Proverbs 2:12 — Word Study
WLCלְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ רָ֑ע מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ מְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃
BSAto deliver younâtsal [rescue, snatch away] from the wayderek [path, manner of life] of evilraʻ [bad, morally harmful] from the manʼîysh [male person, individual] who speaksdâbar [communicates, utters] perversitytahpukâh [stubbornness, disobedience, being twisted]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ | to deliver you | Preposition, verb hiphil infinitive construct common, suffix |
| מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ | from a way | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
| רָ֑ע | evil | Adj |
| מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ | from anyone | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| מְדַבֵּ֥ר | [who] speaks | Verb, Piel, participle (active) masculine singular |
| תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ | perverse things | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity, |
| KJV | To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; |
| ASV | To deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak perverse things; |
| YLT | To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things, |
| WEB | to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things, |
| BBE | Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false; |
Where they part company is רָ֑ע — see How Translations Differ.
The main action is delivering, with two prepositional phrases detailing the sources of danger, emphasizing the dual threats faced.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbדָבַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 2:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Benefits of Wisdomgenerated
Proverbs 2:12 is part of a passage that emphasizes the protective nature of wisdom and understanding. The verses preceding this one illustrate how discretion and understanding act as guardians, leading the listener away from the dangers of evil and the influence of deceitful individuals. This teaching encourages the pursuit of wisdom as a means of safeguarding one's moral path.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 1:10–19 | My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them. |
| 2 | Proverbs 4:14–17 | Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. |
| 3 | Proverbs 9:6 | Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.” |
| 4 | Proverbs 13:20 | He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. |
| 5 | Psalm 17:4–5 | As for the deeds of men— by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 15 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הַצִּ֣ילְךָ, le.ha.Tzi.le.khagenerated
The word הַצִּ֣ילְךָ (le.ha.Tzi.le.kha) is a hiphil infinitive construct form of the root נָצַל (natsal), which means to rescue or deliver. It encompasses the idea of snatching away from danger, emphasizing an active intervention to save someone from harm.
In this verse, it conveys the action of delivering the listener from a harmful path, highlighting the urgency and importance of this rescue. The preposition le indicates the direction of the action towards the listener, making it personal and immediate.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses deliver for הַצִּ֣ילְךָ. The KJV and ASV also use deliver, maintaining consistency in this key term.
Where translations differ is in the rendering of רָ֑ע — evil. The BSB, KJV, and others use evil, while the ILT opts for bad. This distinction reflects subtle variations in the understanding of the moral implications of the term.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is הַצִּ֣ילְ, to deliver, which governs the entire clause. The structure features prepositional phrases that specify the source of danger: from the way of evil and from the man who speaks perversity.
The arrangement emphasizes the protective action of delivering from both a path and a person, highlighting the dual nature of the threat.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַצִּ֣ילְךָ as σε (you), indicating a direct address to the listener, which aligns with the Hebrew intent of personal deliverance.
The Greek term for רָ֑ע is κακῆς, which similarly conveys moral badness, maintaining the essence of the warning against evil.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 2:12 tells us that wisdom helps protect us from evil paths and from people who speak twisted things. It emphasizes the importance of seeking wisdom to avoid harmful influences.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Being delivered from the way of evil means being rescued from harmful actions and influences that lead one away from a righteous path.
The man who speaks perversity refers to an individual who communicates twisted or harmful ideas, leading others away from moral truth.
Wisdom provides guidance and discernment, helping individuals recognize and steer clear of harmful paths and influences.
Perverse speech can include lies, deceit, and encouragement to engage in unethical behavior, all of which lead others away from righteousness.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I seek wisdom to protect myself from harmful influences?
- How can I recognize and avoid individuals who speak perversity?
- What steps can I take to ensure my path aligns with moral truth?
- How does understanding the nature of evil help me make better choices in life?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 2:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTo deliver thee from the way of the evil [man],.... Who is so by nature and practice, who is hardened in sin and abandoned to it, whose course of life is evil, and who endeavours to draw others into
Read John Gill on Proverbs 2 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryTo deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; To deliver thee from the way of the evil (man), from the man that speaketh froward things - things contrary to what is right.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 2 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleFrom the way of the evil man; from following his counsel or example, which others for want of wisdom commonly do. That speaketh froward things; with design to corrupt thy mind, and entice thee to evil principles or practices.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 2 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 2:12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh froward things;Ver. 12. That speaketh froward things.] As if his mouth were distorted, or the upper lip stood where the nether should. See Acts 20:30. διεστραμμενα.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 2 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) Froward things.—(Heb., tahpûkhôth), i.e., misrepresentations, distortions of the truth.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 2 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. The man that speaketh froward things.] תהפכות tahpuchoth, things of subversion; from תפך taphach, to turn or change the course of a thing. Men who wish to subvert the state of things, whether civil or religious; who are seditious themselves, and wish to make others so. These speak much of liberty and oppression, deal greatly in broad assertions, and endeavour especially to corrupt the minds of youth.
