5609. sephar
Lexical Summary
sephar: books, book

Original Word: סְפַר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: cphar
Pronunciation: seh-far
Phonetic Spelling: (sef-ar')
KJV: book, roll
NASB: books, book
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to H5608 (סָפַר - tell)]

1. a book

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
book, roll

(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to caphar; a book -- book, roll.

see HEBREW caphar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to sepher
Definition
a book
NASB Translation
archives* (1), book (1), books (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
סְפַר noun masculineDaniel 7:10 book (see Biblical Hebrew סֵ֫פֶר); — construct דָּכְרָנַיָּא ׳ס Ezra 4:15 (twice in verse), משֶׁה ׳ס Ezra 6:18; plural absolute סִפְרִין Daniel 7:10 books (of records, see Dr); emphatic בֵּית סִפְרַיָּא Ezra 6:1 house of records.

Topical Lexicon
Scope and Meaning

The term סְפַר designates an official written record—an archival scroll, register, or documented decree. Although related to the broader word for “book” (ספר), סְפַר is used for writings preserved for legal, governmental, or judicial purposes. Its canonical appearances form a concise portrait of the way earthly and heavenly administrations preserve and consult authoritative documents.

Occurrences in Canonical Context

1. Ezra 4:15 (twice) – Persian officials urge Artaxerxes to “search… the record books of your fathers,” claiming that within those records the rebellious past of Jerusalem will be uncovered.
2. Ezra 6:1 – “Then King Darius ordered that a search be made in the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.” The scroll containing Cyrus’s original decree for the temple is located, vindicating the Jewish builders.
3. Ezra 6:18 – Priests and Levites are installed “according to what is written in the Book of Moses,” rooting post-exilic worship in documentary authority.
4. Daniel 7:10 – In the heavenly courtroom “the books were opened,” revealing an ultimate archive before which every power is judged.

Role in the Persian Administrative Framework

The Persian Empire maintained vast repositories of scrolls in Babylon, Ecbatana, and Susa. Kings relied on these archives to confirm past decrees, land grants, and civic privileges. Ezra’s narrative highlights the reliability of such records: Cyrus’s forgotten edict was still recoverable decades later. סְפַר therefore embodies the Persian conviction that written law transcends individual rulers—an idea Scripture leverages to demonstrate God’s hidden governance of world affairs.

Divine Sovereignty Expressed through Imperial Records

By having Cyrus’s decree preserved, the Lord ensured that pagan bureaucracy would serve His covenant purposes. A pagan archive became the instrument that thwarted local opposition and restarted temple construction. This convergence between human paperwork and divine promise exemplifies Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD; He directs it wherever He pleases.”

Liturgical and Covenant Implications

Ezra 6:18 ties priestly organization to “what is written in the Book of Moses.” The use of סְפַר here underlines that worship is not left to improvisation; it is shaped by an objective, written revelation. Post-exilic Israel, re-rooted in Torah authority, becomes a paradigm for every generation that seeks renewal through returning to the text.

Eschatological Dimension of the Heavenly Books

Daniel 7:10 shifts the setting from earthly archives to the heavenly court where “the books were opened.” The same concept of an unimpeachable record, here perfected, guarantees final justice. Earthly סְפַר scrolls can be misplaced or abused, but the heavenly registry is infallible and exhaustive. This anticipates Revelation 20:12, where the dead are “judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.”

Practical Ministry Insights

• Written records safeguard truth. Faithful documentation—minutes, constitutions, covenants—protect congregations from drift and ensure continuity.
• Historical research can vindicate God’s people. Understanding civil laws and past precedents may open doors for gospel ministry, just as archival research in Ezra secured the temple’s completion.
• The certainty of heavenly records fuels ethical integrity. Knowing that every deed is preserved before God encourages holiness, transparency, and perseverance in well-doing.

Related Hebrew Terms and Distinctions

• ספר (sefer, Strong’s 5612) – the common term for any “book” or scroll, including Scripture.
• סֹפֵר (sopher, Strong’s 5608) – “scribe,” the custodian or producer of such writings.

סְפַר stands between these, emphasizing the archival artifact itself—an objective witness to law and history.

Summary

Whether in the Persian treasury or the throne room of Heaven, סְפַר underscores God’s use of written testimony to establish His purposes, protect His people, regulate worship, and guarantee final judgment. In every age, the faithful steward both the earthly documents entrusted to them and the eternal Word that will one day judge every heart.

Forms and Transliterations
בִּֽסְפַר־ בִּסְפַ֣ר בספר בספר־ וְסִפְרִ֥ין וספרין סְפַ֥ר סִפְרַיָּ֗א ספר ספריא bis·p̄ar bis·p̄ar- bisfar bisp̄ar bisp̄ar- sə·p̄ar seFar səp̄ar sifraiYa sip̄·ray·yā sip̄rayyā vesifRin wə·sip̄·rîn wəsip̄rîn
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Englishman's Concordance
Ezra 4:15
HEB: דִּ֡י יְבַקַּר֩ בִּֽסְפַר־ דָּכְרָ֨נַיָּ֜א דִּ֣י
NAS: in the record books of your fathers.
KJV: That search may be made in the book of the records
INT: so A search books the record so

Ezra 4:15
HEB: אֲבָהָתָ֗ךְ וּ֠תְהַשְׁכַּח בִּסְפַ֣ר דָּכְרָנַיָּא֮ וְתִנְדַּע֒
NAS: in the record books and learn
KJV: so shalt thou find in the book of the records,
INT: of your fathers will discover books the record and learn

Ezra 6:1
HEB: וּבַקַּ֣רוּ ׀ בְּבֵ֣ית סִפְרַיָּ֗א דִּ֧י גִנְזַיָּ֛א
KJV: was made in the house of the rolls, where
INT: and search the house of the rolls forasmuch the treasures

Ezra 6:18
HEB: בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם כִּכְתָ֖ב סְפַ֥ר מֹשֶֽׁה׃ פ
NAS: as it is written in the book of Moses.
KJV: as it is written in the book of Moses.
INT: Jerusalem is written the book of Moses

Daniel 7:10
HEB: דִּינָ֥א יְתִ֖ב וְסִפְרִ֥ין פְּתִֽיחוּ׃
NAS: sat, And the books were opened.
KJV: was set, and the books were opened.
INT: the court sat and the books were opened

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5609
5 Occurrences


bis·p̄ar- — 2 Occ.
sə·p̄ar — 1 Occ.
sip̄·ray·yā — 1 Occ.
wə·sip̄·rîn — 1 Occ.

5608
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