חָפָה (cha.phah)
cha.phah
to cover
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chaphah carries the straightforward meaning of covering or concealing something. It appears nine times in the Old Testament, with notable usage in passages like 2 Chronicles and Jeremiah. In its most literal sense, it describes physical acts such as overlaying a structure with boards or panelling, creating a barrier that hides what lies beneath.
While the core idea is concealment, the context often shifts this from simple hiding to protection or atonement. For instance, in Exodus 26:30, the tabernacle is covered with specific materials to shield its holy contents. In Jeremiah 22:14, a ruler boasts of covering his house with cedar and paint, linking the word to luxury and perhaps pride rather than sacred protection.
The word’s root sense remains consistent across its uses: to place something over another object. Whether it is the coverings of the tabernacle or the concealment of sin, chaphah emphasizes the act of overlaying. This physical imagery helps explain why later theological discussions about atonement often draw on similar concepts of covering transgression.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word chaphah describes the simple act of covering something, whether it is a physical object or a person’s head. In ancient times, this gesture was not merely decorative; it carried deep emotional weight. When David wept on the Mount of Olives, he covered his head to signal profound grief and humility before God. Similarly, when the people of Jerusalem faced drought, they covered their heads as a sign of mourning and shame. These images show us that covering can be an honest way to express our inner state without needing many words.
For your faith life, this reminds you that God sees the hidden parts of your heart. Just as the tabernacle was carefully overlaid with gold to protect its holy contents, God’s presence is both revealed and concealed in ways that invite reverence rather than casual familiarity. You do not need to hide your struggles from Him; instead, you can bring your grief, your confusion, or your joy directly to Him. He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
When life feels overwhelming, remember that God does not ask you to pretend everything is fine. It is okay to cover your head in sorrow or to sit quietly in prayer. His grace covers our weaknesses, just as gold covered the temple beams. You are held by a God who values honesty over performance, and whose love remains steady even when circumstances are hard.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he overlaid2×
- and/ he overlaid/ it2×
- they have covered1×
- they covered1×
- people covered1×
- and/ they have covered1×
- and/ he overlaid1×
- and/ covered of1×
- [was] covered1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חָפוּ֙1×
- חָפֽוּ\׃\ \ס1×
- חָפ֥וּ1×
- חָפ֔וּי1×
- חִפָּה֙1×
- חִפָּ֥ה1×
- וַ/יְחַפֵּ֙/הוּ֙1×
- וַ/יְחַפֵּ֖/הוּ1×
- וַ/יְחַ֨ף1×
- וַ/חֲפ֥וּי1×
- וְ/חָפ֥וּ1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 15:30
David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
This verse shows the word used in a moment of deep personal grief, where David covers his head to publicly display his sorrow and humility as he flees from Absalom.
-
Jeremiah 14:3
Their nobles send their little ones to the waters. They come to the cisterns, and find no water. They return with their vessels empty. They are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads.
Here the nobles cover their heads due to shame and disappointment during a severe drought, illustrating how the word conveys communal mourning and disgrace.
-
II Chronicles 3:7
He also overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.
The temple walls are overlaid with gold, shifting the meaning from grief to sacred protection and honor, showing how covering can signify God's glory and holiness.