וָ/אֵ֑פֶר

𐤅/𐤀𐤐𐤓

vaefer

and-ashes

from an unused root meaning to bestrew; ashes; ashes.

H665

Esther 4:1 · Word #13

Lexicon H665

Lemmaאֵפֶר
Lemma (Paleo)𐤀𐤐𐤓
Transliterationʼêpher
Strong'sH665
In-contextand-ashes

Morphology HC/Ncmsa All morphology codes

Part of Speech N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea
Subtype c — Common — Common noun
Gender m — Masculine — Masculine
Number s — Singular — Singular
State a — Absolute — The noun stands independently

SIBI-P1 H665-07

and ash

Rootאפר (ʾ-p-r)
Core Meaningsash, loose dust, powder, residue of burning, that which is scattered
Semantic RangeLiteral ash from fire; dust-like remains of destruction; symbol of desolation, grief, humiliation, repentance, or mortality.
Conceptual SignificanceAsh signifies mortality (“dust and ash”), repentance (sitting in ash), and devastation after judgment. It embodies the frailty and transience of human life and the visible aftermath of divine judgment or deep mourning in Israel’s cultural and theological worldview.
Morphological NotesCommon noun, masculine singular absolute (Ncmsa), frequently with prefixed conjunction וְ (“and”) and occasionally with prefixed preposition בְ (“in”). No pronominal suffix in these forms.
Rendering RationaleThe noun אֵפֶר is masculine singular absolute, here commonly preceded by the conjunction וְ/וָ (“and”), hence “and ash.” Although English often uses the plural “ashes,” the Hebrew form is grammatically singular, so “ash” preserves both the morphology (masculine singular) and the concrete sense of residue from burning, reflecting the root idea of what is scattered or bestrewn.

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root אפר (ash, loose dust, powder, residue of burning, that which is scattered)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H666-01 baafer with ash-dust
H665-01 baefer in the ash-dust
H665-02 efer ash

Word Usage (22 occurrences of H665)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Genesis 18:27 וָ/אֵֽפֶר vaefer and ashes
Numbers 19:9 אֵ֣פֶר efer ashes
Numbers 19:10 אֵ֤פֶר efer ashes