Read AdamClarke on Proverbs 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. the evil man] Or, evil, R.V. text (marg. as A.V.); ἀπὸὁδοῦκακῆς, LXX.; a via mala, Vulg.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 2 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe evil-doers here include not robbers and murderers only Proverbs 1:10-16, but all who leave the straight path and the open day for crooked ways, perverse counsels, deeds of darkness.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 2 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things,
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,
to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity,
Tyndale line
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
To deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak perverse things;
To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward things;
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man , from the man that speaketh froward things;
And deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that speaketh froward things,
Strictly literal
To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;
To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things,
To deliver you from an evil way, || From any speaking contrary things,
To deliver thee from the way of the bad, from the man that speaketh perverse things;
They will rescue you from the way of evil, from those who speak perverse things,
From the Latin
That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:
Simplified
Doing this will save you from the ways of evil, from men who tell twisted lies,
Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false;
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with five of the six words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential meaning remains intact.
לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ רָ֑ע מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ מְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 2:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word נָצַל (natsal) is built from a primitive root meaning to snatch away, with various usages across different stems. It covers a range of meanings including to rescue, deliver, plunder, and strip. The word appears in contexts of delivering oneself or being delivered, as well as rescuing from enemies or sin.
[נָצַל] 212 vb. not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver
Niph.
reflex. tear oneself away, deliver oneself
passive, be torn out or away
Pi.
strip off, spoil
deliver
Hiph.
take away, snatch away
rescue, recover
deliver from
deliver from sin and guilt
Hoph. as a brand plucked out of the burning
Hithp. and they stripped themselves of their ornaments.
base
H5337 נָצַל not in Qal; Pi. strip, plunder; Niph. deliver oneself, be delivered Hiph. snatch away, deliver
5337 natsal naw-tsal'
a primitive root; to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad
sense:- X at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, X without
fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save,
spoil, strip, X surely, take (out).
נָצַל (na.tsal) — to rescue.
1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder
1a)(Niphal)
1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself
1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to strip off, spoil
1b2) to deliver
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to take away, snatch away
1c2) to rescue, recover
1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death)
1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt
1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out
1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself
Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338)
Prep | V-Hiphil-Inf-a | Suff — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common · suffixHR/Vhcc/Sp2ms
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (derek) means way, road, or journey, and can refer to both literal paths and figurative courses of life or actions. It encompasses various aspects such as direction, manner, and moral character, often highlighting the nature of one's conduct. The term is used in both positive and negative contexts, reflecting the moral implications of one's path.
דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner
way, road, path
journey
of direction, almost or quite = toward
way, manner
fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings
of moral action and character
of duty
specif.: in good sense
oftener in bad sense
way of י׳
base
H1870 דֶּ֫רֶךְ way, road, distance, journey, manner . way, road, path
. journey
. of direction, almost or quite = toward
. way, manner
. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings
. . of moral action and character
. of duty
. specif.: in good sense
. oftener in bad sense
. way of י׳
1870 derek deh'-rek
from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of
life or mode of action, often adverb:--along, away, because
of, + by, conversation, custom, (east-)ward, journey, manner,
passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-)way(-side),
whither(-soever).
see HEBREW for 01869
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: conduct.
: conduct/lifestyle
1) way, road, distance, journey, manner
1a) road, way, path
1b) journey
1c) direction
1d) manner, habit, way
1e) of course of life (fig.)
1f) of moral character (fig.)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — Way.
This name means way, road
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — (King's) Highway.
This name means way, road
Combined with me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "King's" H4428I)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: direction.
: direction
1) way, road, distance, journey, manner
1a) road, way, path
1b) journey
1c) direction
1d) manner, habit, way
1e) of course of life (fig.)
1f) of moral character (fig.)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: road.
: road/route
1) way, road, distance, journey, manner
1a) road, way, path
1b) journey
1c) direction
1d) manner, habit, way
1e) of course of life (fig.)
1f) of moral character (fig.)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: journey.
