Lexical Definition

‎שָׁאַף‎ shâʼaph (shaw-af') to long for ^H:V
a primitive root

desire (earnestly), devour, haste, pant, snuff up, swallow up.

• to inhale eagerly
• figuratively, to cover
• by implication, to be angry
• also to hasten

1) to gasp, pant, pant after, long for, breathe heavily
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to gasp, pant after, snuff up
1a2) to gasp or pant (with desire), pant after, be eager for
1a3) to thirst for one's blood (from actions of animals) (fig)
2) to crush, trample, trample upon
2a) (Qal) to trample upon, crush

See Greek: ἑλκύω · ἐξέλκω · καταπατέω · μισέω · ξηραίνω · πνεῦμα

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎שָׁאַף‎ verb gasp, pant, pant after, long for (so ᵑ7 Job 7:2); —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎וְשָׁאַף‎ consecutive Job 5:5, 3 feminine singular ‎שָֽׁאֲפָה‎ Jer 2:24, 3 plural ‎שָֽׁאֲפוּ‎ Jer 14:6 Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יִשְׁאַף‎ Job 7:2, etc.; Participle active ‎שׁוֺאֵף‎ Eccl 1:5 —

1. gasp, as a woman in travail, figurative of ‎׳‎‎י‎, Isa 42:14 (|| ‎נָשַׁם‎); pant after, snuff up the wind (accusative), of wild ass Jer 2:24; Jer 14:6 construction praegn.‎׳‎‎וְאֶלמְֿקוֺמוֺ שׁ‎ Eccl 1:5 unto his place he panteth (comes panting), of sun under figure of racer.

2. gasp or pant with desire Ps 119:131 (|| ‎יָאַב‎); pant after, be eager for, with accusative Job 5:5 (compare ‎צַמִּים‎ p. 855:b), Job 7:2 (|| ‎יְקַוֶּה‎), Job 36:20 (but obscure in context).

II. [‎שָׁאַף‎] verb crush, trample upon (|| form of ‎שׁוּף‎ (q. v.), if pointing right, compare Kö^{i. 439}; We Now read ‎שָׁאפִים‎, etc., from ‎שׁוּף‎, compare Ges^{«GKC:72p»§ 72p}; perhaps originally pulverize by rubbing, but also apparently by pounding, stamping, treading, Levy^ChWB ‎שׁוּף‎, Jastr^Dict.‎שׁוּף‎, ‎שׁאף‎; — most make = I. ‎שׁאף‎, but Vrss render as above); —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular suffix ‎שְׁאָפַ֫נִי‎ Ps 56:2*, 3 plural ‎שָֽׁאֲפוּ‎ vPs 56:3* ,Infinitive absolute ‎שָׁאֹף‎ Ezek 36:3 Participle suffix ‎שֹׁאֲפִי‎ Ps 57:4* plural ‎שֹׁאֲפִים‎ Amos 2:7; Amos 8:4 — trample upon, crush (the poor, etc.), figurative, with accusative of person Amos 8:4 strangely Amos 2:7 (We Now Marti strike out ‎לְַעֲֿפַראֶֿרֶץ‎, which Torrey^{JBL xv (1896), 152 explained as old doublet,} compare ᵐ5 ᵑ6; AV RV pant after the dust, etc., hyperb. for extreme avarice, compare Hi Dr; but Dr thinks ᵑ9 possibly original: crush the heads of the poor upon the dust [compare Isa 3:15], in any case strike out ‎בְּ‎ after ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ crush); ‎אֶתְכֶם מִסָּבִיב‎ ‎׳‎‎שַׁמּוֺת וְשׁ‎ Ezek 36:3; Ps 56:2*; Ps 57:4* and (accusative omitted) Ps 56:3*.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References