גׇּפְרִית
𐤂𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤕
gophrîyth
H1614 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A naturally occurring substance, especially understood as 'sulfur' or 'brimstone,' which is characterized by its pungent smell and strong combustibility. In biblical usage, גׇּפְרִית (gophrîyth) refers to a mineral substance known for burning with intense heat, often associated with destructive fire or divine judgment. Its semantic range includes both the literal mineral sulfur and a figurative symbol of catastrophic destruction.
Semantic Range
sulfur, brimstone, combustible mineral, metaphor for devastating destruction or judgment
Root / Etymology
Root: גּפר. While גפר is traditionally linked to גֹּפֶר (gōpher), a word found elsewhere only in reference to 'gopher wood' (Genesis 6:14), the precise root is uncertain. The relationship between גׇּפְרִית (gophrîyth) and גֹּפֶר is debated, but both seem to share a semantic connection to resinous, pitchy, or combustible substances. Some suggest a probable loanword origin or onomatopoeic development mimicking the crackling or burning properties of such materials.
Historical & Contextual Notes
גׇּפְרִית appears exclusively in contexts of judgment and destruction, frequently conjoined with fire to emphasize severity (e.g., Genesis 19:24, Deuteronomy 29:22, Isaiah 30:33). In Genesis 19, it describes the substance rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah, representing overwhelming devastation. Later biblical writers continue this usage as a metaphor for total ruin or the fate of the wicked. The word never clearly designates a plant-derived resin; rather, it seems consistently to mean the mineral sulfur, which would have been known in the ancient Near East and collected around volcanic areas or by evaporating mineral springs. The term 'brimstone' in older English translations follows the LXX's θεῖον (theion, “sulfur”) and the Vulgate's sulphur. Modern translations generally prefer 'sulfur,' which more accurately reflects the ancient substance. גׇּפְרִית is distinct from words for plant resins (e.g., צרי, לבונה). The cypress or gopher-wood etymology is conjectural—there is no evidence גׇּפְרִית ever referred to any kind of wood. The term's association with judgment persists into later Jewish and Christian literature, influencing the imagery of destruction by 'fire and brimstone.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably feminine of גֹּפֶר; properly, cypress-resin; by analogy, sulphur (as equally inflammable); brimstone.
Bantu Hebrew
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גפר (g-p-r) — covering, overlaying, pitch-like coating, combustible resinous substance
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1614-01 |
גָּפְרִ֣ית | gaferit | HNcfsa |
sulfur | combustible sulfur | 4 |
H1614-03 |
וְ/גָפְרִ֗ית | vegaferit | HC/Ncfsa |
and brimstone | and sulfur | 2 |
H1614-02 |
לְ/גָפְרִ֑ית | legaferit | HR/Ncfsa |
into brimstone | sulfur | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1614-01 |
Genesis 19:24 | גָּפְרִ֣ית | gaferit | HNcfsa |
brimstone/sulfur | combustible sulfur |
H1614-01 |
Deuteronomy 29:22 | גָּפְרִ֣ית | gaferit | HNcfsa |
sulfur | combustible sulfur |
H1614-01 |
Isaiah 30:33 | גָּפְרִ֔ית | gaferit | HNcfsa |
of brimstone | combustible sulfur |
H1614-02 |
Isaiah 34:9 | לְ/גָפְרִ֑ית | legaferit | HR/Ncfsa |
into brimstone | sulfur |
H1614-03 |
Ezekiel 38:22 | וְ/גָפְרִ֗ית | vegaferit | HC/Ncfsa |
and-brimstone | and sulfur |
H1614-03 |
Psalms 11:6 | וְ֭/גָפְרִית | vegaferit | HC/Ncfsa |
and brimstone | and sulfur |
H1614-01 |
Job 18:15 | גָפְרִֽית | gaferit | HNcfsa |
sulfur | combustible sulfur |