Lexical Summary
kopher: Ransom, Atonement, Price of a Life, Bribe
Original Word:כֹּפֶר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:kopher
Pronunciation:KOH-fer
Phonetic Spelling:(ko'-fer)
KJV: bribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village
Word Origin:[fromH3722 (כָּפַר - To cover)]
1. (properly) a cover, i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in)
2. (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing)
3. (figuratively) a redemption-price
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bribe, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village
Fromkaphar; properly, a cover, i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-price -- bribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village.
see HEBREWkaphar
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (,
wergild); —
Exodus 21:30 10t.; suffix
Isaiah 43:3;
Psalm 49:8; —
a price for ransom of a lifeJob 33:24;Job 36:18;Exodus 21:30 (Covt. code; "" );Proverbs 13:8;ransom forProverbs 6:35;Proverbs 21:18;Numbers 35:31,32 (P);his ransomPsalm 49:8 "" ;thy ransomIsaiah 43:3 "" ; alone1 Samuel 12:3;Amos 5:12.
Exodus 30:12 is a half shekel of the sanctuary paid by each male above twenty years at the census in order that there might be no plague upon them. It was offered to Yahweh,to atone for them.
II. (Arabic
(loan-word, compare Frä150), Syriac
. ; Assyriankupru,kupur DlHWB 348; compare ?) —Genesis 6:14 (P).
III. ,El „enna (√ dubious; Late Hebrew ; Aramaic ,
ArabicEl „enna, see LöwNo. 159) — a shrub or low tree, with fragrant whitish flowers growing in clusters like grapes,cluster of HennaSongs 1:14 (fragrant, figurative of a beloved one); pluralSongs 4:13.
IV. ; — only singular construct1 Samuel 6:18villages of the peasantry.
see above
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe noun כֹּפֶר occurs seventeen times in the Old Testament with three chief senses: (1) a protective coating of pitch, (2) a ransom or compensatory payment, and (3) the fragrant henna plant. Each sense embodies the idea of “covering” or “exchange,” providing a unified testimony to God’s redemptive provision.
Material covering: pitch on the Ark (Genesis 6:14)
“Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; coat it with pitch inside and out” (Genesis 6:14). The viscous coating sealed Noah’s vessel against judgment-waters, prefiguring the divine covering that ultimately shields believers in Christ (1 Peter 3:20-21).
Legal covering: ransom in civil and cultic law
•Exodus 21:30 permits a family to “demand a ransom” instead of capital punishment when an ox kills.
•Exodus 30:12 requires each census-participant to give “a ransom for his life” so “no plague will come upon them.”
•Numbers 35:31-32 forbids ransom for a murderer, affirming the sanctity of innocent blood.
These texts reveal a principle of substitution: justice upheld, life preserved, mercy displayed. Their logic blossoms in the Messiah, “who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6).
Wisdom reflections
Proverbs 13:8 notes, “The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,” whileProverbs 6:35 warns that no amount of payment can appease an enraged husband.Psalm 49:7 asserts, “No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay to God the price of his life.” Earthly resources may rescue in limited ways, but only God supplies an ultimate כֹּפֶר.
Prophetic usage
Isaiah 43:3—“I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place”—shows God’s sovereignty in substitution.Amos 5:12 denounces those who “accept bribes,” twisting כֹּפֶר into injustice. The prophets affirm the legitimacy of true ransom while condemning its corruption.
Poetic testimony in Job
Job 33:24 celebrates God’s mercy: “Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.”Job 36:18 warns not to gamble on wealth: “Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing; do not let a great ransom turn you aside.” Both verses spotlight God as the only adequate deliverer.
Narrative allusions
1 Samuel 6:18 uses the term of the “great stone” tied to sin-offerings;1 Samuel 12:3 lists “bribe” among injustices Samuel never took, confirming כֹּפֶר’s moral weight.
Aromatic covering: henna blossoms (Song of Songs 1:14; 4:13)
“My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms” (1:14). Here כֹּפֶר depicts fragrance and beauty, hinting that God’s covering not only protects but also delights.
Theological synthesis
1. Protective covering—Genesis 6:14;Exodus 30:12.
2. Substitutionary payment—Exodus 21:30;Numbers 35:31-32;Isaiah 43:3.
3. Delightful fragrance—Song 1:14; 4:13.
Each strand converges in Jesus Christ, whose blood covers sin, satisfies justice, and spreads “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Practical applications
• Evangelism: Stress Christ as the sole sufficient כֹּפֶר; human effort cannot redeem.
• Worship: Marvel at God’s multifaceted covering—protective, justifying, beautifying.
• Ethics: Reject bribery (Amos 5:12); imitate divine righteousness.
• Pastoral care: Encourage believers resting in Christ’s paid-in-full ransom.
Summary
Whether sealing Noah’s ark, averting legal wrath, or scenting a lover’s garden, כֹּפֶר consistently portrays a covering or substitute that rescues and beautifies. It threads through Scripture toward the cross, where the Son of God becomes the once-for-all ransom, the perfect כֹּפֶר, for all who believe.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּכֹּֽפֶר׃ בכפר׃ הַכֹּ֤פֶר ׀ הכפר כְּפָרִ֖ים כָּפְרֽוֹ׃ כָפְרְךָ֙ כֹ֔פֶר כֹ֙פֶר֙ כֹּ֑פֶר כֹּ֖פֶר כֹּ֝֗פֶר כֹּ֣פֶר כֹּ֧פֶר כֹֽפֶר׃ כפר כפר׃ כפרו׃ כפרים כפרך bak·kō·p̄er bakKofer bakkōp̄er chafereCha chofer hak·kō·p̄er hakKofer hakkōp̄er ḵā·p̄ə·rə·ḵā kā·p̄ə·rōw kafeRo ḵāp̄ərəḵā kāp̄ərōw kə·p̄ā·rîm kefaRim kəp̄ārîm kō·p̄er ḵō·p̄er Kofer kōp̄er ḵōp̄er
Links
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