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כֶּסֶף

𐤊𐤎𐤐

keçeph

H3701 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Silver, a precious metal characterized by its pale or shiny appearance, used in the ancient Near East as a means of exchange, a commodity of value, and material for ornamental and cultic objects. By extension, 'keçeph' frequently denotes money or payment, given that silver was the standard medium for transactions in the biblical period.

Semantic Range

silver (metal), money, means of payment, price, silver object, wealth, pale color, desire (rare/derived sense)

Root / Etymology

From the root כָּסַף (k-s-p), meaning 'to pale, to be white, to desire, to long for.' The noun כֶּסֶף originally denotes 'silver,' referencing its pale color, but through its high value as a precious metal, it came to signify money more generally. The meaning 'money' is a later semantic development arising from its economic function.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, silver was the primary material for trade and payment, with כֶּסֶף regularly used in commercial contexts (Genesis 23:15-16, 37:28; 2 Kings 12:10). It often appears alongside gold, although silver was more commonly used in everyday transactions. The term also denotes silver as an offering (Exodus 30:15), temple treasury, or as material for idols (Isaiah 2:20). In cultic and legal contexts, כֶּסֶף refers to weights of silver in compensation or bride-price (Exodus 21:32; Deuteronomy 22:29); standard coinage did not arise until the Persian period, so 'silver' was typically reckoned by weight rather than minted form. In poetic and wisdom literature, כֶּסֶף serves metaphorically for wealth or intrinsic value (Proverbs 10:20; Job 28:1). 'Money' as a translation can obscure the original context, as the biblical world operated primarily on precious metal by weight rather than minted currency. In post-exilic and later periods, the word retains both concrete (metal) and abstract (wealth, value, currency) senses, with narrowing toward 'money' in some contexts. Later translations sometimes render כֶּסֶף as 'money' generically, but this may not always capture the economic realities or symbolic associations of the term.

Translation Consistency

primary "silver" 49 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering in the SILEX data (344/403). Keçeph primarily denotes the metal (pale/shiny material) and by extension money; using “silver” covers both senses naturally and consistently, while context can indicate when it functions as currency or a material/ornament.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"money" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּסַף; silver (from its pale color); by implication, money; money, price, silver(-ling).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

כסף (Kasifeya) — to pale, to be white, to pine for, to desire

Root כסף to pale, to be white, to pine for, to desire
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3702 כְּסַף with the silver
H3703 כָּסִפְיָא in Silver-place

Word Forms

38 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3701-15 כֶּ֗סֶף kesef HNcmsa silver silver silver 131
H3701-05 הַ/כֶּ֨סֶף֙ hakesef HTd/Ncmsa the silver the silver the silver 67
H3701-06 כָּ֑סֶף kasef HNcmsa silver silver silver 38
H3701-20 כֶסֶף֩ khesef HNcmsa silver silver silver 31
H3701-37 וְ/כֶ֗סֶף vekhesef HC/Ncmsa and silver silver and silver 20
H3701-03 בְּ/כֶ֤סֶף bekhesef HR/Ncmsa with silver with silver with silver 12
H3701-33 וָ/כֶ֖סֶף vakhesef HC/Ncmsa and silver and silver and silver 11
H3701-02 בַּ/כֶּ֨סֶף֙ bakesef HRd/Ncmsa for silver with the silver with the silver 9
H3701-34 וְ/הַ/כֶּ֨סֶף vehakesef HC/Td/Ncmsa and the silver and the silver and the silver 9
H3701-17 כָֽסֶף khasef HNcmsa of silver silver silver 7

