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סָפַר

𐤎𐤐𐤓

çâphar

H5608 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To count, enumerate, or take a census; by extension, to relate, recount, or narrate an account. The verb סָפַר is used both in reference to concrete acts of counting or recording (such as tallying people or objects) and to verbal communication that 'counts out' or describes details of events or information. In intensive forms, the verb can also mean to narrate, declare, or praise by recounting (as in poetic or liturgical contexts).

Semantic Range

to count, to number, to enumerate, to keep records, to assign by tally or census, to narrate, to declare, to proclaim, to recount, to relate, to celebrate (when recounting virtuous acts), to tell (as an account or story), to make known by oral or written means

Root / Etymology

Root ספר, hypothesized core meaning 'to write, count, record, relate.' The verb is etymologically connected with the notion of 'marking' or 'recording,' with usage extending from physical marking (tallying, writing) to abstract enumeration or narrative. Nouns derived from this root include סֵפֶר (sefer, 'book') and סֹפֵר (sofer, 'scribe').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite texts (patriarchal and monarchic periods), סָפַר most commonly appears in administrative or ritual settings requiring enumeration or formal record keeping (Numbers 1, census narratives, and Leviticus). In poetic and wisdom literature (Psalms, Job), the verb has extended senses such as 'recounting' or 'declaring' God's deeds, or more generally, expressing narrative praise. In later periods, noun derivatives such as סֵפֶר and סֹפֵר (book and scribe) reflect the shift from oral tallying to literate culture and professional scribes. The range of English translations ('count, number, tell, declare, celebrate') often does not capture the seamless connection in Hebrew between counting, writing, and storytelling as acts of record and communication. The KJV's use of 'writer,' 'scribe,' or 'declare' reflects evolving post-exilic understandings, but the primary lexical sense remains related to accounting, record keeping, and narration rather than theological proclamation. Contrast with מָנָה (manah, H4487) 'to count, assign by number,' which usually denotes exclusive focus on enumeration without the communicative or narrative aspect of סָפַר.

Translation Consistency

primary "recount" 33 occurrences

Recount covers the full SILEX range: it naturally expresses both counting/enumerating (as in tallying or recounting numbers) and narrating/relating an account (telling or declaring). It matches the dominant renderings in the data and is a simple, natural English verb that can be inflected consistently for all forms of סָפַר.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):
"count" (9x) "scribe" (4x) "counted" (2x) "(masc. pl.) shall count" (1x) "numbered" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate; commune, (ac-) count; declare, number, [phrase] penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

ספר (Misepar) — to count, to enumerate, to recount

Root ספר to count, enumerate, record, narrate, recount
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4557 מִסְפָּר in counted number of
H4558 מִסְפָּר counted total
H4559 מִסְפֶּרֶת Mispereth
H5601 סַפִּיר in the blue precious stones
H5609 סְפַר in a written-record of

Word Forms

58 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5608-05 הַ/סּוֹפֵ֜ר hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the scribe the record-keeper the one who recounts 37
H5608-23 סוֹפֵֽר sofer HNcmsa scribe record-keeper one who recounts 12
H5608-40 וַ/יְסַפֶּר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms and told and he recounted and he recounted 11
H5608-53 יְסַפְּר֜וּ yesaperu HVpi3mp they tell they recount they will recount 6
H5608-02 אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה asaperah HVph1cs I will declare let me recount let me recount 5
H5608-55 יִסָּפֵ֖ר yisafer HVNi3ms be numbered he will be counted it will be recounted 5
H5608-17 סַפְּר֤וּ saperu HVpv2mp Declare Recount! Recount! 4
H5608-22 סִפְּרוּ siperu HVpp3cp have told they recounted they recounted 4
H5608-25 סֹפְרִים֙ soferim HNcmpa scribes record-keepers those who recount 4
H5608-07 לְ/סַפֵּ֣ר lesaper HR/Vpc that I may tell to recount to recount 3

Occurrences in Scripture

161 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5608-35 Genesis 15:5 וּ/סְפֹר֙ usefor HC/Vqv2ms and count and count and count
H5608-08 Genesis 15:5 לִ/סְפֹּ֣ר lisepor HR/Vqc to count to count out to count
H5608-55 Genesis 16:10 יִסָּפֵ֖ר yisafer HVNi3ms be numbered he will be counted it will be recounted
H5608-40 Genesis 24:66 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֥ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-40 Genesis 29:13 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֣ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms and told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-55 Genesis 32:13 יִסָּפֵ֖ר yisafer HVNi3ms be numbered he will be counted it will be recounted
H5608-40 Genesis 37:9 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֥ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms and he told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-40 Genesis 37:10 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֣ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms he told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-17 Genesis 40:8 סַפְּרוּ saperu HVpv2mp Tell Recount! Recount!
H5608-40 Genesis 40:9 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֧ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-40 Genesis 41:8 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֨ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-38 Genesis 41:12 וַ/נְּ֨סַפֶּר vanesaper HC/Vpw1cp and we told and we recounted and we recounted
H5608-08 Genesis 41:49 לִ/סְפֹּ֖ר lisepor HR/Vqc measuring to count out to count
H5608-15 Exodus 9:16 סַפֵּ֥ר saper HVpc may be proclaimed to recount to recount
H5608-27 Exodus 10:2 תְּסַפֵּר֩ tesaper HVpi2ms you may tell you will recount you may recount
H5608-40 Exodus 18:8 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֤ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms and told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-40 Exodus 24:3 וַ/יְסַפֵּ֤ר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms and told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-47 Leviticus 15:13 וְ/סָ֨פַר vesafar HC/Vqq3ms then he shall count and he counted and he shall count
H5608-49 Leviticus 15:28 וְ/סָ֥פְרָה vesaferah HC/Vqq3fs then she shall count and she counted then she shall count
H5608-34 Leviticus 23:15 וּ/סְפַרְתֶּ֤ם usefaretem HC/Vqq2mp And you shall count and you (masc. pl.) shall count and you (masc. pl.) shall count
H5608-30 Leviticus 23:16 תִּסְפְּר֖וּ tiseperu HVqi2mp you shall count you all count you shall count
H5608-48 Leviticus 25:8 וְ/סָפַרְתָּ֣ vesafareta HC/Vqq2ms And you shall count and you will count and you shall count
H5608-42 Numbers 13:27 וַ/יְסַפְּרוּ vayesaperu HC/Vpw3mp and they told and they recounted and they recounted
H5608-29 Deuteronomy 16:9 תִּסְפָּר tisepar HVqi2ms you shall count you count you shall count
H5608-08 Deuteronomy 16:9 לִ/סְפֹּ֔ר lisepor HR/Vqc to count to count out to count
H5608-42 Joshua 2:23 וַ/יְסַ֨פְּרוּ vayesaperu HC/Vpw3mp and they told and they recounted and they recounted
H5608-23 Judges 5:14 סֹפֵֽר sofer HNcmsa of the scribe record-keeper one who recounts
H5608-22 Judges 6:13 סִפְּרוּ siperu HVpp3cp told they recounted they recounted
H5608-09 Judges 7:13 מְסַפֵּ֥ר mesaper HVprmsa was telling the one recounting the one recounting
H5608-42 1 Samuel 11:5 וַ/יְסַ֨פְּרוּ vayesaperu HC/Vpw3mp and they told and they recounted and they recounted
H5608-23 2 Samuel 8:17 סוֹפֵֽר sofer HNcmsa scribe record-keeper one who recounts
H5608-23 2 Samuel 20:25 סֹפֵ֑ר sofer HNcmsa scribe record-keeper one who recounts
H5608-13 2 Samuel 24:10 סָפַ֣ר safar HVqp3ms he had numbered he recounted he had numbered
H5608-55 1 Kings 3:8 יִסָּפֵ֖ר yisafer HVNi3ms counted he will be counted counted
H5608-25 1 Kings 4:3 סֹפְרִ֑ים soferim HNcmpa scribes record-keepers those who recount
H5608-56 1 Kings 8:5 יִסָּפְר֛וּ yisaferu HVNi3mp could be counted they will be counted could be counted
H5608-40 1 Kings 13:11 וַ/יְסַפֶּר vayesaper HC/Vpw3ms told and he recounted and he recounted
H5608-43 1 Kings 13:11 וַֽ/יְסַפְּר֖וּ/ם vayesaperum HC/Vpw3mp/Sp3mp they told them and they recounted them and they recounted them
H5608-16 2 Kings 8:4 סַפְּרָ/ה saperah HVpv2ms/Sh tell Recount! Recount
H5608-09 2 Kings 8:5 מְסַפֵּ֣ר mesaper HVprmsa telling the one recounting the one recounting
H5608-39 2 Kings 8:6 וַ/תְּסַפֶּר vatesaper HC/Vpw3fs and she told and she recounted and she recounted
H5608-23 2 Kings 12:11 סֹפֵ֤ר sofer HNcmsc scribe record-keeper one who recounts
H5608-05 2 Kings 18:18 הַ/סֹּפֵ֔ר hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the scribe the record-keeper the scribe
H5608-05 2 Kings 18:37 הַ/סֹּפֵ֜ר hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the-scribe the record-keeper the scribe
H5608-05 2 Kings 19:2 הַ/סֹּפֵ֗ר hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the secretary the record-keeper the one who recounts
H5608-05 2 Kings 22:3 הַ/סֹּפֵ֔ר hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the scribe the record-keeper the scribe
H5608-05 2 Kings 22:8 הַ/סֹּפֵ֔ר hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the scribe the record-keeper the one who recounts
H5608-05 2 Kings 22:9 הַ/סֹּפֵר֙ hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the scribe the record-keeper the scribe
H5608-05 2 Kings 22:10 הַ/סֹּפֵר֙ hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the scribe the record-keeper the one who recounts
H5608-05 2 Kings 22:12 הַ/סֹּפֵ֗ר hasofer HTd/Ncmsa the scribe the record-keeper the one who recounts
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