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כֹּפֶר

𐤊𐤐𐤓

kôpher

H3724 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כפר to cover, to smear, to appease, to compensate

Definition

A covering, by extension a means of covering, compensation, or appeasement. כֹּפֶר (kôpher) refers to a physical covering substance (e.g., pitch or resin), to a ransom or payment intended to secure release or settlement, compensation for wrongdoing or injury, or, less commonly, to the henna plant. Predominantly, it denotes the concept of a payment made to avert harm or as a substitute in legal or ritual settings.

Semantic Range

covering, pitch (bitumen), ransom, compensation, satisfaction (payment to avert penalty), bribe, price paid for release, henna plant

Root / Etymology

Root: כָּפַר (kpr), with the core meaning 'to cover, to smear over, to make atonement.' כֹּפֶר is a nominal formation denoting that which effects a covering, both physically (material substances like pitch) and figuratively (a compensatory payment). The root idea of covering evolves contextually into notions of protection, appeasement, or expiation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early biblical usage, כֹּפֶר most frequently refers to a ransom or payment made to secure someone's release from potential harm (e.g., Exodus 21:30, Numbers 35:31) or to atone for an offense. Unlike later religious readings, the term in the Hebrew Bible usually conveys a concrete, transactional sense rather than an abstract notion of 'atonement.' When denoting a substance, it refers specifically to a sticky material (often identified as bitumen or pitch, Genesis 6:14) used for waterproofing. In Songs (Song of Songs 1:14; 4:13, 14), it refers poetically to the henna plant (Lawsonia inermis), a fragrant and dye-producing shrub. The possible connection with 'village' (cf. Joshua 18:24) is debated and may stem from a different etymology or a secondary development; most lexicographers distinguish this rare sense as unrelated. English translations sometimes obscure the transactional or compensatory aspect of כֹּפֶר by rendering it as 'atonement' or 'bribe,' but in most instances in the Hebrew Bible it is not inherently cultic or illicit: it is a legitimate societal or legal payment. The translation 'ransom' most accurately captures its predominant use in legal and narrative contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּפַר; properly, a cover, i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-price; bribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כפר (k-p-r) — to cover, to smear, to appease, to compensate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3713 כְּפוֹר covering layer
H3715 כְּפִיר in the young lions
H3716 כְּפִירָה Kephirah
H3722 כָּפַר I will wipe away
H3723 כָּפָר in the enclosed villages

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3724-07 כֹּ֖פֶר kofer HNcmsa ransom covering-payment 7
H3724-06 כֹ֨פֶר֙ khofer HNcmsa ransom covering-payment 5
H3724-01 בַּ/כֹּֽפֶר bakofer HRd/Ncmsa with pitch with the covering-payment 1
H3724-03 כָּפְרֽ/וֹ kafero HNcmsc/Sp3ms his ransom his covering-payment 1
H3724-04 כְּפָרִ֖ים kefarim HNcmpa henna coverings 1
H3724-02 הַ/כֹּ֤פֶר hakofer HTd/Ncmsa of henna blossoms the covering-payment 1
H3724-05 כָפְרְ/ךָ֙ khaferekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your ransom your covering-payment 1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3724-01 Genesis 6:14 בַּ/כֹּֽפֶר bakofer HRd/Ncmsa with pitch with the covering-payment
H3724-07 Exodus 21:30 כֹּ֖פֶר kofer HNcmsa ransom covering-payment
H3724-07 Exodus 30:12 כֹּ֧פֶר kofer HNcmsc ransom covering-payment
H3724-06 Numbers 35:31 כֹ֨פֶר֙ khofer HNcmsa ransom covering-payment
H3724-06 Numbers 35:32 כֹ֔פֶר khofer HNcmsa ransom covering-payment
H3724-07 1 Samuel 6:18 כֹּ֣פֶר kofer HNcmsc village covering-payment
H3724-06 1 Samuel 12:3 כֹ֔פֶר khofer HNcmsa bribe covering-payment
H3724-05 Isaiah 43:3 כָפְרְ/ךָ֙ khaferekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your ransom your covering-payment
H3724-06 Amos 5:12 כֹ֔פֶר khofer HNcmsa bribe covering-payment
H3724-03 Psalms 49:8 כָּפְרֽ/וֹ kafero HNcmsc/Sp3ms his ransom his covering-payment
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