Occurrences in Scripture

403 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3701-02 Genesis 13:2 בַּ/כֶּ֖סֶף bakesef HRd/Ncmsa in silver with the silver with the silver
H3701-15 Genesis 17:12 כֶּ֨סֶף֙ kesef HNcmsa with money silver silver
H3701-08 Genesis 17:13 כַּסְפֶּ֑/ךָ kasepekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms of your money your silver your silver
H3701-14 Genesis 17:23 כַּסְפּ֔/וֹ kasepo HNcmsc/Sp3ms with his money his silver his silver
H3701-15 Genesis 17:27 כֶּ֖סֶף kesef HNcmsa with money silver silver
H3701-15 Genesis 20:16 כֶּ֨סֶף֙ kesef HNcmsa pieces of silver silver silver
H3701-03 Genesis 23:9 בְּ/כֶ֨סֶף bekhesef HR/Ncmsa for silver with silver with silver
H3701-15 Genesis 23:13 כֶּ֤סֶף kesef HNcmsc money silver silver
H3701-15 Genesis 23:15 כֶּ֛סֶף kesef HNcmsa of silver silver silver
H3701-05 Genesis 23:16 הַ/כֶּ֕סֶף hakesef HTd/Ncmsa the silver the silver the silver
H3701-15 Genesis 23:16 כֶּ֔סֶף kesef HNcmsa of silver silver silver
H3701-37 Genesis 24:35 וְ/כֶ֣סֶף vekhesef HC/Ncmsa and silver silver and silver
H3701-20 Genesis 24:53 כֶ֨סֶף khesef HNcmsa silver silver silver
H3701-11 Genesis 31:15 כַּסְפֵּֽ/נוּ kasepenu HNcmsc/Sp1cp our money our silver our silver
H3701-06 Genesis 37:28 כָּ֑סֶף kasef HNcmsa pieces of silver silver pieces of silver
H3701-12 Genesis 42:25 כַּסְפֵּי/הֶם֙ kasepeyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their money their silvers their silvers
H3701-14 Genesis 42:27 כַּסְפּ֔/וֹ kasepo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his money his silver his silver
H3701-13 Genesis 42:28 כַּסְפִּ֔/י kasepi HNcmsc/Sp1cs my money my silver my silver
H3701-14 Genesis 42:35 כַּסְפּ֖/וֹ kasepo HNcmsc/Sp3ms of money his silver his silver
H3701-12 Genesis 42:35 כַּסְפֵּי/הֶ֛ם kasepeyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp of their money their silvers their silvers
H3701-37 Genesis 43:12 וְ/כֶ֥סֶף vekhesef HC/Ncmsc and money silver and silver
H3701-05 Genesis 43:12 הַ/כֶּ֜סֶף hakesef HTd/Ncmsa the money the silver the silver
H3701-15 Genesis 43:15 כֶּ֛סֶף kesef HNcmsa money silver silver
H3701-05 Genesis 43:18 הַ/כֶּ֨סֶף֙ hakesef HTd/Ncmsa the money the silver the silver
H3701-20 Genesis 43:21 כֶֽסֶף khesef HNcmsc money silver silver
H3701-11 Genesis 43:21 כַּסְפֵּ֖/נוּ kasepenu HNcmsc/Sp1cp our money our silver our silver
H3701-37 Genesis 43:22 וְ/כֶ֧סֶף vekhesef HC/Ncmsa and money silver and silver
H3701-11 Genesis 43:22 כַּסְפֵּ֖/נוּ kasepenu HNcmsc/Sp1cp our money our silver our silver
H3701-10 Genesis 43:23 כַּסְפְּ/כֶ֖ם kasepekhem HNcmsc/Sp2mp your money your silver-money your money
H3701-15 Genesis 44:1 כֶּֽסֶף kesef HNcmsc money silver silver
H3701-05 Genesis 44:2 הַ/כֶּ֗סֶף hakesef HTd/Ncmsa of silver the silver the silver
H3701-15 Genesis 44:2 כֶּ֣סֶף kesef HNcmsc money silver silver
H3701-15 Genesis 44:8 כֶּ֗סֶף kesef HNcmsa the money silver silver
H3701-15 Genesis 44:8 כֶּ֖סֶף kesef-2 HNcmsa silver silver silver
H3701-15 Genesis 45:22 כֶּ֔סֶף kesef HNcmsa pieces of silver silver silver
H3701-05 Genesis 47:14 הַ/כֶּ֨סֶף֙ hakesef HTd/Ncmsa the money the silver the silver
H3701-05 Genesis 47:14 הַ/כֶּ֖סֶף hakesef-2 HTd/Ncmsa the money the silver the silver
H3701-05 Genesis 47:15 הַ/כֶּ֗סֶף hakesef HTd/Ncmsa the money the silver the silver
H3701-06 Genesis 47:15 כָּֽסֶף kasef HNcmsa money silver silver
H3701-06 Genesis 47:16 כָּֽסֶף kasef HNcmsa money silver silver
H3701-05 Genesis 47:18 הַ/כֶּ֔סֶף hakesef HTd/Ncmsa the money the silver the silver
H3701-20 Exodus 3:22 כֶ֛סֶף khesef HNcmsa silver silver silver
H3701-20 Exodus 11:2 כֶ֖סֶף khesef HNcmsa silver silver silver
H3701-20 Exodus 12:35 כֶ֛סֶף khesef HNcmsa of silver silver silver
H3701-06 Exodus 12:44 כָּ֑סֶף kasef HNcmsa with money silver silver
H3701-20 Exodus 20:23 כֶ֨סֶף֙ khesef HNcmsa silver silver silver
H3701-06 Exodus 21:11 כָּֽסֶף kasef HNcmsa money silver silver
H3701-19 Exodus 21:21 כַסְפּ֖/וֹ khasepo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his money his silver his silver
H3701-15 Exodus 21:32 כֶּ֣סֶף kesef HNcmsa silver silver silver
H3701-15 Exodus 21:34 כֶּ֖סֶף kesef HNcmsa silver silver silver
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