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מִסְפָּר

𐤌𐤎𐤐𐤓

miçpâr

H4557 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ספר to count, to enumerate, to recount, to tell

Definition

A count, amount, or total determined by counting; the concept of a number or sum, whether definite or indefinite. In extended use, 'miṣpār' can signal a specific count, a finite or ascertainable quantity, as well as a more general count such as 'many,' 'few,' or 'innumerable.' Abstractly, it is used for 'account' or 'tale,' referring to the act or result of enumeration or recounting. The term may take on either a precise mathematical sense or function more generally in contexts highlighting abundance, limitation, or narration.

Semantic Range

number, count, amount, sum, tally, totality (of counted things), abundance, multitude, few (in constructions denoting limitation), time (rare), narration, account, tale

Root / Etymology

From the root סָפַר (s-p-r), which means 'to count, reckon, relate, tell, recount.' The noun מִסְפָּר (miṣpār) is a formation indicating the result or product of counting — hence 'number' or 'count.' The word thus derives not from the act of counting itself, but from the outcome or total produced by enumeration.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, 'miṣpār' is widely used for the concept of number or tally, both in specific and indefinite contexts. At times it refers to a concrete, countable sum (such as census data or lists: e.g., Numbers 1:2), while in other passages (e.g., Genesis 15:5—'number (miṣpār) the stars') it can denote innumerable abundance. In poetic or figurative use it may signal limitation ('few in number'), or its opposite, depending on context. In later Israelite literature, the term can shift subtly toward an abstract sense—'account' or 'tale'—but this usage is less common than the literal sense. English translations sometimes render 'miṣpār' as 'numbered people,' 'multitude,' or 'few' in accordance with idiomatic Hebrew, potentially obscuring whether the underlying sense is of concreteness (definite tally) or abstraction (general amount or limit). The related verb סָפַר is more frequently used for narrative or recounting as opposed to the noun's strong association with the outcome of counting. Greek translations typically use 'arithmos' (ἀριθμός), preserving the mathematical sense. The KJV and later English traditions also use 'tale' or 'account' for the abstract sense, though these are now less common. 'Miṣpār' is context-dependent and can best be distinguished from similar nouns (like מוֹנֶה, mōneh, 'one who counts') by its focus on quantity or total, not the actor or process.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סָפַר; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narration; [phrase] abundance, account, [idiom] all, [idiom] few, (in-) finite, (certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, [phrase] time.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ספר (s-p-r) — to count, to enumerate, to recount, to tell

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4558 מִסְפָּר counted total
H4559 מִסְפֶּרֶת Mispereth
H5601 סַפִּיר in the blue precious stones
H5608 סָפַר I will recount
H5609 סְפַר in a written-record of

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4557-09 מִסְפָּ֔ר misepar HNcmsa number counted total 65
H4557-01 בְּ/מִסְפַּ֤ר bemisepar HR/Ncmsc according to the number in counted number of 32
H4557-10 מִסְפָּרָ֑/ם miseparam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their number their count 8
H4557-02 בְּ/מִסְפָּרָ֖/ם bemiseparam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp according to their number in their count 7
H4557-07 לְ/מִסְפַּ֖ר lemisepar HR/Ncmsc according to the number to the count of 5
H4557-13 וּ/מִסְפָּ֖ר umisepar HC/Ncmsa and the number and count 5
H4557-15 בְ/מִסְפָּ֑ר vemisepar HR/Ncmsa by number in count 3
H4557-08 לְ/מִסְפָּרָ֔/ם lemiseparam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp according to their number to their count 2
H4557-04 כַּ/מִּסְפָּ֖ר kamisepar HRd/Ncmsa according to the number counted total 1
H4557-12 מִסְפְּרֵ֞י miseperey HNcmpc numbers-of counts of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

134 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4557-09 Genesis 34:30 מִסְפָּ֔ר misepar HNcmsa in number counted total
H4557-09 Genesis 41:49 מִסְפָּֽר misepar HNcmsa number counted total
H4557-09 Exodus 16:16 מִסְפַּר֙ misepar HNcmsc according to the number counted total
H4557-09 Exodus 23:26 מִסְפַּ֥ר misepar HNcmsc the number counted total
H4557-01 Leviticus 25:15 בְּ/מִסְפַּ֤ר bemisepar HR/Ncmsc according to the number in counted number of
H4557-01 Leviticus 25:15 בְּ/מִסְפַּ֥ר bemisepar-2 HR/Ncmsc according to the number in counted number of
H4557-09 Leviticus 25:16 מִסְפַּ֣ר misepar HNcmsc the number counted total
H4557-01 Leviticus 25:50 בְּ/מִסְפַּ֣ר bemisepar HR/Ncmsc according to the number in counted number of
H4557-01 Numbers 1:2 בְּ/מִסְפַּ֣ר bemisepar HR/Ncmsc according to number in counted number of
H4557-01 Numbers 1:18 בְּ/מִסְפַּ֣ר bemisepar HR/Ncmsc according to the number in counted number of
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