English · KJV
H4646

מַפָּח

mappâch /map-pawkh'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom נָפַח
Meaninga breathing out (of life), i.e. expiring
KJV usagegiving up.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mappâch — 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 mappâch, represented by H4646, means a breathing out (of life), signifying expiring or giving up. It appears only 1 times in 1 unique verses, making it a highly specific term within the biblical text. Its sole usage defines it as a metaphor for the final and complete loss of hope.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its singular biblical appearance, H4646 describes the ultimate fate of the wicked. Job 11:20 states that the eyes H5869 of the wicked H7563 will fail H3615 and they will have no escape. Their hope H8615 is likened to the giving up H4646 of the ghost H5315, painting a picture of absolute finality and the cessation of life.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words from its context in Job 11:20 clarify its meaning:

  • H8615 tiqvâh (hope): Defined as expectancy or expectation, this is the very thing that is extinguished. For the wicked, their hope culminates in the "giving up" described by H4646.
  • H5315 nephesh (ghost): Meaning a breathing creature, vitality, life, or soul, this is what is being given up. The loss of hope is equated with the loss of life itself.
  • H3615 kâlâh (fail): Meaning to end, perish, or expire, this word is used to describe the failing eyes of the wicked in the same verse, reinforcing the theme of a definitive and terminal end.
  • H4498 mânôwç (escape): This word for a retreat or refuge is used to state that the wicked will not escape, sealing their fate and leading to the final "giving up" Job 11:20.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4646 is concentrated in its single, powerful usage.

  • The Consequence of Wickedness: The term is used exclusively to describe the end of the wicked H7563, whose hope perishes completely. Their fate is portrayed as an irreversible expiration of life Job 11:20.
  • The Cessation of Hope: H4646 stands as the antithesis of hope H8615. While hope is presented elsewhere as a divine gift and trust Psalms 71:5, for the wicked it is something that ultimately fails, ending in a final "giving up."
  • The Expiration of Life: The definition, "a breathing out (of life)," directly connects the loss of hope to physical death. The phrase "giving up of the ghost H5315" in Job 11:20 solidifies that this is not merely disappointment, but a terminal end for the soul.

Summary

In summary, H4646 is a precise and potent term for ultimate despair. Though appearing only once, its context in Job 11:20 defines it as the complete and final expiration of both hope and life. It serves as a stark depiction of the end reserved for the wicked, where all expectation is extinguished in a final "breathing out" of the soul.

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 noun across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — 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.

  • מַפַּח

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.

H5869 עַיִן probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape); aff H7563 רָשָׁע from רָשַׁע; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person; [phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), tha H3615 כָּלָה a primitive root; to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, con H8615 תִּקְוָה from קָוָה; (compare קָוֶה); literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy; expectation(-ted), hope, liv H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm H4498 מָנוֹס from נוּס; a retreat (literally or figuratively); abstractly, a fleeing; [idiom] apace, escape, way to flee, flight, ref

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

1 verse, all in Job — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.