H8551 H8551
To grasp, support, or hold fast; of physically seizing, upholding someone in strength, or clinging to wisdom and righteousness.
A Hebrew verb rooted in the concrete act of gripping with the hand, yet reaching into the sustained care of God for his people. When Moses' arms grew heavy at Rephidim, Aaron and Hur each took hold of a hand and supported them (Exod 17:12)—the same word the psalmist uses to declare that God's right hand upholds him (Ps 63:8). In Proverbs, wisdom herself becomes the object grasped: 'all who hold her fast are blessed' (Prov 3:18). The Aramaic cognate confirms this core idea of holding fast, while Spanish 'sostenido' and French 'soutenir' both capture the sustaining, load-bearing quality that distinguishes this verb from mere touching.
Senses
1. support, uphold, sustain — To provide sustaining support or physical strength to another person, often used of God upholding the righteous. The psalmist confesses 'my soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me' (Ps 63:8), and the parallel usage in Ps 41:12 shows Yahweh sustaining the integrity of the faithful. Spanish 'sostenido/sustentaste' and German 'aufrecht halten' both capture the vertical, weight-bearing dimension of this support. 8×
AR["أَسْنَدْتُكَ","أَسْنُدُهُ-","أَمسَكَت","تَمَسَّكْتَ","ثَبِّتْ","سَانَدَا","يَتَمَسَّكانِ","يَدْعَمُوهُ-"]·ben["কেউ-তাকে-ধরুক-","তারা-ধারণ-করে","ধরল","ধরে-রাখি-","ধরে-রাখুন","ধরে-রাখে","ধরে-রেখেছি-তোমাকে","ধরেছ"]·DE["[אתמך]","[תמכתיך]","du-aufrecht-halten","hold-hinauf","stuetzt","stuetzte","upholds"]·EN["I-uphold-you","I-will-uphold","You-uphold","hold-up","let-support","supported","they-uphold","upholds"]·FR["[אתמך]","[תמכתיך]","saisir","soutenir","supported"]·heb["אתמוך-","יתמוכו","יתמכו-","תמוך","תמכה","תמכו","תמכת","תמכתיך"]·HI["तूने-थाम-लिया","थामता-हूँ-मैं-","थामा-मैंने-तुझे","थामे","थामे-है","थामें-","थामेंगे","संभाल"]·ID["Aku-menopang-engkau","Topanglah","menopang","menyokong","yang-Aku-topang-"]·IT["[אתמך]","[תמכתיך]","sostenere","sostenne"]·jav["Ingsun-sampun-nyanggi-panjenengan","Nyanggi","Panjenengan-nyanggi","dipunsangga","ingkang-Ingsun-sanggi-","nyangga","nyanggi","nyekel"]·KO["내가-붙드는-","내가-붙들었느니라-너를","받쳤다","붙드셨도다","붙들다","붙들리라","붙들었도다","붙잡으소서"]·PT["Sustenta","o-apoiem-","sustenta","sustentarão.","sustentaste-me","sustento-","sustinham","te-sustentei"]·RU["поддержал","поддержат","поддерживает","поддерживали","поддерживаю-Я-тебя","поддержу","пусть-поддерживают-","утверди"]·ES["ha-sostenido","lo-sostengan-","me-sustentaste","sostener","sostengo","sostenían","sostienen","te-sostengo"]·SW["Tegemeza","msaidie-","nimekutegemeza","ninamtegemeza","umenisimamisha","umenitegemeza","wakaishika","zinakushika"]·TR["destek-verin-","destekle","destekledigim-","desteklediler","destekledim-seni","destekledin","tutarlar","tutuyor"]·urd["تُو-نے-سنبھالا-مجھے","تھامیں","تھامیں گے","تھامے-ہوئے-تھے","سنبھالا","قائم-رکھ","میں-تھامتا-ہوں","میں-نے-تھاما-تجھے"]
2. grasp, take hold of — To physically seize or lay hold of something with the hand, implying a firm, purposeful grip. In Gen 48:17 Joseph grasps his father's hand to redirect the blessing; in Amos 1:5 and 1:8 the participle describes the one who 'holds the scepter,' an image of political authority exercised through the hand. French 'saisir' pinpoints the moment of seizure, while the broader Hebrew usage covers both initial grasping and continued wielding. 6×
