חָשַׂף (cha.saph)
cha.saph
to strip
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chāsap means to strip something away so that what was hidden becomes visible. In the Old Testament, it describes the physical act of removing clothing or coverings, but it frequently carries a heavier weight. When applied to people or nations, it signifies being laid bare before judgment, stripped of protection and dignity.
This word appears nine times in Scripture, with a strong concentration in the prophetic books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Joel. For example, in Isaiah 20:4, God uses the image of stripping Egypt and Ethiopia to show that their political alliances will fail, leaving them exposed and ashamed. The action is not merely about nudity; it is about the removal of security.
Translators often render chāsap as "lay bare" or "expose" to capture this sense of vulnerability. It highlights a moment where pretense ends and reality confronts the viewer. The word serves as a stark reminder that no power can ultimately hide from divine scrutiny, whether in war, judgment, or moral accountability.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word chāsap describes the act of stripping away coverings to reveal what was hidden. In the Old Testament, this often appears as a vivid image of shame or vulnerability, where nations or individuals are laid bare before judgment. It is not merely about physical nudity but the removal of protection and dignity. When God strips away the layers of security, pretense ends and reality confronts us.
Yet this word also carries a profound promise of revelation. In Isaiah 52:10, the same verb describes how Yahweh makes His holy arm bare in the sight of all nations. Here, stripping is not an act of humiliation but of display. God removes the veil to show His salvation clearly. What was once hidden for our protection is now revealed for our hope.
This duality invites us to trust that no situation remains permanently concealed from God. Whether we face exposure or encounter divine intervention, He brings truth into the open. We can rest in the knowledge that His purposes are made visible, turning moments of vulnerability into opportunities for faith and clarity.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ draw1×
- strip off1×
- it has stripped bare/ it1×
- he has bared1×
- completely <strip bare>1×
- and/ to/ scoop1×
- and/ it stripped bare1×
- and/ [ones] uncovered of1×
- I will strip off1×
- I will strip bare1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/חְשֹׂף֙1×
- חָשֹׂ֤ף1×
- חָשַׂ֥פְתִּי1×
- חָשַׂ֤ף1×
- חָשַׂ֣פְתִּי1×
- חֶשְׂפִּי\־1×
- חֲשָׂפָ/הּ֙1×
- וַֽ/יֶּחֱשֹׂ֪ף1×
- וַ/חֲשׂוּפַ֥י1×
- וְ/לַ/חְשֹׂ֥ף1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 52:10
Yahweh has made his holy arm bare in the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
This verse uniquely uses the word to describe God revealing His saving power rather than human shame, showing the verb's positive potential.
-
Isaiah 20:4
so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
The image of captives going naked and barefoot illustrates how political alliances fail, leaving nations exposed to divine judgment.
-
Jeremiah 13:26
Therefore I will also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame will appear.
Here the verb signifies the removal of modesty and protection to expose shame, highlighting the seriousness of covenant unfaithfulness.
-
Joel 1:7
He has laid my vine waste, and stripped my fig tree. He has stripped its bark, and thrown it away. Its branches are made white.
The stripping of the vine and fig tree demonstrates how judgment can lay bare the results of disaster, leaving nothing hidden.