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yasaph

יָסַף

HebrewH3254add, increase, ...

Appears 212 times · tap a cell to see the verses

Gen 4:2Gen 4:12Gen 8:10Gen 8:21 (2×)Gen 18:29Gen 25:1Gen 30:24Gen 37:5Gen 37:8Gen 38:5Gen 38:26Gen 44:23Exo 5:7Exo 8:29(25)Exo 9:28Exo 9:34Exo 10:29Exo 11:6Exo 14:13Lev 5:16Lev 6:5(5:24)Lev 22:14Lev 27:13Lev 27:15Lev 27:19Lev 27:27Lev 27:31Num 5:7Num 22:15Num 22:19Num 22:25Num 22:26Num 32:15Deu 1:11Deu 4:2Deu 5:22Deu 13:11(12)Deu 17:16Deu 18:16Deu 19:20Deu 25:3 (2×)Deu 28:68Jos 7:12Jos 23:13Jdg 2:21Jdg 3:12Jdg 4:1Jdg 9:37Jdg 10:6Jdg 10:13
Root family
Names & words formed with this
Word studyyah-SAHFverb

What yasaph means

to add: to join more onto what is already there, and so to increase it or do it once again

TranslatabilityPartialCertaintySettled

At its root this word means to put more onto an existing amount. From that single idea two everyday uses branch out, and they look quite different in English even though Hebrew feels them as one. The first is plain addition: piling more onto a stack, increasing wealth, learning, or pain, tacking words onto a command, or paying back a debt with an extra portion.

The second use turns that same idea onto an action rather than a thing. When this word is paired with another verb, it means to do that action one more time, to keep doing it, or to do still more of it. Hebrew has no tidy word for our adverbs again, more, or further, so it reaches for this verb instead: it literally says a person added to speak, added to send, added to take a wife, and means spoke again, sent once more, married yet another.

A fixed oath grows out of that second use. Someone swears may God do so to me and add to it, calling down extra punishment on himself if he breaks his word. The verb here is not really about quantity at all; it is the engine of a stock curse that seals a promise.

Because one Hebrew word covers add, increase, do again, and the oath, an English Bible has to choose a different rendering almost every time, which can hide that a single idea stands behind them all.

Nuances

1ato add a further amount onto something, to increase or augment it
Gen 30:24Lev 5:16Lev 6:5(5:24)Lev 22:14Lev 27:13Lev 27:15Lev 27:19Lev 27:27Lev 27:31Num 5:7Num 32:15Num 36:3
1bto add words or things to a fixed body, especially a warning not to add to a command
Deu 4:2Deu 5:22Deu 12:32Deu 13:11(12)Deu 19:20Pro 30:6Ecc 3:14
1cpaired with another verb, to do that action again, to do more of it, or to keep on doing it
Gen 4:2Gen 4:12Gen 8:10Gen 8:12Gen 8:21 (2×)Gen 18:29Gen 25:1Gen 37:5Gen 37:8Gen 38:5Gen 38:26Gen 44:23
1din an oath, to bring down still more on oneself, the formula may God do so and add to it
Rut 1:171Sa 3:171Sa 14:441Sa 20:131Sa 25:222Sa 3:92Sa 3:352Sa 19:13(14)1Ki 2:231Ki 19:21Ki 20:102Ki 6:31

What scholars say about yasaph

The standard lexica (BDB, HALOT, DCH) treat this as a single verb to add, with a well marked extension in which it governs a second verb to mean to do again, do more, or continue. BDB and HALOT both organize the entry around that division: literal addition or increase on one side, the do again idiom on the other, with the self imprecation may God do so and more noted as a fixed formula. TDOT discusses how Hebrew leans on this verb to express repetition and continuation for which it lacks a dedicated adverb.

Sources

  • BDB, s.v. יסףlexicon
  • HALOT, s.v. יסףlexicon
  • DCH, s.v. יסףlexicon
  • TDOT, s.v. יסף (yāsap)theological-dictionary

