Original Word: אָפַף
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: aphaph
Pronunciation: ah-faf'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-faf')
KJV: compass
NASB: encompassed, surrounded
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to surround

compass

A primitive root; to surround -- compass.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to surround, encompass
NASB Translation
encompassed (4), surrounded (1).

אָפַף verb surround, encompass (Assyrian apâpu Zim^{BP 59}) —

Qal Perfect אָֽפְפוּ Psalm 40:13 ;אְפָפוּנִי Psalm 18:5 +; — encompass (poetry) literal Jonah 2:6 (subject מַיִם); figurative, subject evils & misfortunes רָעוֺת Psalm 40:13; (followed by עָלַי); מִשְׁבְּרֵי מות 2 Samuel 22:5, compare ׳חֶבְלֵי מ Psalm 18:5, also Psalm 116:3.

Semantic range and imagery

אָפַף portrays an encircling or engulfing action. In every occurrence it conveys the sensation of being hemmed in by forces stronger than oneself—waves, cords, evils, or waters. The verb paints a picture of complete enclosure that threatens life, hope, and fellowship with God. Its emotive power lies in combining physical peril with spiritual anguish, driving the sufferer to seek deliverance outside personal resources.

Occurrences in the Old Testament canon

• 2 Samuel 22:5 (David’s victory song): “For the waves of death surrounded me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.” The verb magnifies the lethal danger David faced before the Lord rescued him.
• Psalm 18:4 repeats the same event for congregational worship, reinforcing that the king’s private deliverance becomes corporate testimony.
• Psalm 40:12 expands the theme from external enemies to inward sin: “For evils without number surround me; my iniquities have overtaken me…” אָפַף unites moral failure with a suffocating threat that only grace can relieve.
• Psalm 116:3 personalizes the experience of illness or crisis: “The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me.” The verb bridges the gulf between imminent death and answered prayer, illustrating the psalmist’s gratitude.
• Jonah 2:5 situates the word in a literal watery grave: “The waters engulfed me to take my life; the watery depths closed around me; the seaweed wrapped around my head.” Jonah’s descent mirrors Israel’s exile and anticipates God’s capacity to save from the deepest abyss.

Thematic significance in Hebrew poetry

1. Mortality: אָפַף frames death not as an abstract idea but as an advancing enemy.
2. Chaos versus order: Floodwaters and torrents echo the primeval deep (Genesis 1:2), implying that only the Creator can restrain chaos.
3. Covenant faithfulness: Each text moves from encirclement to divine intervention, proving the Lord faithful to His covenant even when human strength fails.
4. Worship pedagogy: By reciting these lines, Israel learned to reinterpret crises as occasions for renewed trust.

Typological and Christological reflections

David’s deliverance in 2 Samuel 22 anticipates the Messiah’s greater victory over death. Psalm 18:4, quoted in a royal psalm, foreshadows Jesus Christ surrounded by adversaries yet vindicated in resurrection. Jonah’s three-day confinement “in the heart of the seas” (Jonah 2:3-6) prefigures the burial and rising of the Son of Man (Matthew 12:40). Thus אָפַף contributes to a redemptive pattern: death encircles, God intervenes, life emerges.

Pastoral applications for faith and worship

• Assurance in trials: Believers facing overwhelming circumstances can echo David, Jonah, and the psalmists, confident that encirclement is never the final word.
• Confession of sin: Psalm 40:12 links the verb to personal transgression, encouraging honest repentance.
• Intercession for the afflicted: Prayers may employ the imagery of being “surrounded” to articulate the plight of the sick, persecuted, or doubting.
• Doxology after deliverance: Every occurrence moves toward praise, providing a biblical template for thanksgiving services or personal testimonies.

Intertextual echoes in later Scripture

Paul’s confession, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed” (2 Corinthians 4:8), resonates with אָפַף themes, equating New Covenant ministry with experiences of near-despair yet decisive rescue. Revelation 12:15-16 depicts the serpent spewing a river to overtake the woman, an apocalyptic re-casting of torrents that threaten God’s people but are ultimately thwarted.

Through the verb אָפַף, Scripture asserts that whatever surrounds the faithful—death, sin, chaos—remains subject to the Lord who “reached down from on high, took hold of me, and pulled me out of deep waters” (Psalm 18:16).

אֲפָפ֤וּנִי אֲפָפ֤וּנִי ׀ אֲפָפ֥וּנִי אֲפָפֻ֖נִי אָפְפ֥וּ־ אפפו־ אפפוני אפפני ’ă·p̄ā·p̄u·nî ’ă·p̄ā·p̄ū·nî ’ā·p̄ə·p̄ū- ’ăp̄āp̄unî ’ăp̄āp̄ūnî ’āp̄əp̄ū- afaFuni afeFuInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts