5613. capher

Lexicon

capher: To count, recount, relate, declare, number

Original Word: סָפֵר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: capher
Pronunciation: sah-fer
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-fare')
Definition: To count, recount, relate, declare, number
Meaning: a scribe

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

scribe

(Aramaic) from the same as cphar; a scribe (secular or sacred) -- scribe.

see HEBREW cphar

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[סָפֵר] noun masculine secretary, scribe (ᵑ7 Syriac; Biblical Hebrew סֹפֵר); — emphatic סָֽפְרָא the secretary, Persian official, Ezra 4:8,9,17,23; construct סָפַר the scribe Ezra 7:12,21, of Ezra as learned in God's law.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root סָפַר (sāphar), which means "to count, recount, relate, or scribe."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Greek Number 1122: γραμματεύς (grammateus) • A scribe, a man learned in the Mosaic law and in sacred writings, an interpreter, teacher.
• Strong's Greek Number 1447: γραμματεία (grammateia) • The office or position of a scribe, the art of writing.

The role of the scribe, as indicated by the term סָפֵר, highlights the importance of literacy and record-keeping in ancient societies, serving as a bridge between oral traditions and written history. The scribe's function was not only administrative but also cultural, preserving the heritage and laws of the people through the written word.

Usage: The term סָפֵר is used in the context of an official scribe or recorder, particularly in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament. It denotes a person responsible for writing, documenting, and maintaining records, often in service to a king or government.

Context: The term סָפֵר (sāphēr) appears in the Aramaic sections of the Old Testament, specifically in the books of Ezra and Daniel. In these contexts, the scribe is portrayed as an important figure in the administration of the kingdom, responsible for recording decrees, laws, and other official documents. The role of the scribe was crucial in the ancient Near Eastern bureaucratic systems, where literacy was not widespread, and the ability to read and write was a specialized skill. Scribes were often trusted advisors and held significant influence due to their access to and control over written information. In the book of Ezra, the scribe is involved in the communication of royal edicts and the documentation of the Jewish community's affairs during the Persian period. In Daniel, the role of the scribe is similarly linked to the administration of the Babylonian and Persian empires.

Forms and Transliterations

סָֽפְרָ֔א סָפְרָ֖א סָפַ֤ר סָפַ֨ר ספר ספרא sā·p̄ar sā·p̄ə·rā saFar safeRa sāp̄ar sāp̄ərā

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 4:8
HEB: טְעֵ֗ם וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ סָֽפְרָ֔א כְּתַ֛בוּ אִגְּרָ֥ה
NAS: and Shimshai the scribe wrote
KJV: and Shimshai the scribe wrote
INT: chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote A letter

Ezra 4:9
HEB: טְעֵ֗ם וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ סָֽפְרָ֔א וּשְׁאָ֖ר כְּנָוָתְה֑וֹן
NAS: and Shimshai the scribe and the rest
KJV: and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest
INT: chancellor and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their colleagues

Ezra 4:17
HEB: טְעֵם֙ וְשִׁמְשַׁ֣י סָֽפְרָ֔א וּשְׁאָר֙ כְּנָוָ֣תְה֔וֹן
NAS: to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest
KJV: and [to] Shimshai the scribe, and [to] the rest
INT: chancellor to Shimshai the scribe the rest of their colleagues

Ezra 4:23
HEB: רְח֛וּם וְשִׁמְשַׁ֥י סָפְרָ֖א וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן אֲזַ֨לוּ
NAS: and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues,
KJV: and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions,
INT: Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues went

Ezra 7:12
HEB: לְעֶזְרָ֣א כָ֠הֲנָא סָפַ֨ר דָּתָ֜א דִּֽי־
NAS: the priest, the scribe of the law
KJV: the priest, a scribe of the law
INT: to Ezra the priest the scribe of the law forasmuch

Ezra 7:21
HEB: עֶזְרָ֨א כָהֲנָ֜ה סָפַ֤ר דָּתָא֙ דִּֽי־
NAS: the priest, the scribe of the law
KJV: the priest, the scribe of the law
INT: Ezra the priest the scribe of the law who

6 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5613
6 Occurrences

sā·p̄ar — 2 Occ.
sā·p̄ə·rā — 4 Occ.