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כָּפַר

𐤊𐤐𐤓

kâphar

H3722 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To cover over, to wipe away, or to cleanse, especially in contexts related to removing impurity, guilt, or offense; by extension, to effect reconciliation or restore favorable relations, commonly through prescribed ritual actions or offerings. The primary lexical sense involves physical or metaphorical covering, leading to the concept of expiating, appeasing, or reconciling in cultic and interpersonal contexts. In priestly and legal texts, denotes removing the consequences of sin or impurity, often through ritual acts.

Semantic Range

to cover with a coating (e.g., pitch); to remove or erase sin, guilt, or impurity; to expiate or make reparation through ritual action or offering; to effect reconciliation or placate; to purify or cleanse (ritually); to appease (a deity or person); to cancel or annul consequences of offense; to forgive (through prescribed means)

Root / Etymology

Root: כפר (k-p-r). The verbal root כפר conveys the basic idea of covering, concealing, or wiping away. Its earliest attested usage connects with the literal sense of smearing or coating (as with bitumen or pitch), as in coating the ark in Gen. 6:14. In ritual and legal texts, the root's semantic development leads to the figurative sense of covering or removing sin, guilt, or offense, thus signifying expiation or atonement. Derived nouns (e.g., כִּפֻּרִים 'kippurim') reflect these expanded senses.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early biblical Hebrew contexts (patriarchal and monarchic), כפר is used both literally ('to cover with pitch') and metaphorically for ritual covering of sin or defilement. In priestly texts (especially Leviticus and Numbers), it becomes a technical term for actions that result in the removal of ritual impurity or guilt, notably through sacrificial rites. This notion is distinct from Greek and later Christian understandings of 'atonement.' The action of כפר is performed by authorized ritual agents (e.g., priests), often on behalf of individuals or the wider community, aiming to restore relationship and purity within the Israelite community and its relationship with their deity. English translations often use 'atone' or 'make atonement,' but the Hebrew concept encompasses both the act of covering/removing and its result—restored purity or acceptance. In the post-exilic period, the term is reflected in the name יוֹם כִּפּוּר 'Yom Kippur,' the Day of Atonement, central to ritual purification and communal reconciliation. Other Hebrew terms for forgiveness (e.g., סלח) carry different nuances, often focused on pardon, while כפר centers on ritual acts and the process of expiation.

Translation Consistency

primary "atone" 60 occurrences

‘Atone’ best captures the typical semantic range of kâphar — covering that removes guilt, sacrificial expiation, cleansing, and restored relations — while remaining a natural, single English verb. It maps well to the frequent idiom “make atonement” used in many translations, and it covers both cultic and interpersonal senses better than the more literal ‘cover’ or the generic ‘make.’

Alternatives (43 occurrences):
"make atonement" (28x) "appease" (2x) "cover over" (2x) "cover" (1x) "atonement was made" (1x) "when you make atonement" (1x) "expiation-coverings" (1x) "makes atonement" (1x) "making atonement" (1x) "there will be atonement" (1x) "canceled" (1x) "covering-over" (1x) "make atonement for" (1x) "wipe away" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel; appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Chokwe kufula to clean, to free from impurity
Kikongo kúfúla to cleanse, to purify
Kimbundu kufula to purify, make clean
Lunda kufula to cleanse, to make clean
Luvale kufula to make clean
Umbundu okufula to clean, to cleanse

Root Family

כפר (k-p-r) — to cover, conceal, wipe away

Root כפר to cover, conceal, wipe away
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3713 כְּפוֹר covering layer
H3715 כְּפִיר in the young lions
H3716 כְּפִירָה Kephirah
H3723 כָּפָר in the enclosed villages
H3724 כֹּפֶר with the covering-payment

Word Forms

27 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3722-20 וְ/כִפֶּ֤ר vekhiper HC/Vpq3ms and shall make atonement and he covered over and he shall make atonement 32
H3722-09 לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר lekhaper HR/Vpc to make atonement to intensively wipe away to intensively atone 25
H3722-23 יְכַפֵּ֤ר yekhaper HVpi3ms he shall make atonement he will wipe away he will atone 10
H3722-26 יְכֻפַּ֗ר yekhupar HVPi3ms can be atoned he will be covered-over it will be atoned for 4
H3722-17 וְ/כַפֵּ֥ר vekhaper HC/Vpv2ms and make atonement and wipe away and atone 4
H3722-15 וַ/יְכַפֵּ֧ר vayekhaper HC/Vpw3ms and made atonement and he wiped away and he atoned 3
H3722-14 וּ/לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר ulekhaper HC/R/Vpc and to make atonement and to wipe away and to make atonement 3
H3722-11 תְּכַפֵּר֙ tekhaper HVpi2ms you shall make atonement you will cover over cover over 2
H3722-02 אֲכַפְּרָ֣ה akhaperah HVph1cs I shall make atonement let me wipe away I shall make atonement 2
H3722-22 וְ/נִכַּפֵּ֥ר venikaper HC/VDq3ms and it will be atoned and he will be covered over and there will be atonement 1

Occurrences in Scripture

103 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3722-16 Genesis 6:14 וְ/כָֽפַרְתָּ֥ vekhafareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall cover and you shall cover over and you shall cover
H3722-02 Genesis 32:21 אֲכַפְּרָ֣ה akhaperah HVph1cs I will appease let me wipe away I will appease
H3722-08 Exodus 29:33 כֻּפַּ֣ר kupar HVPp3ms atonement was made was covered-over atonement was made
H3722-03 Exodus 29:36 בְּ/כַפֶּרְ/ךָ֖ bekhaperekha HR/Vpc/Sp2ms when-you-make-atonement in your covering-over when you make atonement
H3722-11 Exodus 29:37 תְּכַפֵּר֙ tekhaper HVpi2ms you shall make atonement you will cover over you will atone
H3722-20 Exodus 30:10 וְ/כִפֶּ֤ר vekhiper HC/Vpq3ms and shall make atonement and he covered over and he shall make atonement
H3722-23 Exodus 30:10 יְכַפֵּ֤ר yekhaper HVpi3ms he shall make atonement he will wipe away he will atone
H3722-09 Exodus 30:15 לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר lekhaper HR/Vpc to make atonement to intensively wipe away to intensively atone
H3722-05 Exodus 30:16 הַ/כִּפֻּרִ֗ים hakipurim HTd/Ncmpa of the atonements the expiation-coverings the expiation-coverings
H3722-09 Exodus 30:16 לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר lekhaper HR/Vpc to make atonement to intensively wipe away to intensively atone
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