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חֶרְפָּה

reproach

‘reproach’ is one of 4 main senses fuller range ↓

H2781 Strong's Hebrew
cherpâh Transliteration
/kher-paw'/ Pronunciation
Usage in the Hebrew Bible 73 appearances

Compare with another word →

About this entry

At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.

“reproach” is the headline sense of the Hebrew noun חרפה (cherpâh). Its meaning spans more than one sense — see its full sense range. It appears 72 verses across 17 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its moderately common vocabulary. More than a quarter of its appearances fall in Psalms. First canonically at Genesis 30:23, it enters the text early. The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.

Gloss history

Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship

Strong's · 1890
rebuke
Modern gloss
reproach
Strong's 1890 sometimes compressed multiple senses — or homonymous roots — under one number, and used 19th-century English phrasing that no longer carries the same connotation. The modern gloss reflects current BDB scholarship; open the Lexicon Entry tab for the full sense breakdown. Download share card

About this word

Strong's H2781 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.

These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →

72
distinct verses
The word appears in 72 distinct verses.
17 / 39
OT books
The word appears in 17 of 39 Old Testament books.
Genesis 30:23
first appearance
The earliest occurrence is in Genesis 30:23.
Zephaniah 3:18
last appearance
The latest occurrence is in Zephaniah 3:18.
#542
by frequency
Top 1000 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 542 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).

View all 72 occurrences in the concordance →


Most concentrated in

By section of the Old Testament

  • Pentateuch 2 · 3%
  • Historical 9 · 13%
  • Wisdom 24 · 33%
  • Prophets 37 · 51%

By traditional corpus

Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 72 distinct verses.

  • Prophets (Nevi'im) 36 verses · 50%
  • Writings (Ketuvim) 34 verses · 47%
  • Torah (Pentateuch) 2 verses · 3%

How translations render this word

Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).

  • King James Version: Reproach 44×, Rebuke 2×
  • American Standard Version: Reproach 41×, Him 2×
  • Berean Standard Bible: Reproach 30×, Disgrace 15×, Scorn 6×
  • unfoldingWord Literal Text: Reproach 32×, Disgrace 8×, Reproach of 7×

King James Version Public Domain

Renders H2781 across 73 tagged occurrences — most commonly:

  • “Reproach” 44×
  • “Rebuke” 2×

Plus 27 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.

American Standard Version Public Domain

Renders H2781 across 74 tagged occurrences — most commonly:

  • “Reproach” 41×
  • “Him” 2×

Plus 31 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.

Berean Standard Bible Public Domain

Renders H2781 across 72 tagged occurrences — most commonly:

  • “Reproach” 30×
  • “Disgrace” 15×
  • “Scorn” 6×
  • “Shame” 6×
  • “Contempt” 3×
  • “Insults” 3×
  • “Scorned” 2×

Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.

unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Renders H2781 across 73 tagged occurrences — most commonly:

  • “Reproach” 32×
  • “Disgrace” 8×
  • “Reproach of” 7×
  • “Shame” 5×
  • “And” 3×
  • “Disgrace of” 3×
  • “Insolence” 2×

Plus 13 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.


8 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB

What do BDB’s symbols mean?

BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:

Symbol Meaning
𝔊 the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX)
𝔙 the Vulgate (the Latin translation)
𝔖 the Syriac version (the Peshitta)
𝔗 the Targum (the Aramaic translation)
ψ the Psalms
√ root (the underlying root or stem)
‖ parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel)
† the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited

The 8 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.

  • 1. taunt of enemy 1 S 17:26; so also 1 S 25:39; reproach cast upon another, scorn, contumely Ne 3:36; 5:9 ψ 69:20, 21; 71:13; 89:51; 119:22 Pr 18:3 Is 51:7 Ez 21:33; שׁמע ח׳ Je 51:51 Zp 2:8 La 3:61; נתן ח׳ על Je 23:40; נשׂא ח׳ על ψ 15:3 (slander); נשׂא ח׳ Je 31:19 Ez 36:15 Mi 6:16 (reproach); נשׂא ח׳ על bear reproach for ψ 69:8 Je 15:15 Zp 3:18; השׁיב ח׳ Ho 12:15 Ne 3:36; חרף ח׳ ψ 69:10; 79:12; 89:51; הסיר ח׳ מעל 1 S 17:26 Is 25:8; העביר ח׳ ψ 119:39; reproaches against God ψ 69:10 (חֶרְפּוֹת חוֹרְפֶיךָ), 74:22; 79:12. e.g. 1 Samuel 17:26
  • 2. reproach which rests upon one, condition of shame, disgrace:
  • 3. a reproach, the object of reproach, the person or thing reproached חֶרְפַּת אָדָם a reproach of man ψ 22:7; ח׳ נבל 39:9; היה ח׳ ל׳ become an object of reproach to 31:12; 79:4; 89:42; 109:25 Ez 5:15; (היה) לח (ל׳) Is 30:5 Je 6:10; 20:8; 42:18; 44:8, 12; 49:13 ψ 69:11 Dn 9:16; 12:2; נתן ח׳ (ל׳) Ez 22:4 Jo 2:19 ψ 78:66; נתן לח׳ Je 24:9; 29:18 Ez 5:14 Jo 2:17; שׂים ח׳ ל׳ ψ 44:14; שׂים ח׳ על 1 S 11:2. e.g. Psalms 22:7

Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.


