cherpa · disgrace, reproach

What it means

cherpa (חֶרְפָּה) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “disgrace, reproach”.

Scorn from others. Being childless was then felt as a humiliation.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The scorn or shame that weighs on someone.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Reproach: the shame that falls on someone before others, public scorn and wounding words. It comes from the verb חָרַף (reproach, taunt).

• Shame at having no children Genesis 30:23
• The reproach an enemy casts on Israel 1 Samuel 17:261 Samuel 11:2
• Bearing reproach for God's sake Psalms 69:7Psalms 69:9
• Being made “a reproach” before the nations Psalms 44:13Jeremiah 24:9
• YHWH will remove the reproach of his people Isaiah 25:8Isaiah 54:4

Historical and cultural background

The text shows what was felt as a reproach: having no children (Rachel: “Elohim has taken away my disgrace”, Genesis 30:23) and being uncircumcised (Genesis 34:14). Nahash the Ammonite wanted to gouge out the right eye of the men of Jabesh and put it “{as} a reproach on all Israel” (1 Samuel 11:2).

How we translate it

“Reproach” 66 times, “reproaches” 3, so that the word and its verb, also rendered “reproach”, are recognized (“removes the reproach from Israel… that he should reproach the battle lines”, 1 Samuel 17:26); “disgrace” 3 (Genesis 30:23; 34:14).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• reproach ×66
• disgrace ×3
• reproaches ×3
• insult ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×2
• Joshua×1
• 1 Samuel×3
• 2 Samuel×1
• Nehemiah×4
• Job×2
• Psalms×20
• Proverbs×2
• Isaiah×6
• Jeremiah×12
• Lamentations×3
• Ezekiel×7
• Daniel×4
• Hosea×1
• Joel×2
• Micah×1
• Zephaniah×2

• Genesis 30:23

  She conceived and bore a son, and said, “Elohim has taken away my disgrace.”

• Genesis 34:14

  They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.

• Joshua 5:9

  And YHWH said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And the name of that place was called Gilgal to this day.

• 1 Samuel 11:2

  Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you: by gouging out every right eye of yours, and I will put it as a reproach on all Israel.”

• 1 Samuel 17:26

  David said to the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who strikes that Philistine and removes the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should reproach the battle lines of the living Elohim?”

• 1 Samuel 25:39

  David heard that Nabal had died, and he said, “Blessed be YHWH, who has defended the cause of my insult at the hand of Nabal, and has held back his servant from evil; and the evil of Nabal YHWH has returned on his own head.” David sent and spoke to Abigail to take her to himself as wife.

• 2 Samuel 13:13

  As for me, where could I carry my reproach? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now then, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”

• Nehemiah 1:3

  And they said to me, “Those who remain, who have been left from the captivity there in the province, are in great trouble and in reproach; and the wall of Jerusalem is full of breaches, and its gates have been set on fire.”

• Nehemiah 2:17

  Then I said to them, “You see the trouble that we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been set on fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer be a reproach.”

• Nehemiah 4:4

  Hear, our Elohim, for we have become an object of contempt; and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them as plunder in a land of captivity.

• Nehemiah 5:9

  And I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our Elohim because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

• Job 16:10

  They open wide their mouth against me; with reproach they strike my cheeks; together they mass themselves against me.

• Job 19:5

  If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and argue against me with my reproach,

• Psalms 15:3

  who does not slander with his tongue, does not do evil to his neighbor, nor lift up reproach against the one near him;

• Psalms 22:6

  But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of human beings and despised by the people.

• Psalms 31:11

  Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, and to my neighbors exceedingly, and a dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.

• Psalms 39:8

  From all my transgressions deliver me; do not make me the reproach of the fool.

• Psalms 44:13

  You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and a derision to those around us.

• Psalms 69:7

  For for your sake I have borne reproach; humiliation has covered my face.

• Psalms 69:9

  For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

• Psalms 69:10

  And I wept in fasting of my soul, and it became reproaches to me.

• Psalms 69:19

  You know my reproach and my shame and my humiliation; before you are all my adversaries.

• Psalms 69:20

  Reproach has broken my heart, and I am sick; I waited for someone to grieve with me, but there was none, and for comforters, but I did not find any.

• Psalms 71:13

  Let them be ashamed, let them be consumed, those who accuse my soul; let them be covered with reproach and humiliation, those who seek my harm.

• Psalms 74:22

  Rise up, Elohim; plead your case; remember your reproach from the fool all the day.

• Psalms 78:66

  And he struck his adversaries from behind; an eternal reproach he gave them.

• Psalms 79:4

  We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and a derision to those around us.

• Psalms 79:12

  And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached you, Adonai.

• Psalms 89:41

  All who pass along the way plunder him; he has become a reproach to his neighbors.

• Psalms 89:50

  Remember, Adonai, the reproach of your servants, how I bear in my bosom that of all the many peoples,

• Psalms 109:25

  And I have become a reproach to them; they see me, they shake their head.

• Psalms 119:22

  Roll away from me reproach and contempt, for your testimonies I have guarded.

• Psalms 119:39

  Turn away my reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.

• Proverbs 6:33

  Blows and disgrace he will find, and his reproach will not be wiped away.

• Proverbs 18:3

  When the wicked comes, contempt also comes, and with disgrace, reproach.

• Isaiah 4:1

  And seven women will take hold of one man on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothing; only let your name be called over us; take away our disgrace.”

• Isaiah 25:8

  He will swallow up death forever, and Adonai YHWH will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will remove from all the earth, for YHWH has spoken.

• Isaiah 30:5

  Everyone has been put to shame because of a people that does not profit them, not for help and not for profit, but for shame and also for reproach.

• Isaiah 47:3

  Your nakedness will be uncovered, your reproach also will be seen; I will take vengeance, and I will not meet any human being.”

• Isaiah 51:7

  Listen to me, you who know righteousness, people with my instruction in their heart: do not fear the reproach of mortals, and at their insults do not be dismayed.

And 33 more times.