תְּקוּפָה (te.qu.phah)
te.qu.phah
circuit
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tequphah denotes a "circuit" or a "turning," referring to the completion of a cycle in either space or time. It captures the idea of something coming around again, marking a distinct period or boundary that has been traversed and returned to.
This word appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible, often translating concepts related to seasonal cycles or geographical limits. In passages like 1 Samuel 1:20, it describes the "circuit of time" for pregnancy, highlighting a natural period that runs its course. Similarly, in 2 Chronicles 8:13 and Psalm 19:6, it refers to the circuit of the sun or seasons, emphasizing the regular, repeating pattern of creation.
The term’s root suggests motion and return, distinguishing it from words for simple duration. It implies a structured interval that completes itself, much like a wheel finishing a rotation. Translators often render it as "season" or "circuit," preserving the sense of a defined period that moves forward yet follows a set path.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tequphah reminds us that life moves in rhythms rather than random chaos. It speaks of a circuit completed, a season turning, or a cycle returning to its start. This concept offers comfort when we feel stuck, showing that every period has a natural conclusion and a new beginning.
In 1 Samuel 1:20, Hannah waits through the 'circuit of time' for her child. Her story shows that waiting is not wasted time but part of a divine pattern. Just as seasons change and suns rise, our lives follow paths set by God’s faithful order.
This word invites trust in God’s timing. Whether facing long waits or celebrating completed journeys, we can rest knowing that He orchestrates the cycles of our days with purpose and care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ [the] circuit of2×
- [the] circuit of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּקוּפַ֖ת1×
- לִ/תְקוּפַ֣ת1×
- לִ/תְקֻפ֣וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 1:20
When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”
This verse uses tequphah to describe the natural 'circuit' of pregnancy, highlighting a specific period that runs its course before bringing new life.
-
Exodus 34:22
“You shall observe the feast of weeks with the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of harvest at the year’s end.
Here the word marks the seasonal cycle of harvest festivals, showing how God’s people are to align their worship with the turning of the year.
-
II Chronicles 24:23
At the end of the year, the army of the Syrians came up against him. They came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus.
The phrase 'at the end of the year' uses tequphah to indicate the completion of a calendar cycle, framing historical events within God’s ordered time.