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שׁוֹפָר

𐤔𐤅𐤐𐤓

shôwphâr

H7782 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁפר to be fair, beautiful; (uncertain: to curve, to clarify)

Definition

A ram's horn or trumpet-like wind instrument, traditionally made from the curved horn of a ram or similar animal, used for signaling, ritual, or ceremonial purposes. In Israelite society, the shofar was specifically utilized as a signaling device in warfare, for religious festivals and ceremonies (notably the Day of Blowing at the seventh month and the Jubilee year), and for summoning assemblies. The term connotes both the physical instrument and the act of sounding it for specific communal or religious purposes. The shofar's distinctive, piercing sound also denotes alerting or announcing significant collective events.

Semantic Range

ram’s horn, trumpet-like wind instrument, signaling device, instrument for religious ritual, ceremonial horn; act of blowing/sounding the horn as a communal or ritual act

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׁפַר (šāpar), which primarily means 'to be beautiful, fair,' but the derivation of שׁוֹפָר is debated; it may be related to the shape (pleasing or curved/beautiful horn), but the semantic connection is not direct. Some suggest association with clarity or distinctiveness of sound, though the actual shift from 'beautiful' to 'horn/instrument' is unclear, and thus the etymology is partially uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In patriarchal and monarchic Israelite society, the shofar functioned as a natural trumpet, distinct from the silver trumpets (חֲצוֹצְרָה) used in the sanctuary and army (Numbers 10). Whereas the חֲצוֹצְרָה was a crafted metal instrument used chiefly by priests for ritual and processional uses, the shofar had wider communal functions: summoning assemblies (Judges 3:27), sounding alarms in war (Joshua 6; Judges 7), and marking key holy days (Leviticus 25:9; Numbers 29:1, the latter known as יום תרועה 'day of blowing'). Its role in announcing the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9–10) and using it as a call to repentance or divine worship set it apart from standard signaling devices. The shofar remained in post-exilic and later Jewish tradition as a central ritual object, most notably in the synagogue for Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) and Yom Kippur. English translations often use 'trumpet' or 'ram's horn,' but these do not fully capture the social, ritual, and religious specificity of the shofar in ancient Israel. Its connective function—marking critical transitions, festivals, and communal alerts—persisted through Second Temple and post-biblical periods. Modern Jewish usage is rooted in the biblical tradition, though the religious system and terminology have evolved.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שֹׁפָר; from שָׁפַר in the original sense of incising; a cornet (as giving a clear sound) or curved horn; cornet, trumpet.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁפר (š-p-r) — beauty, fairness, (uncertain: curvature, clarity)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8234 שֶׁפֶר Beautiful-Place
H8235 שִׁפְרָה Shiphrah
H8237 שַׁפְרוּר his splendid pavilion

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7782-07 שֹׁפָ֖ר shofar HNcmsa trumpet ram’s horn trumpet 26
H7782-01 בַּ/שּׁוֹפָ֖ר bashofar HRd/Ncmsa the trumpet with the ram-horn 15
H7782-02 בַּ/שּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת bashofarot HRd/Ncmpa the-trumpets with the shofar-horns 10
H7782-04 הַ/שּׁוֹפָ֔ר hashofar HTd/Ncmsa of the trumpet the ram-horn trumpet 9
H7782-09 שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת shoferot HNcmpc trumpets ram-horns of 4
H7782-05 הַ/שּֽׁוֹפָר֑וֹת hashofarot HTd/Ncmpa the trumpets the ram’s horns 3
H7782-11 וּ/בְ/שׁוֹפָרֽוֹת uveshofarot HC/R/Ncmpa and with horns and with shofars 1
H7782-03 בְּ/שׁוֹפָ֣ר beshofar HR/Ncmsa with a trumpet with a ram’s-horn 1
H7782-08 שׁוֹפָר֤וֹת shofarot HNcmpa trumpets ram-horn trumpets 1
H7782-06 כַּ/שּׁוֹפָ֖ר kashofar HRd/Ncmsa like a trumpet like a ram’s horn 1

Occurrences in Scripture

72 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7782-07 Exodus 19:16 שֹׁפָ֖ר shofar HNcmsa of trumpet ram’s horn trumpet
H7782-04 Exodus 19:19 הַ/שּׁוֹפָ֔ר hashofar HTd/Ncmsa of the trumpet the ram-horn trumpet
H7782-04 Exodus 20:18 הַ/שֹּׁפָ֔ר hashofar HTd/Ncmsa of the trumpet the ram-horn trumpet
H7782-07 Leviticus 25:9 שׁוֹפַ֤ר shofar HNcmsc trumpet ram’s horn trumpet
H7782-07 Leviticus 25:9 שׁוֹפָ֖ר shofar-2 HNcmsa trumpet ram’s horn trumpet
H7782-09 Joshua 6:4 שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת shoferot HNcmpc trumpets ram-horns of
H7782-02 Joshua 6:4 בַּ/שּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת bashofarot HRd/Ncmpa the-trumpets with the shofar-horns
H7782-04 Joshua 6:5 הַ/שּׁוֹפָ֔ר hashofar HTd/Ncmsa of the trumpet the ram-horn trumpet
H7782-09 Joshua 6:6 שֽׁוֹפְרוֹת֙ shoferot HNcmpc trumpets ram-horns of
H7782-09 Joshua 6:8 שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת shoferot HNcmpc trumpets ram-horns of
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