Lexical Definition

‎רָדַף‎ râdaph (raw-daf') to pursue ^H:V
a primitive root

chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).

• to run after (usually with hostile intent
• figuratively (of time) gone by)

1) to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pursue, put to flight, chase, dog, attend closely upon
1a2) to persecute, harass (fig)
1a3) to follow after, aim to secure (fig)
1a4) to run after (a bribe) (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be pursued
1b2) one pursued (participle)
1c) (Piel) to pursue ardently, aim eagerly to secure, pursue
1d) (Pual) to be pursued, be chased away
1e) (Hiphil) to pursue, chase

See Greek: ἀντίκειμαι · διωγμός · διώκω · ἐκδιώκω · ἐρεθίζω · καταβαίνω · κατάγνυμι · καταδιώκω · κατατρέχω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎רָדַף‎₁₄₁ verb pursue, chase, persecute (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic ‎רְדַף‎, ; Arabic ; Sabean ‎רדף‎ id., SabDenkm^{No. 7, 1. 2}); —

Qal₁₂₈ Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎׳‎‎ר‎ Judg 4:16 +; 1 singular ‎וְרָדַפְתִּ֫י‎ Jer 29:18, etc.; Imperfect ‎יִרְדֹּף‎ Deut 19:6 +, ‎ִ˜ירַדֹּף‎ Ps 7:6* (apparently to give choice of Qal or Pi, Ki JHMich Bae and others; Ges^{«GKC:63n»§ 63n} explanation as developed from ‎יִרֲדֹף‎, compare Ol^{§ 236 e, and, further}, Kö^{i. 160}), suffix ‎יִרְ דְָּפֶ֑ךָ‎ Ezek 35:6 (twice in verse), etc.; Imperative masculine singular ‎רְדֹף‎ Gen 44:4 +, suffix ‎רָדְפֵהוּ‎ Ps 34:15* masculine plural ‎רִדְפוּ‎ Judg 3:28 +; Infinitive construct ‎רָדְפִף‎ Josh 8:16 +, ‎מִרְדֹף‎ 1Sam 23:28; 2Sam 18:16, suffix ‎רָדְפִי‎ Ps 38:21* Qr, ‎רדופי‎ Kt, etc.; Participle ‎רֹדֵף‎ Judg 4:22 +, plural ‎רֹדְפִים‎ Judg 8:4 +; —

1. a. pursue (sometimes + ‎הִשִּׂיג‎): literal with ‎אַחֲרֵי‎ person, in order to overtake Gen 44:4 (J), 2Kgs 5:21 especially with hostile purpose Gen 31:23 (+ ‎הִדְבִּיק‎), Gen 35:5; Josh 24:6 (all E), Josh 2:5; Josh 2:7 (twice in verse); Josh 8:16 (twice in verse); Josh 8:17; Josh 10:19 (JE), Deut 11:4; Deut 19:6; Josh 20:5 (all D), Exod 14:4; Exod 14:8; Exod 14:9 (P), Judg 1:6; 2Sam 20:6; 2Sam 20:7; 2Sam 20:10; 2Sam 20:13; 2Kgs 9:27 + 17 t., + 2Kgs 25:5 (‎אַחַר‎), + Judg 4:16 (‎אַחֲרֵי הָרֶכֶב‎); + ‎רִדְפוּ אַחֲרֵי‎ Judg 3:28 = follow me (as leader; but this meaning not elsewhere; read ‎רְדוּ‎ ᵐ5 Kit GFM).
b. literal, with accusative of person, put to flight, chase (defeated foe; sometimes with ‎הִשִּׁיג‎): Amos 1:11; Hos 8:3; Deut 32:30 (poem; || ‎הֵנִיס‎), Deut 28:22; Deut 28:45; Josh 23:10 (D), Lev 26:8 (twice in verse) (H); ‎וְרָדַף אֹתָם קוֺל‎ ‎עָלֶה נִדָּף‎ vLev 26:36 a (H); Josh 7:5; Josh 8:24; Josh 10:10; Josh 11:8 (all J E), Gen 14:15; Deut 1:44; Judg 4:22; Isa 41:3 + 13 t. + Judg 7:25 (read ‎אֶתֿ‎ for ‎אֶלֿ‎, ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ7 GFM Bu Now).
c. literal, accusative omitted Judg 8:4; 1Sam 30:8 (+ ‎הִשִּׂיג‎), v1Sam 30:10; Gen 14:14; Exod 14:23 (P), Exod 15:9 (poem; + ‎הִשִּׂיג‎), Lev 26:36 b. 37 (H), Prov 28:1 especially participle plural ‎׳‎‎הָר‎ the pursuers Josh 2:16 (twice in verse); Josh 2:22 (twice in verse); Neh 9:11; Isa 30:16, so ‎הָרֹדֵף‎ Josh 8:20; Lam 1:6.
d. chase, hunt, partridge (‎קֹרֵא‎) 1Sam 26:20 (in simile; || ‎בִּקֵּשׁ‎).
e. pursue, in figure, Jer 20:11; Lam 4:19, ‎רִדְפוּ וְתִפְשׂוּהוּ‎ Ps 71:11, compare Lam 1:3; Ps 7:6* (+ ‎הִשִּׂיג‎; see above); especially subject ‎׳‎‎י‎, pursue (figurative of punishment, judgment), with accusative of person Jer 29:18 (‎בַּחֶרֶב‎), Lam 3:43 and (‎בְּאַף‎) vLam 3:66, Ps 83:16* (‎בְּסַעֲרֶ֑ךָ‎); ‎אֶתקַֿשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּף‎ Job 13:25 (|| ‎תַּעַרוֺץ‎); ‎רֹדְפָם‎, of ‎׳‎‎מַלְאַךְ י‎, Ps 35:6. feminine figurative persecute, harass, with accusative of person Deut 30:7; Job 19:22 (‎כְּמוֺאֵֿל‎), Ps 69:27*; Ps 109:16; Ps 119:86; Ps 119:161 with accusative ‎נַפְשִׁי‎ Ps 143:3, with accusative ‎נֲדִבָתִי‎ Job 30:15 (but subject obscure; read perhaps ‎תֵּרָדֵף‎ Bu; Du ‎תִּנָּדֵף‎); with ‎ל‎ person Job 19:28 participle as substantive Jer 15:15; Jer 17:18; Ps 7:2*; Ps 31:16* (|| ‎אוֺיְבַי‎; We ‎מְרַדְּפָ֑י‎ for ‎וַרֹדְפָ֑י‎), Ps 35:3; Ps 119:84; Ps 119:157 (+ ‎צָרַי‎), Ps 142:7*.
g. pursue, dog, subject ‎דָּם‎, with accusative of person Ezek 35:6 (twice in verse) (del v^a ᵐ5 Co Toy Krae); in good sense, attend closely upon, ‎טוֺב וָחֶסֶד‎ ‎יִרְדְּפוּנִי‎ Ps 23:6.

