כף

See also: כ״ף

Aramaic

Noun

כַּף • (kap̄) m

1. absolute state of כַּפָּא (kappā, “palm”)
2. construct state of כַּפָּא (kappā, “palm”)

Hebrew

כף

Etymology

Root
כ־פ־ף (k-p-p)

From Proto-Semitic *kapp-. Cognate with Arabic كَفّ (kaff).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /kʰapʰ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈkʰaf/, [ˈkʰaː.af]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈkʰaf/, [ˈkʰæːf]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /kæf/
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /kaf/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /kaf/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /kaf/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /kaf/

Noun

כַּף • (kaf) f (dual indefinite כפיים / כַּפַּיִם, plural indefinite כַּפּוֹת, singular construct כַּף־, dual construct כַּפֵּי־, plural construct כַּפּוֹת־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. palm, paw
   • Tanach, Leviticus 14:15, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מִלֹּג הַשָּׁמֶן וְיָצַק עַל־כַּף הַכֹּהֵן הַשְּׂמָאלִית׃

     V-laqáḥ ha-kohén mil-log has-shémen v-yatsaq ʿal kaf ha-kohen has-smaalit.

     And the priest shall take of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.

   • Tanach, Psalms 98:8, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ־כָף יַחַד הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ׃

     N'harót yimḥău kháf; yáḥad harím y'rannénu.

     Let the floods clap their hands; Let the mountains sing for joy together.

2. (figuratively) power, control
   • Tanach, 2 Samuel 22:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיְדַבֵּר דָּוִד לַיהוָה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת בְּיוֹם הִצִּיל יְהוָה אֹתוֹ מִכַּף כָּל־אֹיְבָיו וּמִכַּף שָׁאוּל׃

     Va-ydabér Davíd la-Adonái et divréi has-shirá haz-zot b-yom hitsíl Adonái otó mi-kaf kol oyváv u-mi-kaf Shaul.

     And David spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul

3. socket, cavity, hollow
   • Tanach, Genesis 32:26, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיַּרְא כִּי לֹא יָכֹל לוֹ וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף־יְרֵכוֹ וַתֵּקַע כַּף־יֶרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב בְּהֵאָבְקוֹ עִמּוֹ׃

     Vay-yár ki lo yakhól lo va-yiggaʿ b-khaf y'rekhó va-teqaʿ kaf yérekh Yaʿaqov b-he'avqó ʿimmó.

     And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled with him.

4. spoon (an implement for eating or serving; a scooped utensil whose long handle is straight, in contrast to a ladle)
   • Tanach, Numbers 7:20, with Young's Literal Translation:

     כַּף אַחַת עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב מְלֵאָה קְטֹרֶת׃

     Kaf aḥát ʿasará zaháv mleá q'ṭóret.

     One golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of perfume.

Usage notes

• In the first sense, the dual כַּפַּיִם is normally used in place of the plural; however, when in the construct state with a following noun in the dual, the regular plural construct כַּפּוֹת is used because two duals would be redundant. Thus, the plurals of the expressions כַּף יַד and כַּף רֶגֶל are, respectively, כַּפּוֹת יָדַיִם and כַּפּוֹת רַגְלַיִם.

Declension

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	כַּף	first	כַּפִּי		כַּפֵּנוּ
	definite	הַכַּף	second	כַּפְּךָ	כַּפֵּךְ	כַּפְּכֶם	כַּפְּכֶן
	construct	כַּף־	third	כַּפּוֹ	כַּפָּהּ	כַּפָּם	כַּפָּן
dual	indefinite	כפיים / כַּפַּיִם	first	כפיי / כַּפַּי		כַּפֵּינוּ
	definite	הכפיים / הַכַּפַּיִם	second	כַּפֶּיךָ	כפייך / כַּפַּיִךְ	כַּפֵּיכֶם	כַּפֵּיכֶן
	construct	כַּפֵּי־	third	כַּפָּיו	כַּפֶּיהָ	כַּפֵּיהֶם	כַּפֵּיהֶן
plural	indefinite	כַּפּוֹת	first	כפותיי / כַּפּוֹתַי		כַּפּוֹתֵינוּ
	definite	הַכַּפּוֹת	second	כַּפּוֹתֶיךָ	כפותייך / כַּפּוֹתַיִךְ	כַּפּוֹתֵיכֶם	כַּפּוֹתֵיכֶן
	construct	כַּפּוֹת־	third	כַּפּוֹתָיו	כַּפּוֹתֶיהָ	כַּפּוֹתָם	כַּפּוֹתָן

Declension of כַּף

Derived terms

• כַּף אַשְׁפָּה (kaf ashpá)
• כַּפִּית (kapit, “teaspoon”)
• שָׂם נַפְשׁוֹ בְּכַּפּוֹ (sám nafshó b'kapó)

Related terms

• כְּפָפָה f (kfafá)

References

• H3709 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• “כף” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• כף on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he