כַּף

H3709. kaph
כַּף192 noun feminine1Ki 8:54 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic id., Assyrian kappu, hand, pan, kippatu, hollow; Arabic palm, hand) — absolute ׳כ Job 29:9 +, so read probably also Eze 29:7b for כָּתֵף ᵑ0 (ᵑ6 ᵐ5 Sm Co, compare va); כָּ֑ף 2Ki 11:12 +; more often construct כַּף Gen 40:11 +; suffix כַּמִּי Jdg 12:3, כַּמְּךָ Job 13:31, etc.; in Eze 29:7 read כַּף Qr for כפך Kt (so Ew Hi Sm Co Da); dual כַּמַּיִם Isa 49:16 +; construct כַּמֵּי Exo 29:24 (twice in verse) + 3t.; suffix כַּמַּי Gen 20:5 +, כַּמָּיו Num 24:10 +, כַּמֵּיהֶם Isa 59:6 Isa 59:2t., כַּמֵּימוֺ Job 27:23, etc.; plural כַּמּוֺת (especially of soles, and in metaphor senses) absolute Num 4:7 +; construct 2Ki 9:35 +, suffix כַּפֹתָיו Exo 25:29; Exo 37:16; —
1. a. of human beings, hollow or flat of hand, palm, (c. 116 t.) 2Ki 4:34 (twice in verse); פ עַלכּכַּף הַכּוס אֵת ׳נָתַן Gen 40:11, Gen 40:21 (E), set the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh (compare Gen 40:11a בְּיָדִי מַּרְעֹה וְכוֺס), similarly Lev 8:27 (twice in verse) (P) +; עַלכּכַּמּוֺ אֲשֶׁר הַשֶּׁמֶן Lev 14:16-17, Lev 14:18, Lev 14:27, Lev 14:28; as distinguished from wrist and arm, Deu 25:12; rarely with ידים (always כַּכּוֺת), ידיו כַּמּוֺת שְׁתֵּי 1Sa 5:4 (of Dagon), ׳כ הַיָּדַיִם 2Ki 9:35, compare Dan 10:10; הַשְּׂמָאלִית כַּף Lev 14:15, Lev 14:26; note especially כ ׳מְלֹא קֶמַח 1Ki 17:12 a handful of meal (literally palmful), compare Ecc 4:6 (where distinguished from חָפְנַיִם מלא a double fistful; in both these passages of a very small quantity); compare מִן כַּמּוֺ וַיְמַלֵּא Lev 9:17 (reference to קֻמְצוֺ מְלֹא Lev 2:2; Lev 5:12; compare Lev 6:8). In Exo 4:4 (JE), Pro 31:19; Eze 21:16; Psa 129:7, etc., the thought is that of grasping.
b. anthropomorph. of ׳י covering Moses over with his palm, עָלֶיךָ כַמִּי וְשַׂכֹּתִי Exo 33:22 (J), and so figurative (with שׁית) Psa 139:5; withdrawing הֵסִירׅ ( his hand Exo 33:23 (J); removing ׅ הִרְהִּיק ( his afficting hand Job 13:21; אוֺר כִּסָּה עַלכּכַּמַּיִם Job 36:32, i.e. he (God) hath filled his palms with light.
c. once of animals, עַלכּכַּמָּיו הוֺלֵךְ Lev 11:27 going upon their palms, i.e. paws (cats, dogs, etc.).
