pl. -fóþ ; p. -féng, pl. -féngon ; impert. -fóh; pp. -fangen, -fongen; I. to comprehend, grasp, seize, take hold of, catch; comprehendere, apprehendere, capere :-- Swá he ealle beféhþ ánes cræfte, heofon and eorþan even as he comprehendeth all by his sole, power, heaven and earth, Andr. Kmbl. 653; An. 327. Habbaþ me helle clommas fæste befangen the clasps of hell have firmly grasped me, Cd. 19 ; Th. 24, 7 ; Gen. 374. Heó ánne hæfde befangen she had seized one, Beo. Th. 2594; B. 1295. Befangen on ðam fracodan gilte deprehensus in hoc facinore, Jos. 7, 15. Ne mihton híg his word befón non potuerunt verbum ejus reprehendere, Lk. Bos. 20, 26. Gif mon forstolenne ceáp beféhþ if a man seize stolen cattle, L. In. 47; Th. i. 132, 4 : L. Ath. i. 9; Th. i. 204, 10. Ðæt híg woldon ðone Hǽlend on his spræce befón ut caperent eum in sermone, Mt. Bos. 22, 15. II. to surround, encompass, encircle, envelop, contain, clothe, case, receive, conceive; circumdare, amplecti, complecti, capere, cingere, tegere, operire, accipere, concipere :-- He hafaþ ðam brídle bú tú befangen he has encompassed both with the bridle, Bt. Met. Fox 11, 58; Met. 11, 29. Befongen freáwrásnum encircled with noble chains, Beo. Th. 2906; B. 1451. Fýre befangen enveloped in fire, Beo. Th. 4540; B. 2274. Ne mihte ðes middaneard ealle ða béc befón non potest capere mundus omnes eos libros, Jn. Bos. 21, 25 : Bt. 24, 1; Fox 80, 14. Befóh hit mid feáum wordum complectere hoc paucis verbis, Solil. 3 : Ps. Th. 74, 2. Ne hét he ná etan ðone líchaman ðe he mid befangen wæs he bade them not eat that body with which he was surrounded, Homl. Pasc. Lisl. 9, 19 : Soul Kmbl. 67; Seel. 34 : Job 19, 26; Thw. 168, 2. Saglas, golde befongne poles, cased in gold, Past. 22, 2 ; Hat. MS. 33 a, 25. Ic hér hǽlu calic hæbbe befangen calicem salutaris accipiam, Ps. Th. 115, 4 : Exon. 9 a ; Th. 6, 7 ; Cri. 80. be-fon