טִפֻּחִים (tip.puch)
tip.puch
tender care
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word tip.puch appears only once in the Bible, in Lamentations 2:20. It describes the gentle act of dandling a child or offering tender care. This rare term captures a specific kind of physical affection and nurturing that parents provide to their infants.
Its singular usage highlights the depth of loss in its context. The speaker asks God to look at those who have died, contrasting their violent end with the intimate safety of childhood holding. By using this word for such a brief moment, the text emphasizes how completely that security has been shattered by the city’s destruction.
Translators often render it as "tender care" or "dandling." The choice reflects the physical closeness involved. It is not abstract love but a concrete, bodily act of comfort. This single instance reminds readers of the value placed on nurturing and protection in ancient Israelite life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tip.puch appears only once in Scripture, in Lamentations 2:20. It describes the gentle act of holding a child on one’s knee, offering physical comfort and safety. This rare term captures the intimate bond between parent and infant, a moment of pure trust and security.
In its context, this tender care stands in stark contrast to the horror of siege and starvation. The poet uses this image of childhood safety to highlight the depth of loss when such protection is shattered. It reminds us that God sees the specific vulnerabilities of the innocent and the profound grief of those who lose them.
For your faith, this word invites you to bring your own moments of fragility before God. You do not need to hide your pain or pretend to be strong. The Creator of such tender bonds knows the value of every child and the weight of every loss. In times of deep sorrow, you can trust that He sees the specific details of your suffering.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
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Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- טִפֻּחִ֔ים1×
Key Verses
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Lamentations 2:20
“Look, Yahweh, and see to whom you have done thus! Should the women eat their offspring, the children that they held and bounced on their knees? Should the priest and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?
This occurrence uses the word to contrast the intimate safety of holding a child with the violent reality of starvation and death during the siege.