Greek

To touch

ψηλαφάωStrong’s G5584

psēlaphaō

Appears in 4 verses of the New Testament

In short

Psēlaphaō is the Greek word usually translated “do touch”, “would touch” and “being touched”. It appears in 4 verses of the New Testament.

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

Luke 24:39 KJV

Meaning

Usually translated “do touch”, “would touch” and “being touched”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated

do touch 1
they would touch 1
being touched 1
handled 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most

Luke 1
Acts 1
Hebrews 1
1 John 1

4 books in all.

Related words

Explore in Scripture

Greek dictionary

ψηλαφάω psēlaphaō · to touch

ψηλαφάω, -ῶ (ψάω, to touch), [in LXX for מוּשׁ, מָשַׁשׁ pi., etc. ;] 1. to feel or grope about; with accusative, to feel about for, search after: metaphorically, of seeking God, Act.17:27. 2. to feel, touch, handle: with accusative of person(s), Luk.24:39, 1Jn.1:1; προσεληλύθατε ψηλαφωμένῳ (ὄρει ?), Heb.12:18 (R, txt., a mount that might be touched; mg., a palpable and kindled fire; see Westc., in l).† (AS)

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “touch” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

TOUCH, verb transitive

tuch. [Latin tango, originally tago, [our vulgar tag.] preterit tense tetigi, participle passive tactus.]

To come in contact with; to hit or strike against.“He touched the hollow of his thigh” Genesis 32:25“Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter” Esther 5:2
To perceive by the sense of feeling.
To come to; to reach; to attain to.
To try, as gold with a stone.

All definitions and other forms of “touch”

To relate to; to concern.
To handle slightly.
To meddle with.
To affect.
To move; to soften; to melt.
To mark or delineate slightly.
To infect; as men touched with pestilent diseases. [Little used.]
To make an impression on.
To strike, as an instrument of music; to play on.
To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.
To treat slightly.
To afflict or distress. Genesis 26:29

TOUCH, verb intransitive

tuch. To be in contact with; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between. Two spheres touch only at points.

To fasten on; to take effect on.
To treat of slightly in discourse.
In the sense of touch at. [Little used.]

TOUCH, noun

tuch. Contact; the hitting of two bodies; the junction of two bodies at the surface, so that there is no space between them. The mimosa shrinks at the slightest touch

The sense of feeling; one of the five senses.
The act of touching.
The state of being touched.
Examination by a stone.
Test; that by which any thing is examined.
Proof; tried qualities.
Single act of a pencil on a picture.
Feature; lineament.
Act of the hand on a musical instrument.
Power of exciting the affections.
Something of passion of affection.
Particular application of any thing to a person.
A stroke; as a touch of raillery; a satiric touch
Animadversion; censure; reproof.
Exact performance of agreement.
A small quantity intermixed.
A hint; suggestion; slight notice.
A cant word for a slight essay.
In music, the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers; as a heavy touch or light touch
In music, an organ is said to have a good touch or stop, when the keys close well.
In ship-building, touch is the broadest part of a plank worked top and butt; or the middle of a plank worked anchor-stock fashion; also, the angles of the stern timbers at the counters.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.