כֶּסֶף
keçeph · H3701 · Hebrew · 403 occurrences
Thing
- Money, coinsCommerce363 verses
Meanings
-
silver, money
Silver, usually in the form of small unstamped pieces that had to be weighed in order to determine their value; after the exile, people in Israel started using coins
ExamplesGenesis 13:2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.
Genesis 17:12 “And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, including a slave who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants.
Genesis 17:13 “A slave who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall certainly be circumcised; so My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.
How it’s used In 10 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
56 occurrences in 28 groups
- הוּhis 9
- הֶםtheir 9
- ךָyour 5
- יmy 4
- נוּour 3
- Other words · 23 groups that occur once or twice (26) 26
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
70 occurrences in 36 groups
- אֶחָדone 12
- אֶלֶףthousand 8
- מָצָאto find 7
- בּוֹאto come, to go in, to bring 6
- מָלֵאfull, filled 3
- Other words · 31 groups that occur once or twice (40) 40
Named alongside itApposition
42 occurrences in 14 groups
- מִזְרָקsprinkling bowl 12
- שֶׁקֶלshekel 8
- קֹדֶשׁholiness 5
- כִּכָּרtalent, plain, loaf 4
- מָנֶהmina 3
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12
What it doesIt is the subject
19 occurrences in 11 groups
- בּוֹאto come, to go in, to bring 4
- Other words · 10 groups that occur once or twice (15) 15
What is done to itIt is the object
120 occurrences in 41 groups
- נָתַןto give, to put, to set 33
- לָקַחto take, to receive 15
- שָׁקַלto weigh out 10
- שׁוּבto return, to turn back 6
- בּוֹאto come, to go in, to bring 5
- נָשָׂאto lift up, to carry, to bear 4
- Other words · 32 groups that occur once or twice (39) 39
Second object ofSecond object
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- לָוָהto join 1
- נָגַשׂtaskmaster 1
- עָנַשׁto fine 1
What it is said to bePredicate
19 occurrences in 13 groups
- אַיִןthere is no, not 4
- נִיme 3
- Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (14) 14
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
18 occurrences in 10 groups
- וָוhook 8
- חָשֻׁקrod 7
- Other words · 8 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
66 occurrences in 5 groups
- בin/on/with 71
- מִןfrom 13
- לto/for 12
- עִםwith 4
- כlike/as 3
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
92 occurrences in 41 groups
- כִּכָּרtalent, plain, loaf 13
- כְּלִיvessel, utensil, weapon 13
- קְעָרָהdish 13
- מִקְנָהpurchase 5
- שֶׁקֶלshekel 5
- אֶדֶןbase 4
- Other words · 34 groups that occur once or twice (36) 36
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 4 words
- ἀργύριον argýrion · G694 · silver, silver money, silver coin
- Greek ἀργύριον is the standard LXX rendering of Hebrew כֶּסֶף across its core senses (the metal silver, money/currency, and price/payment), reflecting direct translation equivalence for this fundamental economic term.
- כְּסַף kᵉçaph · H3702 · money, silver
- Hebrew כֶּסֶף and Aramaic כְּסַף are cognate reflexes of the same Semitic root denoting silver as metal and as currency/price; the Aramaic form appears in Daniel's and Ezra's Aramaic portions rendering the identical semantic range the Hebrew form carries elsewhere in the biblical corpus.
- ἀργύρεος argýreos · G693 · of silver, made of silver
- כֶּסֶף (keçeph, H3701) denotes the metal silver or money as substance/currency, while ἀργύρεος (argýreos, G693) specifically denotes objects made of/composed from silver (adjective 'silver, made of silver'), representing a lexical-category shift from noun to material adjective despite shared silver referent.
- ἄργυρος árgyros · G696 · silver, silver money, silver coin
- Hebrew כֶּסֶף denotes both the metal silver and its use as money/currency, while Greek ἄργυρος specifically refers to silver as a substance (the metal itself, whether in raw form, articles, or coinage), with economic/monetary sense typically expressed through derived forms like ἀργύριον; the core material referent overlaps directly.
Semantic domains 1 entry
- Metals001002005008
- This is the standard word for silver, a precious metal used as currency and material, so it belongs among metal terms.
