Lexical Summary kaphan: To bend, curve, bow down Original Word: כָּפַן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bend A primitive root; to bend -- bend. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be hungry, to hunger NASB Translation bent (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כָּפַן] verb be hungry, hunger, perhaps also hungrily desire (Aramaic loan-word; compare Aramaic כְּפֵין, כְּפַן,  be hungry; Arabic  is spin wool, wrap a corpse in the shroud); — only Qal Perfect3feminine singular כָּֽפְנָה עַל Ezekiel 17:7 (si vera lectio) this vine stretched its roots hungrily towards ׅ "" ( שִׁלְּחָה לְ. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Basic Concept כָּפַן (kāphan) pictures the deliberate bending, curving, or inclining of something that is rooted. Its only appearance describes a vine that consciously turns its roots and shoots toward an external source of water. The verb therefore carries the idea of active, willful re-direction rather than passive sagging or accidental drooping. Biblical Occurrence Ezekiel 17:7: “But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and stretched out its branches to him for water from the bed where it was planted”. Historical Setting The parable of the two eagles (Ezekiel 17:1-21) unfolds in the final years of the Judean monarchy. כָּפַן thus captures Zedekiah’s calculated rebellion: he “bent” his national roots away from the covenant obligations he had sworn before God (2 Chronicles 36:13) and toward an alliance God had forbidden (Isaiah 30:1-5). Prophetic Message 1. Human allegiance is never neutral. The act of bending either honors or dishonors the Lord who plants (Ezekiel 17:5-6). Theological Themes • Covenant Faithfulness: God plants His people for fruitfulness; they must remain where He sets them (Psalm 1:3; John 15:5-6). Connections to Other Scriptures • Psalm 80:8-11—Israel as a vine transplanted by God, flourishing only under His care. Practical and Pastoral Reflections • Spiritual Discernment: Ministries must examine whether they are subtly re-directing their “roots” toward cultural approval, financial security, or political power instead of relying on the Lord. Summary כָּפַן is far more than a botanical term; it is a window into the heart’s posture. In Ezekiel’s parable it exposes a covenant people deliberately twisting away from their true Source. The word therefore stands as a timeless reminder that flourishing depends on undivided reliance on the One who plants, waters, and sustains His vineyard. Forms and Transliterations כָּֽפְנָ֧ה כפנה kā·p̄ə·nāh kafeNah kāp̄ənāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 17:7 HEB: הַגֶּ֨פֶן הַזֹּ֜את כָּֽפְנָ֧ה שָׁרֳשֶׁ֣יהָ עָלָ֗יו NAS: this vine bent its roots toward KJV: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots INT: vine likewise bent roots toward 1 Occurrence |
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