Word origin

n.f. reproach—ח׳ Gn 34:14 + 35 times; cstr. חֶרְפַּת Jos 5:9 + 15 times; sf. חֶרְפָּֽתְךָ ψ 74:22 etc. + 17 times sfs.; pl. חֲרָפוֹת ψ 69:11 Dn 12:2; cstr. חֶרְפּוֹת ψ 69:10.—

— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.

Derived from חרף (châraph) (H2778) — to reproach.

Part of speech: Noun Feminine TWOT: 749a


Jastrow Dictionary

A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.

חֶרְפָּה

  • [paleness,] shame; revilement. Gen. R. s. 80. Sabb. 88ᵇ, a. e. שומעין חֶרְפָּתָן וכ׳ hear themselves reviled and answer not.

A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.


Forms in the corpus

The 48 distinct written forms H2781 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.

Form Parsing Example Uses
חֶרְפַּ֥ת Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Ezekiel 36:30 6
חֶרְפַּ֣ת Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Ezekiel 16:57 5
וּ/לְ/חֶרְפָּ֔ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Ezekiel 5:14 4
חֶרְפָּֽה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Jeremiah 15:15 4
וְ/חֶרְפַּ֥ת Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Ezekiel 36:15 3
חֶ֭רְפָּה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Psalms 44:13 3
חֶרְפָּ֖ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute 1 Samuel 11:2 3
חֶרְפָּ֣ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Psalms 109:25 2
חֶרְפָּ֤ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Ezekiel 5:15 2
חֶרְפָּתֵֽ/נוּ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Isaiah 4:1 2
לְ/חֶרְפָּ֖ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Daniel 9:16 2
בְּ/חֶרְפָּֽה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Lamentations 3:30 1
בְּ֭/חֶרְפָּה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Job 16:10 1
וְ/חֶ֨רְפָּת֔/וֹ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Hosea 12:14 1
וְ/חֶרְפּ֥וֹת Noun, Common, Feminine, Plural, Construct Psalms 69:9 1
וְ/חֶרְפַּ֣ת Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Isaiah 25:8 1
וְ֝/חֶרְפָּ֗ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Psalms 15:3 1
וְ֝/חֶרְפָּת֗/וֹ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Proverbs 6:33 1
וּ/בְ/חֶרְפָּ֑ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Nehemiah 1:3 1
וּ/לְ/חֶרְפָּֽה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Jeremiah 44:12 1
חֶ֝רְפָּ֗ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Psalms 89:41 1
חֶ֭רְפָּתִ/י Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Psalms 119:39 1
חֶרְפָּ֑ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Psalms 69:7 1
חֶרְפָּ֔ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Jeremiah 51:51 1
חֶרְפָּ֘תָ֤/ם Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Psalms 79:12 1
חֶרְפָּ֡ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Psalms 31:11 1
חֶרְפָּ֥ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Genesis 34:14 1
חֶרְפָּה֙ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Ezekiel 22:4 1
חֶרְפָּת/וֹ֙ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Daniel 11:18 1
חֶרְפָּת֖/וֹ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Daniel 11:18 1
חֶרְפָּתְ/ךָ֥ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Psalms 74:22 1
חֶרְפָּתִ֔/י Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct 2 Samuel 13:13 1
חֶרְפָּתִ֜/י Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct 1 Samuel 25:39 1
חֶרְפָּתִ֣/י Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Psalms 69:19 1
חֶרְפָּתִֽ/י Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Genesis 30:23 1
חֶרְפָּתֵ֑/ךְ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Isaiah 47:3 1
חֶרְפָּתָ/ם֙ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Lamentations 3:61 1
חֶרְפָּתָ֑/ם Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Ezekiel 21:28 1
חֶרְפָּתָ֖/ם Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Nehemiah 4:4 1
חֶרְפָּתִּֽ/י Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Job 19:5 1
לְ/חֶרְפָּ֛ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Jeremiah 49:13 1
לְ/חֶרְפָּ֤ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Jeremiah 24:9 1
לְ/חֶרְפָּ֥ה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Jeremiah 20:8 1
לְ/חֶרְפָּֽה Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Isaiah 30:5 1
לְ/חֶרְפָּה֙ Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute Joel 2:17 1
לַ/חֲרָפ֖וֹת Noun, Common, Feminine, Plural, Absolute Daniel 12:2 1
לַ/חֲרָפ֣וֹת Noun, Common, Feminine, Plural, Absolute Psalms 69:10 1
מֵ/חֶרְפַּ֖ת Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct Nehemiah 5:9 1

Same root — word family

Other BDB entries built from the same root as H2781, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.

Derives from

Shares the same root

Proper names from this root

People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.

Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. 2 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.


Septuagint verse parallels

This word appears in 54 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 72 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.

Read these verses in the Septuagint

This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.

Reading settings

Reading text

Shown beneath each verse's original-language words.

Old Testament
Old Testament edition

Read the OT as the Masoretic Hebrew (MT) or the Greek Septuagint (LXX).

English shown for the Greek Septuagint (in the Hebrew ↔ Greek comparison).

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