### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼâphaph**, represented by `{{H661}}`, is a primitive root meaning to **surround** or **compass**. It appears **5 times** across **5 unique verses** in the Bible, consistently used to describe being overwhelmingly encircled by peril or distress.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H661}}` consistently describes a state of being trapped by overwhelming forces. The psalmists repeatedly use the term to articulate profound despair, as when the "sorrows of death **compassed** me" ([[Psalms 18:4]], [[Psalms 116:3]]). This imagery is not limited to abstract concepts; it also describes being surrounded by "the floods of ungodly men" [[2 Samuel 22:5]]. In Jonah's cry from the belly of the fish, he uses the word to describe how the "waters **compassed me about**, even to the soul" [[Jonah 2:5]], painting a vivid picture of suffocating desperation. Similarly, the psalmist laments that "innumerable evils have **compassed** me about" [[Psalms 40:12]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words illuminate the severe nature of being "compassed" by `{{H661}}`:
* `{{H4194}}` **mâveth** (death): This word is frequently the subject doing the "compassing," highlighting a state of mortal peril where death itself seems to be an active, surrounding force ([[Psalms 18:4]], [[2 Samuel 22:5]]).
* `{{H2256}}` **chebel** (a rope... pain, pang, sorrow): Used for the "sorrows" of death that surround the speaker, this word adds the sense of being ensnared or trapped by pain and ruin [[Psalms 116:3]].
* `{{H4325}}` **mayim** (water): In the account of Jonah, this word for "waters" is what compasses him, illustrating a literal and figurative sense of being overwhelmed and near death [[Jonah 2:5]].
* `{{H1100}}` **bᵉlîyaʻal** (worthlessness... wickedness; Belial, evil, ungodly men): This specifies that the surrounding threat can come from "ungodly men," framing the experience as a spiritual and physical assault by wickedness [[2 Samuel 22:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H661}}` centers on the experience of overwhelming suffering and deliverance.
* **The Cry of Distress:** The word is exclusively used in contexts of lament and desperation. It expresses the feeling of being completely hemmed in by forces beyond one's control, whether by death, sin, enemies, or the depths of the sea.
* **The Reality of Mortal Peril:** `{{H661}}` vividly portrays the Old Testament understanding of the grave's power. Being "compassed" by the sorrows of death `{{H2256}}` or the pains of hell `{{H4712}}` illustrates a visceral struggle against the finality of Sheol [[Psalms 116:3]].
* **Assault of Evil:** The use of `{{H661}}` in connection with "ungodly men" `{{H1100}}` and "innumerable evils" `{{H7451}}` frames the struggle not just as a random misfortune but as a direct confrontation with wickedness and iniquity ([[Psalms 18:4]], [[Psalms 40:12]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H661}}` is far more than a simple verb for "surround." It is a powerful, poetic term used to convey the profound anguish of being trapped and overwhelmed by the most feared forces in human experience: death, the grave, water, and wickedness. Its limited use across just five verses underscores the intensity and gravity of the situations it describes, making it a key word for understanding the biblical language of lament and peril.
TRV