English · KJV
H2950

טָפַל

ṭâphal /taw-fal'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningproperly, to stick on as apatch; figuratively, to impute falsely
KJV usageforge(-r), sew up.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ṭâphal — 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 ṭâphal, represented by H2950, is a primitive root with the base definition of "to stick on as a patch." From this literal idea, it figuratively comes to mean to impute falsely, to forge, or to sew up. This term appears 3 times in 3 unique verses, where it is used to describe both the malicious creation of falsehoods and the divine act of containing sin.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H2950 carries a strong sense of deliberate fabrication or sealing. Job uses the term to accuse his friends, stating, "But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value" Job 13:4. Similarly, the psalmist laments that "The proud have forged a lie against me" but resolves to remain faithful Psalms 119:69. A different application appears in Job's description of God's handling of sin, where he says, "My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity" Job 14:17, illustrating the concept of sin being contained and secured.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H2950 is used:

  • H8267 sheqer (an untruth; a sham): This word specifies what is being forged in two of the occurrences. The proud forge a "lie" Psalms 119:69, and Job's friends are "forgers of lies" Job 13:4, highlighting the theme of deception.
  • H2086 zêd (arrogant; presumptuous, proud): This term describes the character of those who "forge a lie" against the psalmist Psalms 119:69. It links the act of false imputation with arrogance and pride.
  • H6872 tsᵉrôwr (a parcel; bag, bundle): In the context of "sewing up" iniquity, transgression is described as being "sealed up in a bag" Job 14:17. This word provides the physical imagery for how sin is contained.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H2950 is expressed in its contrasting applications:

  • Malicious Falsehood: The term is primarily used to describe the act of deliberately creating and imputing lies. This is portrayed as an attack by the proud H2086 against the righteous, as seen in the experiences of both Job and the psalmist (Job 13:4, Psalms 119:69).
  • Divine Containment of Sin: In a distinct usage, the word describes God's action of "sewing up" iniquity H5771. This suggests that sin H6588 is accounted for and securely contained, as if sealed in a bag H6872, awaiting judgment Job 14:17.
  • Faithfulness Amidst Deception: The response to being a target of forged H2950 lies is a renewed commitment to God's law. The psalmist counters the falsehoods by vowing to "keep thy precepts H6490 with my whole heart H3820" Psalms 119:69, demonstrating integrity in the face of slander.

Summary

In summary, H2950 is a potent term that conveys the idea of attaching something that does not belong. Whether used to describe the arrogant forging of lies against the innocent or the divine act of sealing up transgression, ṭâphal highlights a key conflict between human deceit and God's sovereign accounting of truth and sin. It illustrates how an action can be defined by the intent behind it—either to falsely accuse or to justly contain.

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.

  • תִּטְפֹּל
  • טֹפְלֵי
  • טָפְלוּ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H8267 שֶׁקֶר from שָׁקַר; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial); without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), fei H2086 זֵד from זוּד; arrogant; presumptuous, proud. H6872 צְרוֹר or (shorter) צְרֹר; from צָרַר; a parcel (as packed up); also a kernel or particle (as if a package); bag, [idiom] bende H5771 עָוֺן or עָווֹן; (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (אֲבַד)), from עָוָה; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischeif, puni H6588 פֶּשַׁע from פָּשַׁע; a revolt (national, moral or religious); rebellion, sin, transgression, trespass. H6490 פִּקּוּד or פִּקֻּד; from פָּקַד; properly, appointed, i.e. a mandate (of God; plural only, collectively, for the Law); commandme

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 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

2
Job
1
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.