1613. gopher

Lexical Summary

gopher: Gopher

Original Word: גּפֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gopher
Pronunciation: GO-fer
Phonetic Spelling: (go'-fer)
KJV: gopher
NASB: gopher
Word Origin: [from an unused root, probably meaning to house in]

1. a kind of tree or wood (as used for building), apparently the cypress

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 Origin
of 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; Lag^{Semitica 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

Term Overview

The word translated “gopher wood” designates the specific timber God required for the construction of Noah’s ark. Its singular appearance lends the term a sense of sacred distinctiveness: a divinely appointed material set apart for a redemptive vessel that preserved the remnant of humanity and the created order through the flood.

Biblical Occurrence

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 single reference forms the foundation for every later theological and historical reflection on the term.

Historical Background and Identification

• Ancient Jewish tradition associated the wood with durable evergreens, most commonly cypress, prized for water-resistance and longevity.
• Some early Greek versions rendered it “squared timber,” emphasizing workmanship over species.
• Modern proposals include cedar, cedar-like juniper, fir, or even laminated planks, yet Scripture does not supply conclusive botanical detail. The focus remains on God’s precise instruction rather than scientific classification.
• In ancient Mesopotamian shipbuilding, cypress and cedar were valued both for buoyancy and resistance to rot—qualities fitting the ark’s mission to endure global inundation.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Specification: The choice of wood underscores God’s sovereign initiative in salvation. Noah was not left to human ingenuity; every dimension and material was revealed (Genesis 6:14–16).
2. Preservation Through Judgment: The wood formed the physical means by which God sheltered life from the waters of judgment, portraying His mercy amid wrath (Genesis 7:1–4).
3. Covenant Foundation: Upon disembarking, Noah built an altar (Genesis 8:20), and God established the covenant of the rainbow (Genesis 9:8–17). The vessel built of gopher wood thus stands at the threshold of post-flood covenant history.

Typological and Christological Connections

• Ark as Type of Christ: Just as the ark alone withstood judgment, Jesus alone provides refuge from eternal wrath (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
• Wood and the Cross: The timber that bore Noah anticipates the wood of the cross that bears the weight of redemption (1 Peter 2:24).
• Pitch and Atonement: The Hebrew for “pitch” (kāpar) relates etymologically to “atonement.” The ark was covered inside and out; believers are covered by Christ’s blood (Romans 3:25).
• Household Salvation: Noah, “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), brought his family into the ark; the gospel continues to call households to enter God’s provision (Acts 16:31).

Ministry and Practical Application

• Obedient Faith: “Noah did everything that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22). Ministry today still turns on exact obedience to God’s revealed Word.
• Prepared Witness: Hebrews 11:7 highlights Noah’s reverent preparation. Churches likewise build lives, families, and fellowships according to God’s pattern, anticipating final judgment.
• Endurance and Integrity: Gopher wood’s suggested properties—resilience, impermeability—call believers to pursue moral integrity that resists the corrosive influences of the present age.
• Evangelistic Symbolism: The singular door of the ark (Genesis 6:16) frames gospel preaching: there is one entry into salvation, and the time to enter is before God shuts the door (Matthew 24:37-39).

Related Scriptures

Genesis 6:13-22 – Divine blueprint for the ark

Genesis 7:13-16 – Entry through the single door

Genesis 8:1 – God remembers Noah

Hebrews 11:7 – Faith that condemns the world and inherits righteousness

1 Peter 3:20-21 – Ark as figure of baptism

2 Peter 2:5 – Noah, herald of righteousness

Forms and Transliterations

גֹ֔פֶר גפר ḡō·p̄er Gofer ḡōp̄er

Englishman'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

Strong's Hebrew 1613
1 Occurrence

ḡō·p̄er — 1 Occ.