B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

We read there
לְבִנְיָמִן אָמַר יְדִיד יהוה יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח עָלָיו חֹפֵף עָלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן
KJV: "And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders"
with חֹפֵף XOPEP, of the root XPP, a bone fide member of the Hebrew root family
גבב, הבהב, חבב, כבב, קבב
גפף, חפף, כפף
Thus, חפף is a variant of כפף, 'bend over, lean over, hover', as in Ps. 146:8
יהוה פֹּקֵחַ עִוְרִים יהוה זֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים
NIV: "the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down"
כפף is also related to כפה, 'compel, suppress' (related in turns to כבה, 'extinguish, smother') as in Prov. 21:14
מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה אָף וְשֹׁחַד בַּחֵק חֵמָה עַזָּה
KJV: "A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath"
Today חפיפה XAPIYPAH is 'congruence, overlapping, shampooing the hair'.
We recall here also the derived post biblical גפף, 'hug, cuddle'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

We add here the relevant to חפף
גֵב GEB, 'cistern, cavity, mound' (since "up" and "down" are symmetric (Compare גֵּב GAB, 'back', and גֵּו GEW, 'trunk'.)
Jer. 14:3
בָּאוּ עַל גֵּבִים לֹא מָצְאוּ מַיִם
KJV: "they came to the pits, and found no water."
Also כֵּף KEP, 'mound, promontory, cape' (as in cape of good hope כף התקווה הטובה)
Job 30:6
חֹרֵי עָפָר וְכֵפִים
KJV:"caves of the earth, and in the rocks."
Also חוֹף XOP, 'shore, coast, beach'
Jos. 9:1
בָּהָר וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה וּבְכֹל חוֹף הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל
KJV: "in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea."

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Also of coming to mind here is חוֹב XOB, 'debt, obligation, burden', as in Ezekiel 18:7
וְאִישׁ לֹא יוֹנֶה חֲבֹלָתוֹ חוֹב יָשִׁיב גְּזֵלָה לֹא יִגְזֹל
NIV: "He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan."
Also in the sense of 'body, bosom', as in Job 31:33
אִם כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲו‍ֹנִי
KJV: "If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom"

Isaac Fried, Boston University

This opposite sense of חַף is interesting.
Job 33:9
זַךְ אֲנִי בְּלִי פָשַׁע חַף אָנֹכִי וְלֹא עָו‍ֹן לִי
NIV: "I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin."
KJV: I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me."

Isaac Fried, Boston University

We add to this the pertinent אכף AKAP, 'enforce, subject, compel, bring to bear', as in Job 33:7
הִנֵּה אֵמָתִי לֹא תְבַעֲתֶךָּ וְאַכְפִּי עָלֶיךָ לֹא יִכְבָּד
KJV: " Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee."
ASV: "Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee."

Today אֻכָּף UKAP is 'saddle', while עקף AKAP is 'circumvent, overtake, bypass'. נִתּוּחַ מַעֲקָפִים is thus 'bypass surgery'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University