Strong's Lexicon
kaphar: To cover, to atone, to make reconciliation, to purge
Original Word:כָּפַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:kaphar
Pronunciation:kah-far'
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-far')
Definition:To cover, to atone, to make reconciliation, to purge
Meaning:to cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel
Word Origin:A primitive root
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: -G2433 (hilaskomai): To be propitious, to make reconciliation
-G2643 (katallage): Reconciliation, restoration to favor
Usage:The Hebrew verb "kaphar" primarily means "to cover" and is often used in the context of atonement. It conveys the idea of covering over sin, making reconciliation, or purging impurities. In the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, "kaphar" is frequently associated with the rituals that symbolically covered the sins of the people, allowing them to be reconciled with God. This concept is foundational to the understanding of atonement in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Cultural and Historical Background:In ancient Israel, the concept of atonement was central to the relationship between God and His people. The sacrificial system, as outlined in the Torah, provided a means for the Israelites to atone for their sins and maintain a covenant relationship with God. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the most significant day for atonement, where the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the nation. The use of "kaphar" in these contexts underscores the importance of reconciliation and purification in the spiritual life of Israel.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
etc.
(figurative), ; —
PerfectExodus 30:10 31t.; 2 masculine singular suffixEzekiel 43:20; 3masculine pluralEzekiel 43:26; 2masculine pluralEzekiel 45:20;ImperfectExodus 30:10 10t.;Leviticus 7:7;Numbers 5:8; suffixProverbs 16:14; 1singular2 Samuel 21:3;Genesis 32:21;Exodus 32:30, etc.;ImperativeDeuteronomy 21:8 4t.;InfinitiveExodus 30:15 28t.; suffixesEzekiel 16:63;Exodus 29:36;Isaiah 47:11; —
cover over, pacify, propitiate;Genesis 32:21let me cover his face by the present (so that he does not see the offence, i.e.pacify, him; E; RSOTJC, 2d ed., 381 'wipe clean the face,' blackened by displeasure, as the Arabs say 'whiten the face');Isaiah 47:11and disaster will fall upon thee, thou wilt not be able to propitiate it (by payment of a , seeIsaiah 43:3); pacify the wrath of a kingProverbs 16:14 (e.g. by a gift).
cover over, atone for sin, without sacrifice :
man as subject,2 Samuel 21:3,with what shall I cover over (namely, the bloodguiltiness of the house of Saul, says David The answer is by a death penalty of seven sons of the guilty house);Exodus 32:30on behalf of your sins (J E; Moses, by intercession); with of personsNumbers 17:11;Numbers 17:12 (P; by incense),Numbers 25:13 (P when Phinehas slays the ringleaders).
with God as subject, with accusative of person,cover, i.e. treat as covered, view propitiously, Yahweh's landDeuteronomy 32:43 (song); personDeuteronomy 21:8 (bloodguiltiness flows away in the stream),Ezekiel 16:63; of person 2 Chronicles 30:18; with accusative ofthe sinPsalm 65:4;Psalm 78:38, probably alsoDaniel 9:24 "" ; of sin,Psalm 79:9;Jeremiah 18:23 "" . It is conceived that God in his sovereignty may himself provide an atonement or covering for men and their sins which could not be provided by men.
cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites, in the codes of H, P, and Ezekiel: absoluteand the priest shall make atonementLeviticus 16:32;
with accusative of sacred places (by the great sin-offering of the day of atonement),Leviticus 16:20,33 (twice in verse); alsoEzekiel 43:20,26;Ezekiel 45:20 (by the blood of the sin-offering "" , ).
. (I) of things, e.g. of the altar to which the blood of the sin-offering was appliedExodus 29:36,37;Exodus 30:10;Leviticus 8:15 "" ,Leviticus 16:18; and specifically the horns of the altarExodus 30:10; the holy place of the tabernacleLeviticus 16:16 (by the great sin-offering, because of the uncleannesses of thechildren of Israel and because of their transgressions); for the leprous house by ceremony of purificationLeviticus 14:53 "" ; for the goatLeviticus 16:10 (which was presented before Yahweh to consecrate him for the bearing away of the sins of the people). (2) of persons, ,for your persons, yourselves, e.g. by the payment of atonement-money at the censusExodus 30:15,16; by the of the spoilsNumbers 31:50; by the blood upon the altarLeviticus 17:11; in the ritual , by ministry of priest through the blood of the sin-offeringLeviticus 4:20,31;Leviticus 8:34;Leviticus 10:17;Leviticus 12:7,8;Leviticus 14:19,31;Leviticus 16:30,33;Leviticus 23:28;Numbers 8:12,21;Numbers 15:25,28 (twice in verse);Numbers 28:22,30;Numbers 29:5; 2Chronicles 29:24;Nehemiah 10:34; of the trespass-offeringLeviticus 5:16,18;Leviticus 5:26;Leviticus 7:7;Leviticus 14:21;Leviticus 19:22;Numbers 5:8; the whole burnt-offeringLeviticus 1:4;Leviticus 14:20;Leviticus 16:24; by the oil used in purifying a leperLeviticus 14:18,29; by theEzekiel 45:15; by the priestly ministry in General1 Chronicles 6:34; by the substitution of the Levites for the firstbornNumbers 8:19. Underlying all these offerings there is the conception that the persons offering are covered by that which is regarded as sufficient and satisfactory by Yahweh. (The purpose of the covering is statedLeviticus 16:30 =shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you, from all your sins shall ye be clean before Yahweh, andNumbers 8:21and (Aaron)made atonement for them to cleanse them.)