d. phrases are: — (I) כַּף הִכָּה = clap the hands, in applause 2Ki 11:12 so כ ׳תָּקַע Psa 47:2, כ ׳מָחָא Isa 55:12 (figurative of trees), Psa 98:8 (figurative of rivers); but especially in scorn, contempt, etc., אֶתכַּֿמָּיו סָפַק Num 24:10 (J), כַמֵּ֑ימוֺ עָלֵימוֺ יִשְׂמֹּק Job 27:23; so עלֿ כַּף תָּקַע Nah 3:19, אֶלֿ כַמִּי הִכָּה Eze 22:13 (of ׳י); absolute, בְכַמְּךָהִכָּה Eze 6:11 (as יד מחא Eze 25:6), אֶלכַּֿף כַּף הִכָּה Eze 21:19, אֶלכַּֿמִּי כַמִּי אַכֶּה Eze 21:22 (of ׳י). (2) בַּכַּף תָּפַשׂ grasp, seize with the hand Eze 29:7 compare Eze 29:7 (on text see above) (3) of hand-grasp as pledge כַּמֶּיךָתָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר Pro 6:1 (if) thou hast smitten thy palms (given a double hand-grasp), for another (so De; || לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ עָרַבְתָּ); so absolute כף תקע Pro 17:18; Pro 22:26 (compare ליד תקע Job 17:3). (4) often of hand spread out in prayer, as sign of longing to receive, with אֶלֿ מָּרַשׂ Exo 9:29, Exo 9:33 (J), 1Ki 8:38 2Ch 6:29, etc. (see יד Psa 143:6; Lam 1:17 and יָד 1d, above; also שׁטח נשׂא, פרשׂ,). (5) לְפֶה כַּף שׂים, in respectful silence, Job 29:9. (6) figurative נַפְשִׁי בְכַמִּיוָאָשִׂימָה Jdg 12:3 = I have taken my life in my hand (i.e. hazarded it), so 1Sa 19:5; 1Sa 28:21; Job 13:14 and (without verb) Psa 119:109. (7) כ ׳נִקְיֹן Gen 20:5 cleanness of palms is figurative for purity of act, compare Psa 26:6, also Job 9:30; Job 22:30; Psa 24:4; Psa 73:13; conversely, בְּכַמָּ֑י חָמָס ) לֹא ( Job 16:17; 1Ch 12:18; Isa 59:6; Jon 3:8, compare Isa 59:3 (so ידים Isa 1:15), Job 31:7; Psa 7:4. — In many cases כַּף is not to be distinguished from יָד; so in phrase כ ׳יְגִיעַ toil of the hands Gen 31:42; Hag 1:11; Job 10:3; Psa 128:2; כ ׳מֹּעַל Psa 9:17, כ ׳חֵפֶץ Pro 31:13; כ ׳תְּבוּנוֺת Psa 78:72, כ ׳מְּרִי Pro 31:16 ; compare Mic 7:3.
2 = power (i.e. grasp) of any one, בכף נתן Jdg 6:13 = deliver into the power of, so Jer 12:7, compare בכף בּוֺא Pro 6:3; usually הִצִּיל מּדָה, הוֺשִׁיעַ, etc., with מִכַּף = out of the power of Jdg 6:14; 1Sa 4:3; 2Sa 14:16; 2Sa 19:10 (twice in verse); 2Sa 22:1 (twice in verse) = Psa 18:1 (title), 2Ki 16:7 (twice in verse); 2Ki 20:6 = Isa 38:6; Mic 4:10; Jer 15:21; 2Ch 30:6; 2Ch 32:11; Ezr 8:31; Psa 71:4 (compare יָד 5g, p. 391 above)
3 רַגְלָהּכַּף, etc., = sole of foot, Gen 8:9 (J), Jos 3:13; Jos 4:18 (both J E), 1Ki 5:17; 2Ki 19:24 = Isa 37:25; Deu 11:24; Deu 28:56, Deu 28:65; Jos 1:3 (D) Eze 43:7; Malachi 3:21; וְעַד רַגְלוֺ קָדְקֳדוֺמִכַּף 2Sa 14:25; Job 2:7, compare Isa 1:6 (figurative); כ ׳מִדְרַךְ ׳ר Deu 2:5 treading-place for the sole of a foot; of the cherubim Eze 1:7, of a calf, (in simile) Eze 1:7., (according to MT; compare however Co).
4 of various hollow, bending or bent objects: —
a. hollow (i.e. socket), of the thigh-joint, ׳כ יָרֵךְ b. pan, vessel (as hollow), used in ritual, Exo 25:29; Exo 37:16; Num 5:7; Num 7:14-15t. Numbers 7; 1Ki 7:50 2Ch 4:22; 2Ki 25:14 = Jer 52:18-19, 2Ch 24:14.
c. hollow of sling, 1Sa 25:29.
d. תְּמָרִים כַּמּוֺת Lev 23:40 +?hand-shaped branches (or fronds) of palm-trees.
e. הַמַּנְעוּל כַּמּוֺת Son 5:5 the (bent) handles of the bolt.