Word Study for H2414 (חָטַף) | Strong's Concordance

châṭaph /khaw-taf'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto clutch; hence, to seize as aprisoner

KJV usagecatch.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châṭaph — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châṭaph, represented by H2414, is a primitive root meaning to clutch; hence, to seize as a prisoner; catch. It is a rare term, appearing only 3 times across 2 unique verses, yet it conveys a specific and forceful action of sudden capture.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The biblical usage of H2414 appears in two distinct and dramatic contexts. In Psalms, it describes the predatory actions of the wicked, who lie in wait "to catch the poor" and succeed when "he doth catch the poor" by drawing them into a net Psalms 10:9. In the book of Judges, it is used as a command to the men of Benjamin, who are instructed to hide and then "catch you every man his wife" from among the dancing daughters of Shiloh Judges 21:21. In both instances, the word signifies a swift, forceful seizure of a person.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help frame the context in which this act of seizing occurs:

H693 ʼârab (to lurk): This word describes the hidden, predatory preparation before the act of catching. In Psalms 10:9, the wicked man "lieth in wait" (H693) before he can catch (H2414) his victim, highlighting the malicious intent.
H4900 mâshak (to draw): This term often describes the action that completes the capture. After the poor is caught in Psalms 10:9, he is then drawn (H4900) into a net. It can also be used in a positive sense, as when God says, "with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" Jeremiah 31:3.
H3318 yâtsâʼ (to go out): This word sets the stage for the seizure in Judges 21:21, where the daughters of Shiloh "come out" (H3318) to dance, making themselves visible and vulnerable to being caught.
H7200 râʼâh (to see): Perception is crucial to the act of catching. The men of Benjamin are told to "see, and, behold," before they emerge to catch their wives Judges 21:21, and the psalmist notes how the wicked look upon the poor before acting.

Theological Significance

The meaning of H2414 is concentrated on the nature of forceful acquisition and predation.

Predatory Oppression: The word is used metaphorically in Psalms 10:9 to characterize the wicked's treatment of the helpless. The act of "catching" is not merely a crime but a depiction of a hunter-prey dynamic, emphasizing the vulnerability of the poor and the deliberate cruelty of the powerful.
Sudden Seizure: In both of its contexts, H2414 denotes an abrupt, non-consensual act. It is an ambush, whether against the poor man in the psalm or the daughters of Shiloh. The word leaves no room for negotiation or process, describing a raw act of taking by force.
Desperate Measures: The context of Judges 21:21 shows the word being used to execute a desperate plan. The command to "catch" wives is an extreme solution to ensure the survival of a tribe, illustrating how the term is associated with extraordinary and socially disruptive actions.

Summary

In summary, H2414 is a highly specific term for a forceful and sudden capture. While appearing infrequently, it vividly portrays acts of predation and seizure. Whether describing the wicked entrapping the poor or a tribe seizing wives out of desperation, châṭaph consistently communicates an aggressive and sudden act of clutching a person against their will, making it a powerful word for illustrating oppression and forceful acquisition.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

חֲטַפְתֶּם
יַחְטֹף
חֲטוֹף

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Judges and Psalms (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Judges

Psalms

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.