G860: ἁφή (haphḗ)

G860 ἁφή (haphḗ)

Greek

Quick Definition

ἁφή, ῆς, ἡ n.f. a band, fastening, a ligament

Strong's Definition

from 680; probably a ligament (as fastening)

KJV Usage: joint

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

ἁφή (G0860)

noun, f. | -ῆς | ἅπτω

8.60 · Body, Body Parts, and Body Products · Parts of the Body

ligament, that which binds together part of the joints of the body which binds the different parts together In some languages the ligaments may be spoken of as ‘the ropes of the body’ or ‘the strings of the body.’

EPH 4:16 · COL 2:19

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

ἁφή, -ῆς, ἡ, (ἅπτω to fasten together, to fit), (Vulg. Junctura [and nexus]), bond, connection, [ A. V. joint (see esp. Bp. Lghtft. on Col. as below) ]: Eph. iv. 16; Col. ii. 19. (Plut. Anton. ec. 27.)

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

ἁφή haphē 2x

a fastening; a ligament, by which the different members are connected, commissure, joint, Eph. 4:16; Col. 2:19*

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

ἁφή, -ῆς, ἡ

(< ἅπτω, to fasten, fit), [in LXX for נֶגַע, freq. in Le;]

a joint (MM, s.v.): Eph 4:16, Col 2:19 (Lft., in l.).†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

ἁφή. For the special sense of “kindling” see P Tebt I. 8813 1. (B.C. 115-4) εἴς τε τὰς θυσίας καὶ λύχνων ἁφῶν, “for sacrifices and for the kindling of lamps” (cf. λυχναψία, BGU II. 3621112, ete) ; and for the meaning ‘‘sand” or ““dust” as a technical term of the arena see Sy// 80414 (?i/A.D.) ἁφῇ πηλώσασθαι (with the editor's note). It is, however, a wholly different connexion with wrestling that is associated with the NT meaning of the word. Dean Robinson (on Eph 418) has shown how from the ἁφὴ ἄφυκτος with which the wrestler fastened on his opponent ἁφή came to be used of the union of the Democritean atoms, and further of a band or ligament in ancient physiology. Hence in the Pauline usage, the thought is not so much of “touch” as of ‘*fastening’’—the whole body is compacted διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας ‘ by every ligament of the whole apparatus” (Eph 415), which in Col 215 is expanded into διὰ τῶν addy Kal συνδέσμων “by the ligaments and sinews.”” A mysterious ἔπαφος occurs in the new Median parchment, P Said Khan 1* 2° (B.c. 88): the assignee of a vineyard is to be fined ἐὰν... ὀλιγωρήσῃ τὴν ἄμπελον καὶ μὴ ποιήσῃ αὐτὴν ἔπαφον. Can this mean ‘properly tied up’’—the branches being tied to the poles or trees on which they are trained? The adj. will thus be formed from ἐπὶ ἁφαῖς “depending on fastenings” —a formation well paralleled in Hellenistic.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

ἁφή (haphē) — joint. ἁφή, ἡ, (ἅπτω) lighting, kindling, περὶ λύχνων ἁφάς about lamp-lighting time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. (ἅπτομαι) touch, ἐπώνυμον δὲ τῶν Διὸς γέννημ᾽ ἁφῶν (Wieseler for γεννημάτων) τέξεις.. Ἔπαφον[Refs 4th c.BC+]

II.2. sense of touch, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.3. touch of the harp-strings, metaphorically, ἐμμελοῦς ἁφῆς καὶ κρούσεως[Refs 4th c.BC+]

II.4. grip, in wrestling, etc., ἁφὴν ἐνδιδόναι αὑτοῦ[Refs 1st c.BC+]; ἁ. εἶχεν ἡ συνδιαίτησις ἄφυκτον, of [Refs 1st c.AD+]

II.5. sand sprinkled over wrestlers, to enable them to get a grip of one another, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II.6. in Mathematics texts, contact of surfaces, etc., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; point of contact, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; of intersection, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

II.7. in plural, stripes, strokes, [LXX]

II.8. infection, especially of leprosy,[LXX]: generally, plague, [LXX+2nd c.AD+]

III. junction, point of contact in the body, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ligament, Ep. Eph.[NT]