כָּסִפְיָא
𐤊𐤎𐤐𐤉𐤀
Kasifeya
H3703 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a specific locality—Casiphia—associated with the Jewish exile community in the Babylonian region, referenced as a settlement or administrative area from which Levites were summoned during the return to Jerusalem. The form of the name likely conveys something akin to 'place of silver' due to apparent connection to the Hebrew noun for silver (כֶּסֶף).
Semantic Range
proper name of a settlement or locality associated with the exiled Israelite community in Babylonia, possibly 'place of silver', place of silver-related activity, or silversmiths' quarter; always used as a toponym in biblical context
Root / Etymology
The word כָּסִפְיָא (Kâsiphyâʼ) is likely derived from the root כּסף (k-s-p), meaning 'silver.' The suffix יָא is unusual for standard Hebrew place names; it may reflect dialectal, Aramaic, or foreign locational forms, possibly affixed to indicate a place associated with silver, but the precise formation is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כָּסִפְיָא appears only in Ezra 8:17 as a location in the Babylonian region, from which Ezra sent for Levites and temple servants to join the return to Jerusalem. Its precise location and significance are unknown outside this biblical context. The form of the name suggests a connection to wealth, silver, or a related activity—potentially a settlement of silversmiths, a place of commerce, or an administrative center related to fiscal affairs—though this remains speculative. English translations, following the KJV tradition, often transliterate the name without further explanation. The term reflects the socio-geographic realities of the Judean return from Babylonian exile in the Persian period, and may indicate a diaspora community named for its association with silver or trade. There is no evidence the location was significant in the earlier Israelite or Judahite periods; its mention is associated specifically with the post-exilic (Persian) context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
perhaps from כֶּסֶף; silvery; Casiphja, a place in Babylon; Casiphia.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כסף (k-s-p) — silver; longing, yearning
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3700 | כָּסַף | was deeply longed for |
| H3701 | כֶּסֶף | in the silver |
| H3702 | כְּסַף | with the silver |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3703-01 |
בְּ/כָסִפְיָ֖א | bekhasifeya | HR/Np |
in-Casiphia | in Silver-place | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences