sapkınlıkları", "sapkınlıklarında", "sapıklık", "sapıklıklar", "sapıklığın"]·urd["اُلٹی-باتیں", "بیوفا", "تہپوکیں", "ٹیڑھپن-میں", "ٹیڑھی-باتیں", "کجروی", "کجروی-کا", "کجروی-کی"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [תַּהְפֻּכָה] n.f. perversity, perverse thing (only Pr except Dt 32:20)—Pl. abs. תַּהְפֻּכוֹת Dt 32:20 + 8 times; cstr. id. Pr 2:14;—perverse things, particularly utterances Pr 2:12; 10:32; 23:33, cf. פִּי ת׳ 8:13, לְשׁוֹן ת׳ 10:31, and even אִישׁ ת׳ Pr 16:28 (‖ נִרְגָּן slanderer); but also thoughts, devices Pr 6:14; 16:30; דּוֹר ת׳ Dt 32:20 = perverse generation (‖ לֹא־אֵמֻן בָּם), ת׳ רָ֑ע Pr 2:14 (‖ עֲשׂוֹת רָ֑ע).