Lexicon gopher: Gopher Original Word: גּפֶר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gopher From an unused root, probably meaning to house in; a kind of tree or wood (as used for building), apparently the cypress -- gopher. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition gopher (a kind of tree or wood) NASB Translation gopher (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs גֹּ֫פֶר noun [masculine] gopher, only in עֲצֵיגֹּֿפֶר Genesis 6:14 (P), wood of which the ark was made (word dubious; Thes compare כֹּפֶר & so Rob Ges (hence 'pitch-wood, resinous wood'), compare Di; LagSemitica i. 64; Symmict. ii. 93, BN 217 ff. thinks word not original, but inferred from גפרית, and substituted here for גפרית by copyist, or editor. compare following). Topical Lexicon Word Origin: The origin of the word גּפֶר is uncertain. It is a term used in the Hebrew Bible, and its precise meaning has been the subject of scholarly debate.Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct corresponding Strong's Greek entries for גּפֶר, as it is a unique term found only in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible uses the term ξύλον τετράγωνον (xylon tetragonon), meaning "squared timber," to translate גּפֶר, but this is a translation choice rather than a direct lexical correspondence. Usage: The word גּפֶר appears in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 6:14, where God instructs Noah to build an ark using "gopher wood." Context: The term גּפֶר (gopher) is mentioned in the context of the construction of Noah's Ark in Genesis 6:14: "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark and coat it with pitch inside and out." The exact identity of "gopher wood" has been a topic of discussion among scholars and translators. Traditionally, it has been associated with cypress wood due to the durability and water-resistant properties of cypress, which would be suitable for shipbuilding. However, the term does not appear elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, leaving its precise identification uncertain. Some have suggested that it could refer to a type of tree or wood that was well-known in the ancient Near East but is no longer identifiable today. The use of gopher wood in the construction of the ark underscores the importance of selecting materials that would ensure the vessel's integrity and buoyancy during the flood. Forms and Transliterations גֹ֔פֶר גפר ḡō·p̄er Gofer ḡōp̄erLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 6:14 HEB: תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־ גֹ֔פֶר קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה NAS: for yourself an ark of gopher wood; KJV: Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms INT: an ark wood of gopher rooms shall make 1 Occurrence |