AR["أَمْسَكَتا","تُمْسِكُ","فَأَمْسَكَ","مِنْ-الْمَسْكِ","وَ-ماسِكَ"]·ben["আর-সে-ধরল","এবং-দণ্ড-ধারককে","ধরা-থেকে","ধরে","ধরে-রাখেন"]·DE["[מתמך]","hold","stuetzt","und-er-ergriff","und-stuetzt"]·EN["and-grasped","and-the-scepter-holder","from-taking-hold","grasp","hold"]·FR["[מתמך]","et-grasped","et-soutenir","saisir","soutenir"]·heb["ו-יתמך","ו-תוֹמך","מ-תמוך","תומיך","תמכו"]·HI["-से-पकड़ने","और-धारण-करने-वाला","और-पकड़ा","थामतीं","संभालता-है"]·ID["dan-menopang","dan-pemegang","dari-memegang","memegang"]·IT["[מתמך]","e-chi-sostiene","e-grasped","sostenere","sostenne"]·jav["lajeng-nyekel","lan-kang-nyepeng","nyanggi","nyekel","saking-nampi"]·KO["그리고-붙잡았다","그리고-잡는-자를","붙잡다","붙잡으시나이다","에서-잡으려는-"]·PT["de-segurar","e-que-segura","e-segurou","seguram","sustentas"]·RU["держат","и-держащего","и-ухватил","от-держания-","поддерживаешь"]·ES["de-sostener","sostienen","sostienes","y-el-que-sostiene","y-sostuvo"]·SW["hushika","kutoka-kushika","na-akashika","na-ashikaye","unashikilia"]·TR["tutansın","tutar","tutmaktan","ve-tutan","ve-tuttu"]·urd["اور-تھاما","اور-عصا-پکڑنے-والے-کو","تھامے-ہوئے-ہے","پکڑتی-ہیں","پکڑنے-سے"]
3. hold fast, obtain, retain — To cling to or maintain a firm hold on something abstract—wisdom, righteousness, or a chosen path of life. Proverbs employs this sense repeatedly: those who hold fast to wisdom find life (Prov 3:18), the father urges 'let your heart hold fast my words' (Prov 4:4), and even a gracious woman 'obtains honor' through such tenacious retention (Prov 11:16). Spanish 'retenga/obtiene' reveals the dual nuance of both keeping and acquiring. 6×
AR["تَتَمَسَّكُ","تُمْسِكُ","وَ-الْمُسْتَنِدِينَ-إِلَيْهَا","يَتَمَسَّكُ-","يَنالُ","يُمْسِكونَ-"]·ben["আঁকড়ে-ধরে","ও-যারা-সমর্থন-করে-তাকে","ধরে-রাখুক-","ধরে-রাখে","ধরে-রাখে-"]·DE["stuetzt","und-stuetzt"]·EN["and-those-who-hold-her-fast","let-hold-fast","obtain","obtains","take-hold-of","will-obtain"]·FR["et-soutenir-elle","soutenir"]·heb["ו-תומכיה","ייתמכו־","יתמוך","יתמוכו","תיתמוך"]·HI["और-थामनेवालों-उसके","थाम-ले-","थामता","थामते-हैं","धारण-करती-है","धारण-करते-हैं"]·ID["Hendaklah-memegang-","akan-memperoleh","dan-yang-memeluknya","memegang-erat","memegang-erat-"]·IT["e-sostenere-sua","sostenere"]·jav["lan-tiyang-kang-nyekel","nampani","nyekel"]·KO["그리고-그녀-를-지키는-자-들-은","붙잡는다","붙잡다","붙잡아라"]·PT["Segure","e-os-que-a-seguram","retém","retêm","sustentam","sustém"]·RU["«Пусть-удерживает-","держатся.","и-поддерживающие-её -","обретёт","поддерживает","поддерживают-"]·ES["Retenga","obtiene","obtienen","se-dirigen","sostendrá","y-los-que-la-retienen"]·SW["anashika","atashikilia","na-wanaomshikilia","wanashika","ya-shikilie","zi-na-shika"]·TR["kazanır","tutar","tutar-","tutsun-","ve-destekleyenler-onun"]·urd["اور-تھامنے-والے-اُس-کے","تھامتی-ہے","تھامتے-ہیں","تھامے","تھامے-گا","ٹھہرتے-ہیں"]
4. be held fast (Nifal) — Nifal passive: to be caught, seized, or held fast by an external force—particularly the cords of one's own sin. Prov 5:22 warns that the wicked 'will be held fast by the cords of his sin,' turning the active grasping verb into a trap image where the sinner becomes the object gripped. This sole Nifal occurrence transforms the verb's agency entirely. 1×
AR["يُؤْخَذُ"]·ben["ধরা-থাকে"]·DE["stuetzt"]·EN["he-will-be-held-fast"]·FR["soutenir"]·heb["ייתמך"]·HI["बंधा-जाएगा"]·ID["dia-akan-dipegang"]·IT["sostenere"]·jav["kacekel"]·KO["그-가-붙잡힐-것이다"]·PT["será-preso"]·RU["удержан-будет."]·ES["será-detenido"]·SW["a-na-shikiliwa"]·TR["tutulur"]·urd["پکڑا-جائے-گا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [תָּמַךְ] vb. grasp, support, attain (Aramaic תְּמַךְ Pa. hold fast; cf. Ph. and OAramaic תמבאל Ēl hath sustained Lzb386 SAC121 Cooke361);— Qal Pf. 3 fs. תָּֽמְכָה ψ 63:9, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִתְמֹךְ Pr 29:23, 3 mpl. יִתְמֹ֑כוּ Jb 36:17; Pr 5:5, etc.; Inf. abs. תָּמֹךְ ψ 17:5; cstr. תְּמֹךְ Is 33:15; Pt. תּוֹמֵךְ Am 1:5, 8, תּוֹמִיךְ ψ 16:5 (? read -מֵיךְ Ges§ 50 e, or תֹּמֵךְ, cf. Vrss Du; > Ol…