All attested forms of יָסַף

hiphil imperfect 3ms

יֹסִיף, יוֹסִיף, יוֹסִף, יּוֹסִיף, יוֹסֵף, יֹּסִיף

Deu 25:3, Deu 25:3, Rut 1:17, 1Sa 20:13, 1Sa 25:22, 2Sa 3:9, 2Sa 3:35, 2Sa 14:10

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 3ms

וַיֹּסֶף, וַיּוֹסֶף, וַיֹּאסֶף

Gen 8:10, Gen 18:29, Gen 25:1, Exo 9:34, Num 22:15, Num 22:25, Jdg 9:37, 1Sa 3:6

hiphil imperfect 1cs

אוֹסִיף, אֹסִיף, אֹסִף, אוֹסֵף, אֹסֵף, הַאוֹסִיף, הַאוֹסִף

Jos 7:12, Jdg 2:21, Jdg 10:13, 1Ki 12:11, 2Ch 33:8, Job 40:5, Pro 23:35, Hos 1:6

hiphil jussive 3ms

יֹסֵף, וְיוֹסֶף, יוֹסֵף, וְיוֹסֵף, יֹּסֵף

Gen 30:24, Exo 8:29, Lev 6:5, Lev 27:31, Num 5:7, Deu 1:11, Psa 115:14, Pro 1:5

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 3mp

וַיֹּסִפוּ, וַיּוֹסִפוּ, וַיּוֹסִיפוּ, וַיֹּסִיפוּ

Jdg 3:12, Jdg 4:1, Jdg 10:6, Jdg 13:1, Jdg 20:22, 2Sa 3:34, 2Sa 5:22, Gen 37:5

hiphil imperfect 3mp

יוֹסִיפוּ, יוֹסִפוּ, יֹסִיפוּ, יֹסִפוּ

1Ch 17:9, Pro 3:2, Jer 31:12, Lam 4:15, Deu 13:11, 1Ki 19:2, 1Ki 20:10, Hos 13:2

hiphil imperfect 2mp

תֹסִפוּ, תּוֹסִיפוּ, תֹאסִפוּ, תֹסִיפוּ

Gen 44:23, Exo 9:28, Deu 4:2, Deu 17:16, Isa 1:5, Isa 1:13, Exo 5:7, Exo 14:13

hiphil imperfect 2ms

תּוֹסִיף, תּוֹסִף, תֹסִיף

1Ch 22:14, Psa 61:6, Amo 7:13, Pro 19:19, Ezk 36:12, Deu 28:68, Job 38:11

hiphil imperfect 3fs

תּוֹסִיף, תּוֹסִף, תֹסִיף, תֹסִף, תֹסֵף

Job 20:9, Pro 10:27, Amo 5:2, Pro 23:28, Isa 24:20, Exo 11:6, Gen 4:12

qal consecutive-perfect 3ms

וְיָסַף

Lev 22:14, Lev 27:13, Lev 27:15, Lev 27:19, Lev 27:27, Num 32:15

qal perfect 3ms

יָסַף, יָסָף

Gen 38:26, Jdg 13:21, 1Sa 15:35, 1Sa 27:4, Jer 45:3, Deu 5:22

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 3fs

וַתּוֹסֶף, וַתֹּסֶף

1Sa 19:8, Est 8:3, Ezk 23:14, Gen 4:2, Gen 38:5

hiphil imperfect 2fs

תוֹסִיפִי, תוֹסִפִי

Isa 23:12, Isa 47:1, Isa 47:5, Isa 51:22, Zep 3:11

hiphil jussive 2ms

תּוֹסְףְּ, תּוֹסֶף, תּוֹסַף, תֹסֵף, תֹּסֶף

Pro 30:6, Deu 3:26, Job 41:8, Deu 12:32, Exo 10:28

qal perfect 3cp

יָסְפוּ, יָסָפוּ

Jdg 8:28, 1Sa 7:13, 2Sa 2:28, 2Ki 6:23, Num 11:25

hiphil infinitive-construct construct

לְהוֹסִיף, הֹסִיף

Lev 19:25, Ezr 10:10, Ecc 3:14, 2Ch 28:13

hiphil consecutive-perfect 1cs

וְהוֹסַפְתִּי, וְהֹסַפְתִּי

Psa 71:14, Ecc 2:9, 2Ki 20:6

qal perfect 2ms

יָסַפְתָּ

2Ch 9:6, Isa 26:15, Isa 26:15

niphal consecutive-perfect 3ms

וְנוֹסַף

Exo 1:10, Num 36:3

qal consecutive-perfect 1cs

וְיָסַפְתִּי

Lev 26:18, Lev 26:21

qal consecutive-perfect 3cp

וְיָסְפוּ

Deu 20:8, Isa 29:19

qal consecutive-perfect 3fs

וְיָסְפָה

2Ki 19:30, Isa 37:31

qal imperative 2mp

סְפוּ

Isa 29:1, Jer 7:21

hiphil cohortative 1cs

אֹסִפָה

2Sa 12:8

hiphil conjunctive-imperfect 3mp

וְיוֹסִיפוּ

Pro 9:11

hiphil conjunctive-imperfect 3ms

וְיוֹסִיף

Ecc 1:18

hiphil jussive 1cs

אֹסֵף

Ezk 5:16

hiphil participle m p absolute

מוֹסִיפִים

Neh 13:18

hiphil perfect 1cs

וְהוֹסַפְתִּי

Ecc 1:16

hiphil perfect 2ms

הוֹסַפְתָּ

1Ki 10:7

hiphil perfect 3ms

הֹסִיף

2Ki 24:7

niphal consecutive-perfect 3fs

וְנוֹסְפָה

Num 36:4

niphal participle f p absolute

נוֹסָפוֹת

Isa 15:9

niphal participle m s absolute

וְנוֹסָף

Pro 11:24

niphal perfect 3ms

נוֹסַף

Jer 36:32

qal consecutive-perfect 2ms

וְיָסַפְתָּ

Deu 19:9

qal participle m p absolute

יֹסְפִים

Deu 5:25

qal perfect 1cp

יָסַפְנוּ

1Sa 12:19

qal perfect 3fs

יָסְפָה

Gen 8:12