רָדַף 141 verb pursue, chase, persecute (Late Hebrew 
id., Aramaic 
רְדַף, 

; Arabic 

; Sabean 
רדף id., SabDenkm
No. 7, 1. 2); — 
Qal128 Perfect 3rd person masculine singular ר׳ Judges 4:16 +; 
1st person singular וְרָדַפְתִּ֫י Jeremiah 29:18, etc.; 
Imperfect יִרְדֹּף Deuteronomy 19:6 +, 
ִֽֽֽירַדֹּף Psalm 7:6 (apparently to give choice of Qal or Pi, Ki JHMich Bae and others; Ges
§ 63n explanation as developed from 
יִרֲדֹף, compare Ol
§ 236 e, and, further, Kö
i. 160), suffix 
יִרְ דְָּפֶ֑ךָ Ezekiel 35:6 (twice in verse), etc.; 
Imperative masculine singular 
רְדֹף Genesis 44:4 +, suffix 
רָדְפֵהוּ Psalm 34:15; masculine plural 
רִדְפוּ Judges 3:28 +; 
Infinitive construct רָדְפִף Joshua 8:16 +, 
מִרְדֹף 1 Samuel 23:28; 
2 Samuel 18:16, suffix 
רָדְפִי Psalm 38:21 Qr, 
רדופי Kt, etc.; 
Participle רֹדֵף Judges 4:22 +, plural 
רֹדְפִים Judges 8:4 +; — 
    1.
    a.pursue (sometimes + 
הִשִּׂיג): literal with 
אַחֲרֵי person, in order to overtake 
Genesis 44:4 (J), 
2 Kings 5:21; especially with hostile purpose 
Genesis 31:23 (+ 
הִדְבִּיק), 
Genesis 35:5; 
Joshua 24:6 (all E), 
Joshua 2:5, 
7 (twice in verse); 
Joshua 8:16 (twice in verse); 
Joshua 8:17; 
Joshua 10:19 (JE), 
Deuteronomy 11:4; 
Deuteronomy 19:6; 
Joshua 20:5 (all D), 
Exodus 14:4, 
8, 
9 (P), 
Judges 1:6; 
2 Samuel 20:6, 
7, 
10, 
13; 
2 Kings 9:27 + 
17 times, + 
2 Kings 25:5 (
אַחַר), + 
Judges 4:16 (
אַחֲרֵי הָרֶכֶב); + 
רִדְפוּ אַחֲרֵי Judges 3:28 = 
follow me (as leader; but this meaning not elsewhere; read 
רְדוּ 
 Kit GFM).
 
    †d. chase, hunt, partridge (
קֹרֵא) 
1 Samuel 26:20 (in simile; || 
בִּקֵּשׁ).
 
    †e. pursue, in figure, 
Jeremiah 20:11; 
Lamentations 4:19, 
רִדְפוּ וְתִפְשׂוּהוּ Psalm 71:11, compare 
Lamentations 1:3; 
Psalm 7:6 (+ 
הִשִּׂיג; see above); especially subject 
י׳, 
pursue (figurative of punishment, judgment), with accusative of person 
Jeremiah 29:18 (
בַּחֶרֶב), 
Lamentations 3:43 and (
בְּאַף) 
Lamentations 3:66, 
Psalm 83:16 (
בְּסַעֲרֶ֑ךָ); 
אֶתקַֿשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּף Job 13:25 (|| 
תַּעַרוֺץ); 
רֹדְפָם, of 
מַלְאַךְ י׳, 
Psalm 35:6.
 
    †g. pursue, dog, subject 
דָּם, with accusative of person 
Ezekiel 35:6 (twice in verse) (del 
Ezekiel 35:6a 
 Co Toy Krae); in good sense, 
attend closely upon, 
טוֺב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי Psalm 23:6.
 
    †2. figurative 
follow after, aim to secure: in bad sense, with accusative 
שַׁלְמֹנִים Isaiah 1:23, 
שֵׁכָר Isaiah 5:11, 
קָדִים ר׳ Hosea 12:2, 
רֹדְפֵי זִמָּה Psalm 119:150; good sense, with infinitive 
לְדַעַת אֶתיֿ׳ Hosea 6:3, with accusative 
צֶדֶק Deuteronomy 16:20; 
Isaiah 51:1 (|| 
מְבַקְשֵׁי י׳), 
צְדָקָה וָחָ֑סֶד Proverbs 21:21, 
שָׁלוֺם Psalm 34:15 (|| 
בַּוֵּשׁ), 
טוֺב Psalm 38:21.
 
† 
Niph. passive: 
Perfect 1st person plural עַלצַֿוָּארֵנוּ נִרְדָּ֑פְנוּ Lamentations 5:5 upon our neck (i.e. closely) 
we are pursued (improbable, compare Bu); perhaps 
Imperfect 3rd person feminine singular תֵּרָדֵף Job 30:15 Bu (for 
תִּרְדֹּף); 
Participle א׳ יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶתנִֿרְדָּ֑ף Ecclesiastes 3:15 God seeketh the pursued (i.e. what has disappeared, is past, but dubious). 
† 
Pi. Perfect 3rd person feminine singular consecutive 
וְרִדְּפָה Hosea 2:9; 
Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יְרַדֶּףֿ Nahum 1:8 (
Psalm 7:6 see 
Qal); 
3rd person femininesingular תְּרַדֵּף Proverbs 13:21; 
Participle מְרֵדֵּףֿ Proverbs 11:19 +; — 
pursue ardently, with accusative of person 
Hosea 2:9 (in figurative); figurative also 
חשֶׁךְ יְר׳ Nahum 1:8 (Gunk
ZAW xiii (1893), 230, plausibly, 
יֶהְדֹּף), compare Proverbs 13:31; elsewhere participle, in Proverbs: 
aim (eagerly) to secure, with accusative 
רָעָה Proverbs 11:19, 
רֵיקִים Proverbs 12:11; 
Proverbs 28:19, 
אֲמָרִים Proverbs 19:7 (meaning dubious, see Toy); in good sense, 
צְדָקָה Proverbs 15:9. 
† 
Pu. Perfect 3rd person masculine singular consecutive 
וְרֻדַּף כְמֹץ הָרִים Isaiah 17:13 it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains (|| 
וְנָס). 
† 
Hiph. Perfect 3rd person masculine singular suffix 
הִרְּדִיפֻהוּ Judges 20:43 usually 
they chased him (Benjamin, collective), but strange after 
כִתְּרוּ surrounded (still stranger after 
כתתו or 
כרתו 
), and why Hiph.? GFM conjecture dittograph of 
הִדְרִיכֻהוּ following; the reverse conjectured by Bu Now.
														
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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