: others understand as =away from; compare DiLev 4:26, RiSühne 50 f.because of his sinLeviticus 4:26;Leviticus 5:6,10;Leviticus 16:34;Leviticus 14:19;Leviticus 16:16;Leviticus 15:15,30;Numbers 6:11; alsoon account of his sinLeviticus 4:35;Leviticus 5:13;Leviticus 19:22;Leviticus 5:18.
with instrumentalLeviticus 5:16;Leviticus 19:22;Numbers 5:8;with a trespass-offeringLeviticus 7:7;Leviticus 17:11for it is the blood with the living being that covers over (H, see
(a); RVby reason of the life after De Di Kn Bähr Kau and most moderns; AV follows . . so Ges Ew§ 282 a. Anm. 1 :' for the soul '); with localLeviticus 6:23;Leviticus 16:17,27.
with person,on behalf ofLeviticus 9:7 (twice in verse);Leviticus 16:6,11,17,24 (by Aaron),Ezekiel 45:17 (by the prince).
PerfectExodus 29:33;Isaiah 28:18 (but read , — √ I. , — so . Hu We Che SS and others see BrMP 209);ImperfectNumbers 35:33 3t.; 3 feminine singularIsaiah 6:7be covered over, atoned for.
,Isaiah 6:7 thy sinshall be covered over ( "" ; by the touch of the live coal from the altar);Isaiah 22:14surely this iniquity shall not be covered over; with instrumentalIsaiah 27:9 bythis shall the iniquityof Jacob be covered over ("" namely by the destruction of idolatrous objects);Proverbs 16:6by mercy and fidelity iniquity is covered over.
withfor whom,Numbers 35:33for the land atonement cannot be made, in view of the blood shed in it, except by the blood of the shedder of blood; in the ritual of P, with instrumentalExodus 29:33wherewith atonement was made (ram of consecration).
Imperfect1 Samuel 3:14; with instrumentalthe iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be covered by peace offering or minchah (in other words there was no atonement for it; compare PunicIsaiah 22:14).
PerfectDeuteronomy 21:8and the blood shall be covered for them.
II. [] (from II. ) —Perfect2masculine singularGenesis 6:14and thou shalt pitch it with pitch (P).
III. (√ of following).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
appease, make an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon,
A primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel -- appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).
Forms and Transliterations
אֲכַפְּרָ֖ה אֲכַפְּרָ֣ה אֲכַפֵּ֔ר אכפר אכפרה בְּכַפְּרִי־ בְּכַפֶּרְךָ֖ בכפרי־ בכפרך הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים הַכִּפֻּרִ֗ים הכפרים וְכִפֶּ֕ר וְכִפֶּ֣ר וְכִפֶּ֤ר וְכִפֶּ֥ר וְכִפֶּ֧ר וְכִפֶּ֨ר וְכִפֶּר֙ וְכִפֶּר֩ וְכִפַּרְתֶּ֖ם וְכִפַּרְתָּֽהוּ׃ וְכַפֵּ֣ר וְכַפֵּ֥ר וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ וְכֻפַּ֤ר וְנִכַּפֵּ֥ר וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר וַיְכַפֵּ֧ר וּלְכַפֵּ֖ר וּלְכַפֵּ֣ר וּלְכַפֵּר֙ ויכפר וכפר וכפרת וכפרתהו׃ וכפרתם ולכפר ונכפר יְ֠כֻפַּר יְכַפְּרֶֽנָּה׃ יְכַפְּרוּ֙ יְכַפֵּ֑ר יְכַפֵּ֤ר יְכַפֵּ֥ר יְכַפֵּֽר׃ יְכַפֶּר־ יְכֻפַּ֗ר יְכֻפַּ֣ר יִתְכַּפֵּ֞ר יכפר יכפר־ יכפר׃ יכפרו יכפרנה׃ יתכפר כַּפְּרָ֑הּ כַּפֵּר֩ כֻּפַּ֣ר כפר כפרה לְכַפֵּ֖ר לְכַפֵּ֞ר לְכַפֵּ֣ר לְכַפֵּ֥ר לכפר מִכַּפֵּ֣ר מכפר תְּכַפֵּר֙ תְּכֻפָּֽר׃ תְכַפְּרֵֽם׃ תכפר תכפר׃ תכפרם׃ ’ă·ḵap·pə·rāh ’ă·ḵap·pêr ’ăḵappêr ’ăḵappərāh achapPer achappeRah bə·ḵap·pə·rî- bə·ḵap·per·ḵā bechapperCha bechapperi bəḵappərî- bəḵapperḵā hak·kip·pu·rîm hakkippuRim hakkippurîm kap·pə·rāh kap·pêr kapPer kappêr kappeRah kappərāh kup·par kuppar lə·ḵap·pêr lechapPer ləḵappêr mik·kap·pêr mikkapPer mikkappêr ṯə·ḵap·pə·rêm tə·ḵap·pêr tə·ḵup·pār techapPer techappeRem techupPar təḵappêr ṯəḵappərêm təḵuppār ū·lə·ḵap·pêr ulechapPer ūləḵappêr vaychapPer vechafarTa vechapPer vechipparTahu vechipparTem vechipPer vechupPar venikkapPer way·ḵap·pêr wayḵappêr wə·ḵā·p̄ar·tā wə·ḵap·pêr wə·ḵip·par·tā·hū wə·ḵip·par·tem wə·ḵip·per wə·ḵup·par wə·nik·kap·pêr wəḵāp̄artā wəḵappêr wəḵippartāhū wəḵippartem wəḵipper wəḵuppar wənikkappêr yə·ḵap·pə·ren·nāh yə·ḵap·pə·rū yə·ḵap·pêr yə·ḵap·per- yə·ḵup·par yechapPer yechappeRennah yechappeRu yechupPar yəḵappêr yəḵapper- yəḵappərennāh yəḵappərū yəḵuppar yiṯ·kap·pêr yitkapPer yiṯkappêr
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