Original Word: עָרַף
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `araph
Pronunciation: ah-raf'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-raf')
Definition: To break the neck, to decapitate
Meaning: to break the neck, to destroy

that is beheaded, break down, break cut off, strike off neck

A primitive root (identical with araph through the idea of sloping); properly, to bend downward; but used only as a denominative from oreph, to break the neck; hence (figuratively) to destroy -- that is beheaded, break down, break (cut off, strike off) neck.

see HEBREW araph

see HEBREW oreph

Word Origin
denominative verb from oreph
Definition
to break the neck
NASB Translation
break its neck (2), break the neck (1), break down (1), breaks a neck (1), neck was broken (1).

[עָרַף] verb denominative break the neck of an animal; —

Qal Perfect2masculine singular suffix וַעֲרַפְתּוֺ consecutive Exodus 13:13; Exodus 34:20 (JE), 3 plural וְעָֽרְפוּשָֿׁם אֶתהָֿעֶגְלָה consecutive Deuteronomy 21:4; Participle active עוֺרֵף כֶּלֶב Isaiah 66:3; passive הָעֶגְלָה הָעֲרוּפָה Deuteronomy 21:6; Imperfect3masculine singular יַעֲרֹף Hosea 10:2 figurative of breaking down altars.

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G615 (ἀποκτείνω, apokteinō): To kill, put to death
• G2679 (κατασφάζω, katasphazō): To slaughter, slay
• G3084 (λυμαίνομαι, lymaínomai): To destroy, to ruin

These Greek terms, while not direct translations, share thematic elements with עָרַף (ʿāraph) in their connotations of death, destruction, and the execution of judgment.

Usage: The verb עָרַף (ʿāraph) is used in the context of breaking the neck, often associated with execution or destruction. It appears in various forms in the Hebrew Bible, typically in contexts involving judgment or sacrificial rites.

Context: The Hebrew verb עָרַף (ʿāraph) primarily conveys the action of breaking the neck, a term often associated with capital punishment or sacrificial practices in ancient Israelite culture. This term is notably used in Deuteronomy 21:4, where the elders of a city are instructed to break the neck of a heifer in a ritual to atone for an unsolved murder: "Then the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley" (BSB). This act symbolizes the removal of guilt from the community.

The term also appears in Exodus 13:13 and 34:20, where it describes the breaking of the neck of a donkey that is not redeemed, highlighting the seriousness of the redemption laws: "But every firstborn donkey you must redeem with a lamb. If you do not redeem it, you must break its neck" (BSB). This usage underscores the importance of following divine commandments and the consequences of failing to do so.

In a broader theological context, עָרַף (ʿāraph) can symbolize the destruction of enemies or the execution of divine judgment. The act of breaking the neck serves as a vivid metaphor for the complete and irreversible nature of divine justice.

הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה הערופה וְעָֽרְפוּ־ וַעֲרַפְתּ֑וֹ וערפו־ וערפתו יַעֲרֹ֣ף יערף עֹ֣רֵֽף ערף ‘ō·rêp̄ ‘ōrêp̄ hā‘ărūp̄āh hā·‘ă·rū·p̄āh haaruFah Oref vaarafTo vearefu wa‘ărap̄tōw wa·‘ă·rap̄·tōw wə‘ārəp̄ū- wə·‘ā·rə·p̄ū- ya‘ărōp̄ ya·‘ă·rōp̄ yaaRofInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts