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Word

כָּפַר

kâphar · H3722 · Hebrew · 102 occurrences

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Meanings

  1. to cover

    Causative action by which humans cover objects with a coating of a certain substance

    Examples

    Genesis 6:14 “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch.

  2. to ward off

    Causative action by which humans do what is needed to prevent a dreaded event from happening

    Examples

    Proverbs 16:14 The fury of a king is like messengers of death; But a wise person will appease it.

    Isaiah 47:11 “But evil will come on you Which you will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which you cannot atone; And destruction about which you do not know Will come on you suddenly.

  3. to be annulled

    Process by which a certain condition comes to a sudden end

    Examples

    Isaiah 28:18 “Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the gushing flood passes through, Then you will become its trampling ground.

  4. to cleanse, to purify

    Causative action by which priests remove uncleanness from a sanctuary and its furnishings by performing the rituals that are required to achieve that, so that they can function again as they should

    Examples

    Leviticus 16:20 “When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.

    Leviticus 16:33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

    Ezekiel 43:20 ‘And you shall take some of its blood and put it on its four horns and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; so you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.

  5. to cleanse, to purify

    Causative action by which deities remove uncleanness and guilt from places and peoples

    Examples

    Deuteronomy 32:43 “Rejoice, you nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And will return vengeance on His adversaries, And will atone for His land and His people.”

  6. to forgive

    Action by which deities do not hold wrongdoers any longer responsible for certain actions, often as a result of an atonement ritual or a change in behavior of the guilty party

    Examples

    Deuteronomy 21:8 ‘Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, LORD, and do not place the guilt for innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the guilt for bloodshed shall be forgiven them.

    2 Chronicles 30:18 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, and Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon

    Psalm 65:3 Wrongdoings prevail against me; As for our offenses, You forgive them.

  7. to win forgiveness, to make amends

    Causative action by which humans make an effort to convince a wronged party to forgive the perpetrator

    Examples

    Exodus 32:30 And on the next day Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

    2 Samuel 21:3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make amends, so that you will bless the inheritance of the LORD?”

  8. to appease

    Literally: to cover (someone's) face causative action by which humans make an effort to cause a wronged party to forgive them

    Examples

    Genesis 32:20 and you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.’” For he said, “I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”

  9. to make atonement

    Causative action by which a priest performs the rituals that are required to remove guilt or uncleanness from people or objects, which usually requires a blood sacrifice, or another form of compensation

    Examples

    Exodus 29:33 “So they shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration; but a layman shall not eat them, because they are holy.

    Exodus 29:36 “Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it.

    Exodus 29:37 “For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

How it’s used In 6 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

102 occurrences in 18 groups

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

14 occurrences in 12 groups

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

80 occurrences in 51 groups

With adverbsAdverbs

2 occurrences in 2 groups

What is done to itIt is the object

1 occurrences in 1 groups

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

19 occurrences in 3 groups

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.

Semantic domains 5 entries
Cover002003001005
This word's underlying sense is to cover over, the root image behind its use for atonement, since sin is figuratively covered or shielded from view through the atoning act.
Non-Happen002002003004
The word is used of appeasing or pacifying wrath, preventing a threatened punishment from taking place, so it belongs among words for preventing an event.
Non-Endure002002003002
The word describes disannulling or putting an end to a covenant or condition (e.g., a covenant of death being annulled, Isaiah 28:18), bringing a prior state to an end.
Clean002001001011
The word is used of purging or cleansing something from impurity or guilt, so it belongs among words for cleanness.
Innocent002003003015
The word's most frequent use is for making atonement so that a person or the people are forgiven and reckoned innocent before God, so it directly belongs among words for innocence.
Word family 7 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

כָּפַרkâphar · H3722כְּפִיר kᵉphîyr · H3715 · young lion · 32×כַּפֹּרֶת kappôreth · H3727 · cover, lid (of the ark of the covenant) · 27×כֹּפֶר kôpher · H3724 · pitch, tar, ransom · 17×כְּפוֹר kᵉphôwr · H3713 · bowl, hoarfrost · 12×כִּפֻּר kippur · H3725 · atonement · 8×כָּפָר kâphâr · H3723 · village · 1×
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H3722. kaphar כִּמֶּר verb Pi`el etc. denominative cover over (figurative), pacify, make…
H3722. kaphar
כִּמֶּר verb Pi`el etc.
denominative cover over (figurative), pacify, make propitiation; —
Pi`el Perfect כִּמֶּר Exo 30:10 Exo 30:31t.; 2 masculine singular suffix כִּמַּרְתָּ֑הוּ Eze 43:20; Eze 43:3masculine plural יְכַמְּרוּ Eze 43:26; Eze 43:2masculine plural כִּמַּרְתֶּם Eze 45:20; Imperfect יְכַמֵּר Exo 30:10 Exo 30:10t.; יְכַמֶּרֿ Lev 7:7; Num 5:8; suffix יְכַמְּרֶנָּה Pro 16:14; Pro 16:1singular אֲכַמֵּר 2Sa 21:3; אֲכַמְּרָה Gen 32:21; Exo 32:30, etc.; Imperative כַּמֵּר Deu 21:8 Deu 21:4t.; Infinitive כַּמֵּר Exo 30:15 Exo 30:28t.; suffixes כַּמְּרִי Eze 16:63; כַּמֶּרְךָ Exo 29:36; כַּמְּרָהּ Isa 47:11; —
1 cover over, pacify, propitiate; בַּמִּנְחָה פָנָיו אֲכַמָּרָה Gen 32:21 let 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'); הֹוָה עָלַיִךְ כַּמְּרָהּוְתִמֹּל תוּכְלִי לֹא Isa 47:11 and disaster will fall upon thee, thou wilt not be able to propitiate it (by payment of a כֹּפֶר, see Isa 43:3); pacify the wrath of a king Pro 16:14 (e.g. by a gift).
2 cover over, atone for sin, without sacrifice :
a. man as subject, אֲכַמֵּר בַּמָּה 2Sa 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); חטאתכםבְּעַד Exo 32:30 on behalf of your sins (J E; Moses, by intercession); with על of persons Num 17:11; Num 17:12 (P; by incense), Num 25:13 (P when Phinehas slays the ringleaders).
b. with God as subject, with accusative of person, cover, i.e. treat as covered, view propitiously, Yahweh's land Deu 32:43 (song); לְ person Deu 21:8 (bloodguiltiness flows away in the stream), Eze 16:63; בְּעַד of person 2Ch 30:18; with accusative of the sin Psa 65:4; Psa 78:38, probably also Dan 9:24 ׅ || חטאתח֯תם (; עַל of sin, Psa 79:9; Jer 18:23 ׅ || מחה (. 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.
3 cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites, in the codes of H, P, and Ezekiel: absolute ׳וכ הַכֹּהֵן and the priest shall make atonement Lev 16:32;
a. with accusative of sacred places (by the great sin-offering of the day of atonement), Lev 16:20, Lev 16:33 (twice in verse); also Eze 43:20, Eze 43:26; Eze 45:20 (by the blood of the sin-offering || טִהַר חִטֵּא,).
b. usually c. עַל (I) of things, e.g. of the altar to which the blood of the sin-offering was applied Exo 29:36-37, Exo 30:10; Lev 8:15 ׅ || קִדַּשׁ (, Lev 16:18; and specifically the horns of the altar Exo 30:10; the holy place of the tabernacle Lev 16:16 (by the great sin-offering, because of ׅ מִן ( the uncleannesses of thechildren of Israel and because of their transgressions); for the leprous house by ceremony of purification Lev 14:53 ׅ || טִהַר (; for the goat לעזאזל Lev 16:10 (which was presented before Yahweh to consecrate him for the bearing away of the sins of the people). (2) of persons, עלֿ נפשׁתיכם, for your persons, yourselves, e.g. by the payment of atonement-money הַכִּמֻּרִים כֶּסֶף at the census Exo 30:15-16, by the קרבן of the spoils Num 31:50; by the blood upon the altar Lev 17:11; in the ritual עָלָיו עֲלֵיהֶם, by ministry of priest through the blood of the sin-offering Lev 4:20, Lev 4:31; Lev 8:34; Lev 10:17; Lev 12:7-8, Lev 14:19, Lev 14:31; Lev 16:30, Lev 16:33; Lev 23:28; Num 8:12, Num 8:21; Num 15:25, Num 15:28 (twice in verse); Num 28:22, Num 28:30; Num 29:5; 2Ch 29:24; Neh 10:34; of the trespass-offering Lev 5:16, Lev 5:18; Leviticus 5:26; Lev 7:7; Lev 14:21; Lev 19:22; Num 5:8; the whole burnt-offering Lev 1:4; Lev 14:20; Lev 16:24; by the oil used in purifying a leper Lev 14:18, Lev 14:29; by the תרומה Eze 45:15; by the priestly ministry in General 1Ch 6:34; by the substitution of the Levites for the firstborn Num 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 stated Lev 16:30 י לִפְנֵי חַטּאֹתֵיכֶם מִכֹּל אֶתְכֶם לְטַהֵר ׳עֲלֵיכֶם תִּטְהָ֑רוּיְכַמֵּר = shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you, from all your sins shall ye be clean before Yahweh, and Num 8:21 לְטַהֲרָם עֲלֵיהֶם וַיְכַמֵּר and (Aaron) made atonement for them to cleanse them.)
c. the need of the atonement is expressed by מִן: **others understand מִן as = away from; compare DiLev 4:26, RiSühne 50 f. מֵחטאתו because of his sin Lev 4:26; Lev 5:6, Lev 5:10; Lev 16:34; מטמאתו Lev 14:19; Lev 16:16; מזוב Lev 15:15, Lev 15:30; חָטָא מֵאֲשֶׁר Num 6:11; also עַלחַֿטָּאתוֺ עַל on account of his sin Lev 4:35; Lev 5:13; Lev 19:22; עלשֿׁגגתוֺ Lev 5:18.
d. with בְּ instrumental בְּאֵיל Lev 5:16; Lev 19:22; Num 5:8; with a trespass-offering Lev 7:7; יְכַמֵּר בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הוּא כִּיהּהַדָּם Lev 17:11 for it is the blood with the living being that covers over (H, see נפשׁ
3 (a); RV by reason of the life after De Di Kn Bähr Kau and most moderns; AV follows ᵑ9 ᵐ5. ᵑ7. so Ges Ew§ 282 a. Anm. 1 : ' for the soul '); with בְּ local בַּקֹּדֶשׁ Lev 6:23; Lev 16:17, Lev 16:27.
e. with בַּעַד person, on behalf of Lev 9:7 (twice in verse); Lev 16:6, Lev 16:11, Lev 16:17, Lev 16:24 (by Aaron), Eze 45:17 (by the prince).
Pu`al Perfect כֻּמַּר Exo 29:33; Isa 28:18 (but read תֻּפַר, — √ I. פרר, — so ᵑ7. Hu We Che SS and others see BrMP 209); Imperfect יְכֻמַּר Num 35:33 Num 35:3t.; 3 feminine singular תְּכֻמָּ֑ר Isa 6:7 be covered over, atoned for.
1 apart from the ritual, תכפר חטאתך Isa 6:7 thy sin shall be covered over ( || עֲוֺנֶךָ וְסָר; by the touch of the live coal from the altar); הַזֶּה הֶעָוֺן לָכֶםאִםיְֿכֻמַּר Isa 22:14 surely this iniquity shall not be covered over; with בְּ instrumental עון יכפר בזאת Isa 27:9 by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be covered over (|| חטאתו הָסר namely by the destruction of idolatrous objects); יכפר יאמת עוןבחסד Pro 16:6 by mercy and fidelity iniquity is covered over.
2 with לְ for whom, לדם יכפר לא לארץ Num 35:33 for 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 בְּ instrumental בָּהֶם כֻּמַּר אֲשֶׁר Exo 29:33 wherewith atonement was made (ram of consecration).
Hithpa`el Imperfect יִתְכַּמֵּר 1Sa 3:14; with בְּ instrumental אִםֿ וּבְמִנְחָה בְּזֶבַח בֵּיתעֵֿלִי עֲוֺן יִתְכַּמֵּר the 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 Punic Isa 22:14).
Niph`al Perfect הַדָּם לָהֶם וְנִכַּמֵּר Deu 21:8 and the blood shall be covered for them.
II. [כָּפַר] verb denominative (from II. כֹּפֶר) — Perfect2masculine singular בַּכֹּפֶד וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֫ Gen 6:14 and thou shalt pitch it with pitch (P).
III. כפר (√ of following).

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 5 entries
Clean7 occurrencesNon-Endure1 occurrenceNon-Happen2 occurrencesCover1 occurrenceInnocent91 occurrences

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

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.