← H3714 H3716 →

כְּפִיר

𐤊𐤐𐤉𐤓

kᵉphîyr

H3715 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כפר to cover, to protect, to enclose, to make atonement

Definition

A young lion, particularly a sub-adult or vigorous lion characterized by strength and fierceness. In some limited Hebrew contexts (primarily in later Hebrew or cognate usage), can also denote a village or settlement, possibly due to a sense of being enclosed or protected. In the Hebrew Bible, however, the substantive use almost exclusively refers to a young, powerful lion.

Semantic Range

young lion, sub-adult lion, lion's whelp; (post-biblical) village, enclosure

Root / Etymology

Root: כפר, whose core meaning is 'to cover, to protect, to make a covering.' The noun כְּפִיר appears to derive from this root, possibly by analogy to an animal with a distinctive mane (i.e., a 'covered' young lion) or (in unrelated later Hebrew usage) as referring to a settlement 'covered' or surrounded by walls. The lexical connection between the meanings of 'lion' and 'village' is historically debated; in the Hebrew Bible, the word functions almost exclusively as 'young lion.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כְּפִיר occurs most frequently as a poetic or metaphorical term for a vigorous young lion, often emphasizing qualities of strength, fearlessness, or predatory power (e.g., Judges 14:5, Psalms 17:12, Ezekiel 19:2-6). This metaphorical use appears in both prophetic and wisdom literature. The alternate meaning 'village' is not attested in the Hebrew Bible but appears in later Hebrew (Mishnaic and Medieval contexts; see also cognates in Aramaic and Arabic), possibly reflecting a semantic extension from the root idea of protection or enclosure (cf. כָּפָר 'village, rural hamlet'). English translations of biblical texts almost always render כְּפִיר as 'young lion' or simply 'lion,' which fully captures the biblical usage; the association with 'village' is found only outside the biblical corpus. The confusion in later tradition may arise from the similarity in form and root with כָּפָר (kāphār, 'village'), but in biblical contexts, the meanings are distinct and non-overlapping. No anachronistic use of 'village' is warranted for biblical Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

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

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

כפר (k-p-r) — to cover, to protect, to enclose, to make atonement

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3713 כְּפוֹר covering layer
H3716 כְּפִירָה Kephirah
H3722 כָּפַר I will wipe away
H3723 כָּפָר in the enclosed villages
H3724 כֹּפֶר with the covering-payment

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3715-05 כְּפִ֣יר kefir HNcmsc young lion young lion of 7
H3715-07 כְּפִרִ֖ים kefirim HNcmpa young lions young lions 5
H3715-03 כַּ/כְּפִ֖יר kakefir HRd/Ncmsa like a lion like a young lion 3
H3715-09 כְפִרִ֔ים khefirim HNcmpa young lions young lions 2
H3715-10 כִּ/כְפִ֖יר kikhefir HR/Ncmsa as-a-lion young lion 2
H3715-04 כַּ/כְּפִירִ֤ים kakefirim HRd/Ncmpa like young lions like young lions 2
H3715-01 בַּ/כְּפִירִ֖ים bakefirim HRd/Ncmpa in the Chephirim in the young lions 1
H3715-12 מִ֝/כְּפִירִ֗ים mikefirim HR/Ncmpa from lions young lions 1
H3715-15 וְ/הַ/כְּפִ֜יר vehakefir HC/Td/Ncmsa and the young lion and the young lion 1
H3715-06 כְּפִרֶ֨י/הָ֙ kefireyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs its young lions her young lions 1

Occurrences in Scripture

32 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3715-05 Judges 14:5 כְּפִ֣יר kefir HNcmsc a young lion young lion of
H3715-04 Isaiah 5:29 כַּ/כְּפִירִ֤ים kakefirim HRd/Ncmpa like young lions like young lions
H3715-13 Isaiah 11:6 וּ/כְפִ֤יר ukhefir HC/Ncmsa and young lion and young lion
H3715-15 Isaiah 31:4 וְ/הַ/כְּפִ֜יר vehakefir HC/Td/Ncmsa and the young lion and the young lion
H3715-09 Jeremiah 2:15 כְפִרִ֔ים khefirim HNcmpa young lions young lions
H3715-03 Jeremiah 25:38 כַּ/כְּפִ֖יר kakefir HRd/Ncmsa like a young lion like a young lion
H3715-04 Jeremiah 51:38 כַּ/כְּפִרִ֣ים kakefirim HRd/Ncmpa like young lions like young lions
H3715-07 Ezekiel 19:2 כְּפִרִ֖ים kefirim HNcmpa young lions young lions
H3715-05 Ezekiel 19:3 כְּפִ֣יר kefir HNcmsa young lion young lion of
H3715-05 Ezekiel 19:5 כְּפִ֥יר kefir HNcmsa young lion young lion of
← H3714 Hebrew Lexicon H3716 →