2658. chaphar
Lexical Summary
chaphar: To dig, search, explore, or be ashamed

Original Word: חָפַּר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chaphar
Pronunciation: khaw-far'
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-far')
KJV: dig, paw, search out, seek
NASB: dug, search, dig, digs, hollowed, look around, paws
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to pry into
2. (by implication) to delve, to explore

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dig, paw, search out, seek

A primitive root; properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore -- dig, paw, search out, seek.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to dig, search for
NASB Translation
76,500* (1), dig (2), digs (1), dug (11), hollowed (1), look around (1), paws (1), sank (1), search (3), spies (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. חָפַר verb dig, search for (Arabic id.; Aramaic חֲפַר, , id.; Late Hebrew חֵפֶר act of digging) —

Qal Perfect ׳ח Job 39:29; וְחָפַרְתָּ֫ Job 11:18; וְחָפַרְתָּ֫ה Deuteronomy 23:14; חָפַרְתִּי Genesis 21:30; חָֽפְרוּ Genesis 26:18 2t.; חָפָ֑רוּ Genesis 26:32; חֲפָרוּהָ Numbers 21:18; Imperfect וַיַּחְמֹּר Genesis 26:18,22; וַיַּחְמְּרֵהוּ Psalm 7:16; וָאֶחְמֹּר Jeremiah 13:7; יַחְמְּרוּ Job Job 39:21 (but read יַחְמֹּר so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 Di) Deuteronomy 1:22; וַיַּחְמְּרוּ Genesis 26:19 2t.; וַיַּחְמְּרֻהוּ Job 3:21; Infinitive construct לַחְמֹּר Joshua 2:2,3+ Isaiah 2:20 (compare below); Participle חֹפֵר Ecclesiastes 10:8; —

1 dig:

a. a well, with accusative בְּאֵר Genesis 21:30 (E), Genesis 26:15,18 (twice in verse); Genesis 26:19,21,22,32 (J), Numbers 21:18 (E); compare Exodus 7:24 (E); dig (a hole, implied as object) Deuteronomy 23:14; a pit, with hostile purpose, as snare or trap, figurative of malicious plan, with accusative בּוֺר Psalm 7:16 ("" כָּרָה); so with accusative גומץ Ecclesiastes 10:8, compare [שַׁחַת] לְנַפְשִׁי ׳ח Psalm 35:7; of horse, dig, i.e. paw the ground, יַחְמֹּר בָּעֵמֶק Job 39:21 (so read, see above) he paweth in the valley (compare Arabic hoof).

b. dig for something hidden, with accusative Job 3:21 (figurative of longing for death), Jeremiah 13:7 (no object expressed)

2 search, search out, explore, with accusative הָאָרֶץ Joshua 2:3 (twice in verse) (JE), Deuteronomy 1:22; of eagle, search for food, with accusative אֹכֶל ׳ח Job 39:29, with especially reference to keen vision ("" מֵרָחוֺק עֵינָיו יַבִּיטוּ); so = search or look carefully about before going to rest Job 11:18 (no object). — לַחְמֹּר Isaiah 2:20 see חֲפַרְמָּרָה below

Topical Lexicon
Overview

חָפַר (Strong’s H2658) describes the physical act of digging or burrowing and, by extension, the intensive work of searching out something hidden. Scripture links the verb to wells, pits, latrine holes, the exploration of land, and the eager pursuit of treasure or knowledge. The contexts range from Patriarchal narratives to Wisdom literature and prophetic sign-acts, creating a unified biblical picture of purposeful effort—constructive or destructive—carried out beneath the surface.

Digging Wells—Provision and Covenant

Genesis presents חָפַר at pivotal moments in the lives of Abraham’s household and Isaac. When Isaac “dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham” (Genesis 26:18), he was reclaiming covenantal inheritance, asserting peaceful possession of God-given land, and illustrating faithful stewardship amid Philistine hostility. Each well—Esek, Sitnah, Rehoboth—became a marker of Yahweh’s continued provision. Later, Isaac’s servants announce, “We have found water!” (Genesis 26:32), sealing divine favor with tangible refreshment. Digging here is a proactive response to divine promise, mingling patient labor with reliance on God’s faithfulness.

Pits and Snares—The Ethics of Hidden Destruction

Wisdom and Psalmic texts use חָפַר for digging pits, exposing sinister motives:
• “He dug a pit and hollowed it out; but he has fallen into the hole he made” (Psalm 7:15).
• “Without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my soul” (Psalm 35:7).
• “He who digs a pit may fall into it” (Ecclesiastes 10:8).

The verb counters the well-digging of Genesis with evil ingenuity that rebounds upon its perpetrator. God’s moral order ensures that treachery returns on the treacherous, teaching the righteous to trust divine justice rather than retaliate.

Searching Out the Land—Courageous Reconnaissance

In Joshua 2:2–3 חָפַר is rendered “search out,” narrating the Israelite spies in Jericho. Though subterranean imagery recedes, the underlying idea of penetrating beneath appearances remains: exploring what is hidden in preparation for God-appointed conquest. The same exploratory nuance appears in Deuteronomy 1:22 when the people ask Moses to send men “to search out the land for us.”

Practical Holiness—Sanitation in the Camp

Deuteronomy 23:13 commands each Israelite soldier to carry a tool “so that when you relieve yourself, you shall dig a hole and cover up your excrement.” Even mundane latrine digging displays reverence, preserving the camp’s purity “because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp” (23:14). Holiness touches every layer of life, from worship to waste disposal.

Judgment and Sign-Acts—Jeremiah’s Linen Belt

Jeremiah obeys the strange prophetic directive to bury and later to unearth a linen sash at the Euphrates (Jeremiah 13:7). His digging reveals the sash ruined, dramatizing Judah’s pride that had been hidden yet was decaying underground. חָפַר thus becomes a tool for unveiling judgment.

Longing and Desperation—Job’s Lament

Job 3:21 pictures sufferers “who dig for death as for hidden treasure,” conveying extreme despair. In Job 11:18, the same verb appears in a promised reversal: “You will look about [dig about] and lie down in safety,” portraying secure rest after diligent toil. Job 39:21 shows the warhorse “pawing” the valley, its hoofs digging eagerly into the soil, a vivid portrait of fearless readiness.

Ancient Near Eastern Background

Water scarcity in Canaan and Egypt made well-digging a strategic necessity. Surviving inscriptions and archaeological finds confirm that settlements clustered around hand-dug wells protected with stone linings much like those implied in Genesis. Pits for trapping enemies or animals were also common, sometimes disguised with brush—mirroring the deceitful pits in the Psalms. Biblical writers employ everyday practices familiar to their audience, investing them with spiritual lessons.

Theological Themes

1. Human agency and divine provision: Digging wells assumes effort, yet success depends on God who alone grants water (Genesis 26:22).
2. Concealed sin and eventual exposure: Whether pits of malice or buried linen, what is hidden by human hands will be uncovered by divine judgment.
3. The law of retribution: Those who dig harm for others often experience the very danger they engineered.
4. Sanctified diligence: From sanitation to military reconnaissance, careful preparation honors the presence of the Lord.

Ministry Applications

• Encourage believers to “dig wells” of spiritual discipline—consistent prayer, Scripture reading, and service—anticipating that God will fill them with living water.
• Warn against secret sins and schemes; the pit principle remains operative.
• Model thorough preparation in missions and leadership, paralleling the spies’ careful search of the land.
• Highlight everyday holiness: even the least glamorous tasks are sacred when God walks among His people.

Christological Resonance

Jesus announced, “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” (John 4:14). The physical wells of Genesis foreshadow Christ, the ultimate source of living water. Likewise, the destructive pit prepared by evil finds its antitype in the empty tomb: opponents schemed, but the stone-sealed grave could not hold the Righteous One. Believers now dig, not for death, but in confident hope of resurrection life.