: journey
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHR/Ncbsa
wa ('orach, orcha', 'erets, bo', derekh, halikhah, ma`galah, nathibh; hodos, parodos, poreia, tropos; "highway," mecillah, meclul; diexodoi ton hodon): The list just cited contains only a portion of the words translated "way" or "highway" in the King James Version. Most of them have the primary meaning of "road," "customary path," "course of travel" (Ge 3:24; Ex 23:20; Nu 20:17, etc.). By a very easy and natural figure "way" is applied to the course of human conduct, the manner of life which one lives (Ex 18:20; 32:8; Nu 22:32; 1Sa 8:3;
רַע (ra) is a Hebrew word meaning bad or evil, encompassing a range of negative qualities such as distress, misery, and ethical wrongdoing. It can describe unpleasantness, harm, or low value, and is used in various contexts, including emotional states and moral judgments. The entries also note its comparative form, indicating worse than or worst. The word has feminine forms, such as רָעָה (ra.ah), which similarly convey concepts of evil and distress.
רַע 228 adj. bad, evil
bad, disagreeable, malignant
bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
evil, displeasing
bad of its kind
bad, , i.e. of low value
מִן comp., worse than
sad, unhappy
devise evil (hurtful) device
bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
ethically bad, evil, wicked
base
רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
evil, distress, adversity
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury
evil, misery, distress
evil, injury, wrong
ethical evil
base
H7451a רַע bad, evil . bad, disagreeable, malignant
. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
. evil, displeasing
. bad of its kind
. bad, , i.e. of low value
. + מִן comp., worse than
. sad, unhappy
. devise evil (hurtful) device
. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
. ethically bad, evil, wicked
H7451b רַע evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity . evil, distress, adversity
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
H7451c רָעָה evil, misery, distress, injury . evil, misery, distress
. evil, injury, wrong
. ethical evil
7451 ra` rah
from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):--
adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure),
distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X
great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured),
+ mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not
please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex,
wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong.
(Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
see HEBREW for 07489
רַע (ra) — bad: harmful.
: harmful
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)
1e) bad (of value)
1f) worse than, worst (comparison)
1g) sad, unhappy
1h) evil (hurtful)
1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts
1j2) deeds, actions
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
1) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
1a) evil, distress, adversity
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — distress: harm.
: harm
1) evil, misery, distress, injury
1a) evil, misery, distress
1b) evil, injury, wrong
1c) evil (ethical)
רַע (ra) — bad: evil.
: evil
adj
1) bad, evil
1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant
1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
1c) evil, displeasing
Adj — AdjHAamsa
ev'-'-l, e'-vil ra`; poneros, @kakos, @kakon:
In the Bible it is represented as moral and physical. We choose to discuss the subject under these heads. Many of the evils that come upon men have not been intended by those who suffer for them. Disease, individual and national calamity, drought, scarcity of food, may not always be charged to the account of intentional wrong. Many times the innocent suffer with, and even for, the guilty. In such cases, only physical evil is apparent. Even when the suffering has been occasioned by sin or dereliction of duty, whether the wrong is active or passive, many, perhaps the majority of those who are injured, are not accountable in any way for the ills which come upon them. Neither is God the author of moral evil. "God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man" (Jas 1:13).
→ APPEARANCE OF, TO BE AVOIDED Ro 14:1-23; 1Co 8:7-13; 10:28-33; 1Th 4:11,12; 5:22
→ INSTANCES OF
Paul, in refusing to eat what had been offered to idols 1Co 8:13
In supporting himself 1Co 9:7-23
The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
base
H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)
376 'iysh eesh
contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root
meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male
person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and
in such cases frequently not expressed in
translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +
champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,
husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),
him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,
person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.
Compare 802.
see HEBREW for 0582
see HEBREW for 0802
אִישׁ (ish) — man.
: man
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.
: husband
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.
: anyone/someone
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
דָבַר (dabar) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to speak.' It encompasses a range of actions including declaring, commanding, and conversing. The root suggests a figurative use of words, with some entries noting a rare destructive sense of subduing. Various forms of the verb indicate different nuances, such as speaking with one another or making promises.
[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)
Qal speak
Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk
Pi. speak
Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for
Hithp. speaking this word
Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues
base
H1696 דָבַר speak (original mng. dub.)
1696 dabar daw-bar'
a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used
figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive
sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune,
declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse,
say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think,
use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: speak.
: speak/tell/command
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: subdue.
: subdue
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: promise.
: promise/declare
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
V-Piel — Verb · Piel · participle (active) masculine singularHVprmsa
תַּהְפֻּכָה (tahpukah) refers to a concept of perversity or a perverse thing. The entries consistently define it as a form of fraud or frowardness, emphasizing its negative connotation. It is linked to the root word for 'perversity' in Hebrew.
[תַּהְפֻּכָה] n.f. perversity, perverse thing
base
H8419 [תַּהְפֻּכָה] perversity, perverse thing
8419 tahpukah tah-poo-kaw'
from 2015; a perversity or fraud:--(very) froward(-ness,
thing), perverse thing.
see HEBREW for 02015
תַּהְפֻּכָה (tah.pu.khah) — perversity.
perversity, perverse thing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa