כָּפַן
𐤊𐤐𐤍
kâphan
H3719 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be bent, to become bent or hunched; in context, to be bent over, particularly under the weight of hunger, deprivation, or suffering. Extends metaphorically to mean 'to suffer from hunger,' 'to be distressed by want,' or 'to be famished.' Used primarily as a verb describing the physical or figurative condition of bending due to lack or need.
Semantic Range
to be bent, to be hunched or bowed (esp. from deprivation), to suffer from hunger, to be famished, to be distressed by want, to be bowed down due to lack or suffering
Root / Etymology
From the root כפן, reflecting the core sense of bending or being bowed down. The root meaning is physical bending, but the verb's primary lexical meaning in usage is to be bent or hunched as a result of hunger or deprivation, thus developing its metaphorical sense of being famished or distressed by need.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כָּפַן is a rare verb, appearing in poetic and wisdom literature, notably in Job (Job 15:23; 30:3, 14-16), where it conveys both the literal and figurative sense of being bent or bowed by hunger. While the root denotes physical bending, in actual biblical usage it usually refers to someone hunched over due to famine, deprivation, or distress. In later Hebrew, the verb itself is not common, but related nouns and forms continue the notion of hunger or want. Unlike רעב (rāʿēv, H7456), which simply means 'to be hungry,' כָּפַן underscores the consequence or posture of suffering—a person so lacking that their body is bent. English translations often render as 'famished' or 'hungry,' but may not capture the visual force of being physically bowed by need. The verb is not found in ritual or legal contexts, but rather as a vivid image of desperate want in wisdom and poetic passages. No clear evidence links the term to a technical social class or group (cf. אביון 'needy' or דל 'poor'), but rather as an existential condition experienced by the speaker or subject.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to bend; bend.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כפן (k-p-n) — to bend, hunch, bow
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3720 | כָּפָן | and to hunger |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3719-01 |
כָּֽפְנָ֧ה | kafenah | HVqp3fs |
bent | she was bent over | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3719-01 |
Ezekiel 17:7 | כָּֽפְנָ֧ה | kafenah | HVqp3fs |
bent | she was bent over |