חֲפֹר
𐤇𐤐𐤓
chăphôr
H2661 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A creature that creates burrows underground; in context, refers collectively to burrowing animals, most likely the mole or shrew, and possibly a generic small burrowing mammal. The word appears solely in the phrase חַפַרְפֵּרָה (chafarperah), whose components signify digging or burrowing. The term is not a generic 'hole,' but a reference to the animal known for digging such a hole.
Semantic Range
burrower, burrowing animal, (in context) mole, possibly shrew or another small fossorial mammal
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חפר (ḥ-ph-r), meaning 'to dig' or 'to pry into.' The term חֲפֹר (chăphôr) is found in constructed form only, likely by reduplication in חַפַרְפֵּרָה. The base meaning is 'one who digs' or 'burrower.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲפֹר appears uniquely as part of the hapax legomenon חַפַרְפֵּרָה in Leviticus 11:30, within the context of Israelite ritual impurity laws and the taxonomy of unclean animals. The animal indicated is contextually understood as a small, burrowing mammal—likely a mole or shrew—though precise zoological identification remains debated. English translations have rendered the term variously as 'mole,' 'shrew-mole,' or 'rat.' The word is not attested elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew, and the combination with פֵּרָה points to a specific type of burrowing creature, rather than the simple idea of a hole or burrow itself. Later usage in Hebrew and rabbinic literature sometimes interpreted the word more broadly, yet the biblical context restricts its sense to a particular type of unclean, fossorial animal. The translation 'mole' is a later interpretive choice; ancient Israelites may not have classified these animals precisely as in later zoological taxonomy.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָפַר; a hole; only in connection with פֵּרָה, which ought rather to be joined as one word, thus חַפַרְפֵּרָה; by reduplication from חָפַר; a burrower, i.e. probably a rat; [phrase] mole.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חפר (ḥ-p-r) — to dig, to probe, to burrow
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1662 | גַּת־הַחֵפֶר | Digging-one |
| H2658 | חָפַר | he dug |
| H2659 | חָפֵר | she was ashamed |
| H2660 | חֵפֶר | Digging-One |
| H2662 | חֶפְרִי | the Chepherite |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2661-01 |
לַ/חְפֹּ֥ר | lachepor | HR/Vqc |
to-moles | to dig | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2661-01 |
Isaiah 2:20 | לַ/חְפֹּ֥ר | lachepor | HR/Vqc |
to-moles | to dig |