Overturned Expectations - HAPHAK
March 11, 2023
We are reading through the Prophet Jeremiah right now. It is the longest book of the Bible, with over 33,000 words. Of the prophetic books – the NEBI’IM – it is the most prose-laden (Isaiah and Ezekiel are mostly poetic), with significant historical narrative. The next several posts of this little Facebook page will highlight interesting and noteworthy Hebrew words used in Jeremiah’s writings. Because we did not think of this idea until this morning, we will begin in Chapter 2 because that is where our first word appears (three minute read). Jer 2:21 (NIV-UK, our preferred reading translation) says:
I had planted you like a choice vine
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt, wild vine?
This particular verse has many options: choice vine, sound, reliable stock, corrupt, wild vine. As we like verbs, however, we will begin with one of the verbs: turned against. This verb offers you, dear readers, perhaps the perfect euphemism for a common English expletive (taboo from dictionaries until 1965, the OED today names the English word as a “meaningless intensifier”).
The Hebrew word behind “turn against” is HAPHAK (הָפַךְ). If you say it fast enough, you will understand why it suits as a euphemism for the impolite term. HAPHAK is a verb which means “to turn” or “to overturn”. Occurring over 90 times in the Hebrew Bible, English 
translators have rendered it in various ways.
Its first appearance is in Genesis 3:24, where the Text tells us about the flaming sword guarding the way to the Tree of Life. In the NIV, it says, “…and a flaming sword FLASHING BACK AND FORTH…”. The ESV gets closer to the so-called literal meaning with “…and a flaming sword that TURNED EVERY WAY…”.
In Exodus 7, HAPHAK is behind Mosheh’s staff, turning into a serpent and the water turning to blood. In Exodus 14, it is behind the changed mind of Pharaoh and his servants toward Mosheh and the people.
In Leviticus’s discussion of leprosy in Chapter 13, HAPHAK is used 13 times to describe the changing (negatively) of the skin’s and hair’s color: TURNED or CHANGED to white, signaling uncleanness.
In Deuteronomy 23:5, G-d TURNS Balaam’s curse INTO a blessing for Israel.
In Deuteronomy 29:23, we are told that G-d OVERTHREW Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim in His anger (something Nehemiah also points out in 13:2, in a sublime call-back).
With the Jewish holiday of Purim having just transpired on the calendar, we note that HAPHAK is used twice in Esther 9 to describe Haman’s murderous plot being overturned (verses 1 and 22).
We can also read about HAPHAK in Psalm 78:9, 44, and 57 in various forms (turned back, turned, and turned away, respectively).
G-d is a god of subverted expectations, ruling an upside-down Kingdom, where the weak become strong, the poor become rich, water is turned to blood (or wine), rocks are turned into water, the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the lame can walk. Moreover, He has planted a garden wherein the wild, corrupted vine can be grafted into the native, choice stock – the root of Abraham – and flower, bearing fruit unto Eternal Life.
Blessed be the LORD.
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