The Hebrew verb aphaq (H662) means to restrain, contain, or hold oneself back from an action — particularly from an emotional outpouring. It is typically used reflexively (hithpael stem) and appears in contexts where restraint of emotion or action requires great effort.
The concept of restraining oneself before God and others is a mark of wisdom and self-control in Hebrew thought. Yet aphaq also depicts the impossible burden of containing God's word — a word too powerful to hold in. For the believer, there is a tension between appropriate emotional restraint and the irrepressible urgency of God's truth. Joseph's inability to restrain himself from weeping before his brothers (Genesis 45:1) illustrates how grace ultimately breaks through every barrier.