2. figurative follow after, aim to secure: in bad sense, with accusative ‎שַׁלְמֹנִים‎ Isa 1:23, ‎שֵׁכָר‎ Isa 5:11, ‎קָדִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ר‎ Hos 12:2*, ‎רֹדְפֵי זִמָּה‎ Ps 119:150 good sense, with infinitive ‎׳‎‎לְדַעַת אֶתיֿ‎ Hos 6:3, with accusative ‎צֶדֶק‎ Deut 16:20; Isa 51:1 (|| ‎׳‎‎מְבַקְשֵׁי י‎), ‎צְדָקָה וָחָ֑סֶד‎ Prov 21:21, ‎שָׁלוֺם‎ Ps 34:15* (|| ‎בַּוֵּשׁ‎), ‎טוֺב‎ Ps 38:21*. Niph`al passive: Perfect 1 plural ‎עַלצַֿוָּארֵנוּ נִרְדָּ֑פְנוּ‎ Lam 5:5 upon our neck (i.e. closely) we are pursued (improbable, compare Bu); perhaps Imperfect 3 feminine singular ‎תֵּרָדֵף‎ Job 30:15 Bu (for ‎תִּרְדֹּף‎); Participle ‎׳‎‎א‎ ‎יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶתנִֿרְדָּ֑ף‎ Eccl 3:15 God seeketh the pursued (i.e. what has disappeared, is past, but dubious). Pi`el Perfect 3 feminine singular consecutive ‎וְרִדְּפָה‎ Hos 2:9* Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יְרַדֶּףֿ‎ Nah 1:8 (Ps 7:6* see Qal); 3 feminine singular ‎תְּרַדֵּף‎ Prov 13:21 Participle ‎מְרֵדֵּףֿ‎ Prov 11:19 +; — pursue ardently, with accusative of person Hos 2:9* (in figurative); figurative also ‎חשֶׁךְ‎ ‎׳‎‎יְר‎ Nah 1:8 (Gunk^{ZAW xiii (1893), 230}, plausibly, ‎יֶהְדֹּף‎), compare Prov 13:31 elsewhere participle, in Proverbs: aim (eagerly) to secure, with accusative ‎רָעָה‎ Prov 11:19, ‎רֵיקִים‎ Prov 12:11; Prov 28:19, ‎אֲמָרִים‎ Prov 19:7 (meaning dubious, see Toy); in good sense, ‎צְדָקָה‎ Prov 15:9. Pu`al Perfect 3 masculine singular consecutive ‎וְרֻדַּף כְמֹץ הָרִים‎ Isa 17:13 it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains (|| ‎וְנָס‎). Hiph`il Perfect 3 masculine singular suffix ‎הִרְּדִיפֻהוּ‎ Judg 20:43 usually they chased him (Benjamin, collective), but strange after ‎כִתְּרוּ‎ surrounded (still stranger after ‎כתתו‎ or ‎כרתו‎ ᵐ5), and why Hiph`il? GFM conjecture dittograph of ‎הִדְרִיכֻהוּ‎ following; the reverse conjectured by Bu Now.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References