צוֹפַר
𐤑𐤅𐤐𐤓
Tsofar
H6691 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Tsophar, a personal name designating one of Job's three interlocutors from the region of Naamah in the book of Job. Used exclusively as a proper noun, the term does not convey a common noun or verb meaning within the Hebrew Bible context.
Semantic Range
proper noun (personal name); possibly with underlying association of 'departing' or 'leaping,' but not used as such in context
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root צפר (ts-p-r), which commonly carries the core meaning of 'to depart, to go early, to leap forth,' or in some contexts 'to chirp, whistle' (in reference to birds). The connection between the root's meaning and its use as a personal name (Tsophar) is uncertain and may be based on a secondary or symbolic association. The meaning of the name in its context as a personal name is not explicit in the text.
Historical & Contextual Notes
'Tsophar' appears solely in the book of Job (Job 2:11; 11:1; 20:1; 42:9) as one of Job's friends who debates Job’s innocence and understanding of the divine. The text identifies him as 'the Naamathite,' likely referring to his place of origin rather than an ethnic or religious identity. No evidence exists to associate Tsophar with later Israelite or Judean identities, nor does the name become a title or common noun in later Hebrew literature. The LXX transliterates the name as Σωφαρ (Sōphar). The semantic value of the name itself is secondary to its narrative function as a character designation. Modern translations sometimes render the name as 'Zophar' for phonetic reasons; this does not carry lexical significance. The KJV and many traditional English translations use the form 'Zophar,' which is a direct Anglicization rather than a translation of meaning. There is no theological or broader cultural connotation attached to the name within the Hebrew Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from צָפַר; departing; Tsophar, a friend of Job; Zophar.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צפר (ts-p-r) — to leap, to depart, to go early, to chirp, to sound
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6833 | צִפּוֹר | the chirping bird |
| H6834 | צִפּוֹר | Tsippôr |
| H6841 | צְפִיר | and he-goats of |
| H6842 | צָפִיר | prancing male goat |
| H6843 | צְפִירָה | the encircling crown |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6691-01 |
צֹפַ֥ר | tsofar | HNp |
Zophar | Tsophar | 3 |
H6691-02 |
וְ/צוֹפַ֖ר | vetsofar | HC/Np |
and Zophar | and Tsophar | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences