כִּ/כְפִ֥יר

𐤊/𐤊𐤐𐤉𐤓

kikhefir

as-a-lion

from כָּפַר; a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane); (young) lion, village. Compare כָּפָר.

H3715

Proverbs 28:1 · Word #6

Lexicon H3715

Lemmaכְּפִיר
Lemma (Paleo)𐤊𐤐𐤉𐤓
Transliterationkᵉphîyr
Strong'sH3715
In-contextas-a-lion

Morphology HR/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 H3715-06

mane-covered young lion

Rootכפר (k-p-r)
Core Meaningscovering, smearing over, concealing, appeasing, atoning
Semantic Rangeyoung lion; lion’s whelp; by extended root association, something covered (compare כָּפָר, village, i.e., a covered or enclosed settlement).
Conceptual SignificanceThe כְּפִיר often symbolizes youthful strength, emerging power, and predatory threat in biblical poetry. Its connection to the root idea of covering subtly links natural imagery (the mane-covered lion) with the broader biblical theology of covering, which elsewhere develops into the concept of atonement.
Morphological NotesNoun, common masculine singular absolute (Ncmsa). No pronominal suffix; absolute state. Derived from the root כפר.
Rendering Rationaleכְּפִיר is a masculine singular noun derived from the root כפר, whose core idea is "covering." The term likely refers to a young lion whose neck is covered with a developing mane. Rendering it "mane-covered young lion" preserves both the root sense of covering and the masculine singular absolute form indicated by the morphology (Ncmsa).

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

Words from Root כפר (covering, smearing over, concealing, appeasing, atoning)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H3722-01 akhaperah Let me effect atoning-covering
H3727-01 hakaporet the atonement-covering
H3725-01 hakipurim the atonement-coverings
H3715-01 kakefir like a cover-maned young lion
H3715-02 kakefirim like mane-covered young-lions
H3715-03 kefir a mane-covered young lion
H3716-01 kefirah the Covered-Village (fem. sing.)
kefireyha her mane-covered young lions
H3715-04 kefirim young-maned lions
H3713-01 keforey covered goblets of
H3715-05 khefirim mane-covered young lions
H3724-01 khofer covering-ransom
H3724-02 kofer covering-price
H3722-02 lekhaper to effect covering-over (to atone)
H3713-02 likhefor for a covering-basin
H3722-03 tekhaper you will effect covering-over
H3722-04 tekhaperem you will cover-over them in atonement
H3713-03 ukhefor and a covering-bowl
H3713-04 ukheforey and cover-bowls of
H3722-05 ulekhaper and to effect atonement-covering
H3722-06 vayekhaper and he made covering-over
H3716-02 vehakefirah and the Lioness-Town
H3722-07 vekhaper and you (masculine singular) make atoning-covering
H3722-08 vekhiper and he made atonement-covering
H3713-05 velikheforey and for the covering-bowls of
H3722-09 yekhaper he will make atoning-covering
H3722-10 yekhupar he shall be covered-over (in atonement)

Word Usage (32 occurrences of H3715)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Judges 14:5 כְּפִ֣יר kefir a young lion
Isaiah 5:29 כַּ/כְּפִירִ֤ים kakefirim like young lions
Isaiah 11:6 וּ/כְפִ֤יר ukhefir and young lion