Key References for Study

Genesis 21:30; 26:15–32

Exodus 7:24

Numbers 21:18

Deuteronomy 23:13

Joshua 2:2–3

Job 3:21; 11:18; 39:21

Psalm 7:15; 35:7

Ecclesiastes 10:8

Jeremiah 13:7

Forms and Transliterations
וְ֝חָפַרְתָּ֗ וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה וְיַחְפְּרוּ־ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַֽיַּחְפְּרוּ֙ וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ וַיַּחְפְּר֧וּ וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר ׀ וַיַּחְפֹּר֙ וָאֶחְפֹּ֗ר ואחפר וחפרת וחפרתה ויחפר ויחפרהו ויחפרו ויחפרו־ חֲפָר֣וּהָ חָֽפְרוּ֙ חָֽפַר־ חָפְר֥וּ חָפַ֖רְתִּי חָפָ֑רוּ חֹפֵ֥ר חפר חפר־ חפרו חפרוה חפרתי יַחְפְּר֣וּ יחפרו לַחְפֹּ֥ר לחפר chafar chaFarti chaFaru chafaRuha chafeRu choFer ḥā·p̄ā·rū ḥă·p̄ā·rū·hā ḥā·p̄ar- ḥā·p̄ar·tî ḥā·p̄ə·rū ḥāp̄ar- ḥāp̄artî ḥāp̄ārū ḥăp̄ārūhā ḥāp̄ərū ḥō·p̄êr ḥōp̄êr lachPor laḥ·pōr laḥpōr vaechPor vaiyachpeRehu vaiyachpeRu vaiyachpeRuhu vaiyachPor vechafarta vechafarTah veyachperu wā’eḥpōr wā·’eḥ·pōr way·yaḥ·pə·rê·hū way·yaḥ·pə·rū way·yaḥ·pə·ru·hū way·yaḥ·pōr wayyaḥpərêhū wayyaḥpərū wayyaḥpəruhū wayyaḥpōr wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tā wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tāh wə·yaḥ·pə·rū- wəḥāp̄artā wəḥāp̄artāh wəyaḥpərū- yachpeRu yaḥ·pə·rū yaḥpərū
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 21:30
HEB: לְעֵדָ֔ה כִּ֥י חָפַ֖רְתִּי אֶת־ הַבְּאֵ֥ר
NAS: that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this
KJV: they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
INT: witness for dug well likewise

Genesis 26:15
HEB: הַבְּאֵרֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י אָבִ֔יו
NAS: servants had dug in the days
KJV: servants had digged in the days
INT: the wells which had dug servants his father's

Genesis 26:18
HEB: וַיָּ֨שָׁב יִצְחָ֜ק וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר ׀ אֶת־ בְּאֵרֹ֣ת
NAS: Then Isaac dug again the wells
KJV: And Isaac digged again the wells
INT: again Isaac dug the wells of water

Genesis 26:18
HEB: הַמַּ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ בִּימֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם
NAS: which had been dug in the days
KJV: of water, which they had digged in the days
INT: of water which had been dug the days Abraham

Genesis 26:19
HEB: וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־ יִצְחָ֖ק
NAS: servants dug in the valley
KJV: servants digged in the valley,
INT: dug servants Isaac's

Genesis 26:21
HEB: וַֽיַּחְפְּרוּ֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת
NAS: Then they dug another well,
KJV: And they digged another well,
INT: dug well another

Genesis 26:22
HEB: וַיַּעְתֵּ֣ק מִשָּׁ֗ם וַיַּחְפֹּר֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת
NAS: from there and dug another
KJV: And he removed from thence, and digged another
INT: moved there and dug well another

Genesis 26:32
HEB: הַבְּאֵ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָפָ֑רוּ וַיֹּ֥אמְרוּ ל֖וֹ
NAS: which they had dug, and said
KJV: the well which they had digged, and said
INT: the well which had dug and said have found

Exodus 7:24
HEB: וַיַּחְפְּר֧וּ כָל־ מִצְרַ֛יִם
NAS: the Egyptians dug around
KJV: And all the Egyptians digged round about
INT: dug all Egyptian

Numbers 21:18
HEB: בְּאֵ֞ר חֲפָר֣וּהָ שָׂרִ֗ים כָּר֙וּהָ֙
NAS: which the leaders sank, Which the nobles
KJV: The princes digged the well,
INT: the well sank the leaders dug

Deuteronomy 1:22
HEB: אֲנָשִׁים֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ־ לָ֖נוּ אֶת־
NAS: before us, that they may search out the land
KJV: before us, and they shall search us out the land,
INT: men before may search the land and bring

Deuteronomy 23:13
HEB: בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ ח֔וּץ וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְשַׁבְתָּ֖
NAS: outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn
KJV: thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back
INT: sit outside shall dig and shall turn to cover

Joshua 2:2
HEB: מִבְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַחְפֹּ֥ר אֶת־ הָאָֽרֶץ׃
NAS: here tonight to search out the land.
KJV: of Israel to search out the country.
INT: the sons of Israel to search the land

Joshua 2:3
HEB: לְבֵיתֵ֔ךְ כִּ֛י לַחְפֹּ֥ר אֶת־ כָּל־
NAS: for they have come to search out all
KJV: for they be come to search out all the country.
INT: your house for to search all the land

Job 3:21
HEB: לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים׃
NAS: but there is none, And dig for it more than
KJV: for death, but it [cometh] not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
INT: death there and dig hidden

Job 11:18
HEB: יֵ֣שׁ תִּקְוָ֑ה וְ֝חָפַרְתָּ֗ לָבֶ֥טַח תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃
NAS: is hope; And you would look around and rest
KJV: hope; yea, thou shalt dig [about thee, and] thou shalt take thy rest
INT: there is hope look securely and rest

Job 39:21
HEB: יַחְפְּר֣וּ בָ֭עֵמֶק וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ
NAS: He paws in the valley, and rejoices
KJV: He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth
INT: paws the valley and rejoices

Job 39:29
HEB: מִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־ אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק
NAS: From there he spies out food;
KJV: From thence she seeketh the prey,
INT: there spies food afar

Psalm 7:15
HEB: בּ֣וֹר כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת
NAS: a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen
KJV: a pit, and digged it, and is fallen
INT: A pit has dug and hollowed fallen the hole

Psalm 35:7
HEB: רִשְׁתָּ֑ם חִ֝נָּ֗ם חָפְר֥וּ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃
NAS: for me; Without cause they dug a pit
KJV: [which] without cause they have digged for my soul.
INT: their net cause dug my soul

Ecclesiastes 10:8
HEB: חֹפֵ֥ר גּוּמָּ֖ץ בּ֣וֹ
NAS: He who digs a pit may fall
KJV: He that diggeth a pit shall fall
INT: digs A pit may fall

Jeremiah 13:7
HEB: וָאֵלֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וָאֶחְפֹּ֗ר וָֽאֶקַּח֙ אֶת־
NAS: to the Euphrates and dug, and I took
KJV: to Euphrates, and digged, and took
INT: went to the Euphrates and dug took the waistband

22 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2658
22 Occurrences


ḥā·p̄ar- — 1 Occ.
ḥā·p̄ar·tî — 1 Occ.
ḥā·p̄ā·rū — 1 Occ.
ḥă·p̄ā·rū·hā — 1 Occ.
ḥā·p̄ə·rū — 3 Occ.
ḥō·p̄êr — 1 Occ.
laḥ·pōr — 2 Occ.
wā·’eḥ·pōr — 1 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pə·rê·hū — 1 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pə·rū — 3 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pə·ru·hū — 1 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pōr — 2 Occ.
wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tā — 1 Occ.
wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tāh — 1 Occ.
wə·yaḥ·pə·rū- — 1 Occ.
yaḥ·pə·rū — 1 Occ.

2657
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