Word family 3 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H3701. keseph כֶּ֫סֶף402 noun masculineGen 23:9 silver, money (Late Hebrew id.;…
כֶּ֫סֶף402 noun masculineGen 23:9 silver, money (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician, Zinjirli כסף; Aramaic כַּסְמָּא ; Palmyrene כספא VogNo. 23; Assyrian kaspu; probably the pale metal Thes and others, compare RSJPh xiv,125) — ׳כ absolute Gen 20:16 +, כָּ֑סֶף Exo 21:11 +; construct Ex 43:21 +; suffix כַּסְמִּי Gen 42:28 Gen 42:3t., כַּסְמְּךָ 1Ki 20:3 1Ki 20:2t., כַּסְמֶּ֑ךָ Gen 17:13; Isa 30:22, כַּסְמֵּךְ Isa 1:22, כַּסְמֵּנוּ Gen 31:15 Gen 31:2t., כַּסְמָּם Hos 8:4 Hos 8:6t.; plural suffix כַּסְמֵּיהֶם Gen 42:25, Gen 42:35; — silver,
1 = silver ore, raw silver (rare and mostly late) Job 28:1, also (in figurative) Eze 22:20, Eze 22:22; Zec 13:9; Pro 2:4; Pro 17:3; Pro 27:21; Mal 3:3 (twice in verse); Psa 12:7; Psa 66:10; Isa 48:10; מִכּ סִיגים ׳הָגוֺ Pro 25:4 remove dross from silver, compare ׳כ סִיגִים Pro 26:23 and כ ׳מִגִים Eze 22:18 (ᵑ0; ׳כ ׳ס ᵐ5; Co strike out in view of Eze 22:20); ׳כ נִמְאָס Jer 6:30 (compare Jer 6:29), לְסִיגִים הָיָה כַּסְמֵּךְ Isa 1:22.
2 sliver as bright, shining, figurative of dove's wings בַכֶּ֑סֶף נֶחְמָּה יוֺנָה כַּנְפֵי Psa 68:14.
3 silver, as wealth, Gen 13:2 (J) + often (c. 54 t. in all; frequently with gold, etc., see זהב); כ ׳בֵיתוֺ וזהב מְלֹא Num 22:18; Num 24:13; figurative of a slave as valuable, הוּא כַּסְמּוֺ Exo 21:21 (all J E); silver as less valuable than gold 1Ki 10:21 2Ch 9:20; compare also 1Ki 10:27 2Ch 1:15; 2Ch 9:27; ׳כ נִבְחָר choice silver, Pro 18:19; Pro 10:20.
4 silver as spoil of war (with זהב, q. v.) Jdg 5:19; 2Sa 8:11 = 1Ch 18:11 1Ch 18:11t.
5 sliver as merchandise Eze 27:12; Pro 3:14 (׳סְחַרכֿ), Zep 1:12; compare also 1Ki 10:22 2Ch 9:21.
6 silver as costly gift (with זהב, q. v.) 1Ki 15:18-19, 2Ch 16:2-3, 2Ki 16:8; 2Ki 18:15; 2Ch 9:14; 2Ch 17:11; 2Ch 21:3; Isa 60:9; Dan 11:38 (other instances under 8).
7 silver as material (c. 117 t. in all; often with זהב, q. v.), of cup Gen 44:2 compare Gen 44:8 (J), trumpets Num 10:2 (P), ׳כְּלֵיכֿ Gen 24:53 (J) +; of idols Exo 20:23; Isa 2:20; Deu 29:16; Eze 16:17; Psa 115:4; Psa 135:15 Psa 135:4t., compare Deu 7:25; Jer 10:4; Hab 2:19; especially of fittings of tabernacle Exodus 26.. 27. 36. 38. (19 t.), and those offered by chiefs of people Numbers 7 (28 t.), etc.
8 silver as measure of weight and value (c. 184 t.): —
a. shekels: — ׳כ שְׁקָלִים שְׁלשִׁים Exo 21:32 (JE), compare 2Sa 24:24; Lev 5:15; Num 18:16 (both P), Neh 5:15; also (different order) כ שׁקלים ׳חֲמִשָּׁה Lev 27:6 (twice in verse) (P), compare Jos 7:21 (JE), 2Ki 15:20, and י שֶׁקֶל מֵאֹת ׳אַרְבַּע Gen 23:15-16, compare Lev 27:3, Lev 27:16 (all P), 1Sa 9:8; once הַכּ וַעֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים ׳שִׁבְעָה Jer 32:9.
b. more often omitted שׁקל Gen 20:16; Gen 45:22 (E), Gen 37:28 (J), Hos 3:2; Son 8:11 17t.
c. talents: — (הַ)כּ ׳כִּכַּר Exo 38:27 (P), compare 1Ki 20:39; 2Ki 5:22; 2Ki 15:19; 2Ki 18:14; 2Ki 23:33 2Ch 36:3; 1Ch 19:6; 2Ch 25:6; 2Ch 27:5; Est 3:9; כִּכְּרֵיכֿ ׳עֶשֶׂר 2Ki 5:5; כ ׳כִּכְּרַיִם 1Ki 16:24; 2Ki 5:23; ׳כ ככרים אלפים אלף 1Ch 22:14; compare 1Ch 29:7; Ezr 8:26.
d. minas: — ׳כ אֲלָפִים חֲמֵשֶׁת מָנִים Ezr 2:69 compare Neh 7:70-71,.
e. more often = money, measure of value and exchange (c. 112 t.; not necess. coined) Gen 31:15; Gen 42:25, Gen 42:27 (E), Gen 43:12 (twice in verse); Gen 43:15, Gen 43:18 (J), Gen 23:13; Lev 27:18; Num 3:48 (P), Jdg 16:18; 1Ki 21:2; 2Ki 12:5 etc.; so Psa 68:31 Che, but see De Grill Bae, and Checritical note.; כ ׳מִקְנַת one bought for money Gen 17:12-13, Gen 17:23, Gen 17:27; Exo 12:44 (all P); ׳כ מִקְנָתוֺ Lev 25:51 (H) money for which he was bought; ׳כ מָלֵא full price Gen 23:9 (P) 1Ch 21:22, 1Ch 21:24; בְּמִשְׁקָלוֺ כַּסְמֵּנוּ Gen 43:21 i.e. our money in full; ׳כ מִמְכָרוֺ Lev 25:50 the price of his sale; ׳כ אָשָׁם 2Ki 12:7 trespass-money, ׳כ חַטָּאוֺת v.2Ki 12:7 sin-money, ׳כ הַכִּמֻּרִים Exo 30:16 atonement-money, ׳כ הַמִּדְיוֺן Num 3:49 redemption-money (both P); ׳כ עֶרְכְּךָ Lev 27:15, Lev 27:19 i.e. estimated value, etc.
9 among verbs and phrase with ׳כ are: — צרף try, refine, Zec 13:9; Isa 48:10; Mal 3:3 a Psa 12:7; Psa 66:10; זִקַּק Mal 3:3 b, (compare הִתּוּךְ Eze 22:22, v נתך, see Eze 22:20; Eze 22:21); ימּה beautify ׳בכ Jer 10:4; כ ׳תָּפוּשׂ Hab 2:19 encased with gold and silver; אתהַֿכּ ׳שָׁקַל לְ weigh out the silver to or for a person Jer 32:9; Gen 23:16 (P) Ezr 8:25, without לְ Jer 32:10, compare Exo 22:16 (E), 1Ki 20:39; כ ׳שׁקל ׳ב Isa 55:2 = spend money for; כ יִשָּׁקֵל ׳לֹא מְחִירָהּ Job 28:15; כ שׁלשׁים אֶתשְֿׂכָרִי ׳וַיִּשְׁקְלוּ Zec 11:12; ׳כ ישׁקלו בַּקָּנֶה Isa 46:6, of wighing material for idol; בכ ׳מָכַר sell for money Amo 2:6; Gen 37:28 (J), Deu 21:14; בכ ׳נָתַן Deu 2:28b 1Ki 21:6, 1Ki 21:15; Gen 23:9 (P), 1Ch 21:22; also, of food, ב ׳הִשְׁבִּיר Deu 2:28 a; כ ׳נתן השׂדה Gen 23:13 (P) pay the price of the field; בְכ ׳קָנָה buy something for money Amo 8:6; Jer 32:25, Jer 32:44; Isa 43:24; 1Ch 21:24, compare כ קִנְיַן נֶפֶשׁ ׳קָנָה Lev 22:11 (H); בכ ׳שׁבר Deu 2:6 a Isa 55:1; בכ ׳כרה Deu 2:6b; peculiar is its use with מָּדָה, redeem (q. v.) in Num 18:16; כ ׳לקח receive money 2Ki 5:26; 2Ki 12:8; 2Ki 12:9; כ ׳לָוָה Neh 5:4 borrow money; הִלְוָה Exo 22:24 (JE) lend money to (c. 2 accusative); כ ׳נתן בְּנֶשֶׁךְ give money on usury Lev 25:37 (H), Psa 15:5; compare כ נֶשֶׁךְ ׳לְאָחִיךָ תַשִּׁיךְ לֹא Deu 23:20.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 1 entry
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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