כָּפַר
𐤊𐤐𐤓
kâphar
H3722 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To cover over, to wipe away, or to cleanse, especially in contexts related to removing impurity, guilt, or offense; by extension, to effect reconciliation or restore favorable relations, commonly through prescribed ritual actions or offerings. The primary lexical sense involves physical or metaphorical covering, leading to the concept of expiating, appeasing, or reconciling in cultic and interpersonal contexts. In priestly and legal texts, denotes removing the consequences of sin or impurity, often through ritual acts.
Semantic Range
to cover with a coating (e.g., pitch); to remove or erase sin, guilt, or impurity; to expiate or make reparation through ritual action or offering; to effect reconciliation or placate; to purify or cleanse (ritually); to appease (a deity or person); to cancel or annul consequences of offense; to forgive (through prescribed means)
Root / Etymology
Root: כפר (k-p-r). The verbal root כפר conveys the basic idea of covering, concealing, or wiping away. Its earliest attested usage connects with the literal sense of smearing or coating (as with bitumen or pitch), as in coating the ark in Gen. 6:14. In ritual and legal texts, the root's semantic development leads to the figurative sense of covering or removing sin, guilt, or offense, thus signifying expiation or atonement. Derived nouns (e.g., כִּפֻּרִים 'kippurim') reflect these expanded senses.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In early biblical Hebrew contexts (patriarchal and monarchic), כפר is used both literally ('to cover with pitch') and metaphorically for ritual covering of sin or defilement. In priestly texts (especially Leviticus and Numbers), it becomes a technical term for actions that result in the removal of ritual impurity or guilt, notably through sacrificial rites. This notion is distinct from Greek and later Christian understandings of 'atonement.' The action of כפר is performed by authorized ritual agents (e.g., priests), often on behalf of individuals or the wider community, aiming to restore relationship and purity within the Israelite community and its relationship with their deity. English translations often use 'atone' or 'make atonement,' but the Hebrew concept encompasses both the act of covering/removing and its result—restored purity or acceptance. In the post-exilic period, the term is reflected in the name יוֹם כִּפּוּר 'Yom Kippur,' the Day of Atonement, central to ritual purification and communal reconciliation. Other Hebrew terms for forgiveness (e.g., סלח) carry different nuances, often focused on pardon, while כפר centers on ritual acts and the process of expiation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel; appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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כפר (k-p-r) — to cover, conceal, wipe away
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3713 | כְּפוֹר | covering layer |
| H3715 | כְּפִיר | in the young lions |
| H3716 | כְּפִירָה | Kephirah |
| H3723 | כָּפָר | in the enclosed villages |
| H3724 | כֹּפֶר | with the covering-payment |
Word Forms
27 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3722-20 |
וְ/כִפֶּ֤ר | vekhiper | HC/Vpq3ms |
and shall make atonement | and he covered over | 32 |
H3722-09 |
לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר | lekhaper | HR/Vpc |
to make atonement | to intensively wipe away | 25 |
H3722-23 |
יְכַפֵּ֤ר | yekhaper | HVpi3ms |
he shall make atonement | he will wipe away | 10 |
H3722-26 |
יְכֻפַּ֗ר | yekhupar | HVPi3ms |
can be atoned | he will be covered-over | 4 |
H3722-17 |
וְ/כַפֵּ֥ר | vekhaper | HC/Vpv2ms |
and make atonement | and wipe away | 4 |
H3722-15 |
וַ/יְכַפֵּ֧ר | vayekhaper | HC/Vpw3ms |
and made atonement | and he wiped away | 3 |
H3722-14 |
וּ/לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר | ulekhaper | HC/R/Vpc |
and to make atonement | and to wipe away | 3 |
H3722-11 |
תְּכַפֵּר֙ | tekhaper | HVpi2ms |
you shall make atonement | you will cover over | 2 |
H3722-02 |
אֲכַפְּרָ֣ה | akhaperah | HVph1cs |
I shall make atonement | let me wipe away | 2 |
H3722-22 |
וְ/נִכַּפֵּ֥ר | venikaper | HC/VDq3ms |
and it will be atoned | and he will be covered over | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
103 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3722-16 |
Genesis 6:14 | וְ/כָֽפַרְתָּ֥ | vekhafareta | HC/Vqq2ms |
and you shall cover | and you shall cover over |
H3722-02 |
Genesis 32:21 | אֲכַפְּרָ֣ה | akhaperah | HVph1cs |
I will appease | let me wipe away |
H3722-08 |
Exodus 29:33 | כֻּפַּ֣ר | kupar | HVPp3ms |
atonement was made | was covered-over |
H3722-03 |
Exodus 29:36 | בְּ/כַפֶּרְ/ךָ֖ | bekhaperekha | HR/Vpc/Sp2ms |
when-you-make-atonement | in your covering-over |
H3722-11 |
Exodus 29:37 | תְּכַפֵּר֙ | tekhaper | HVpi2ms |
you shall make atonement | you will cover over |
H3722-20 |
Exodus 30:10 | וְ/כִפֶּ֤ר | vekhiper | HC/Vpq3ms |
and shall make atonement | and he covered over |
H3722-23 |
Exodus 30:10 | יְכַפֵּ֤ר | yekhaper | HVpi3ms |
he shall make atonement | he will wipe away |
H3722-09 |
Exodus 30:15 | לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר | lekhaper | HR/Vpc |
to make atonement | to intensively wipe away |
H3722-05 |
Exodus 30:16 | הַ/כִּפֻּרִ֗ים | hakipurim | HTd/Ncmpa |
of the atonements | the expiation-coverings |
H3722-09 |
Exodus 30:16 | לְ/כַפֵּ֖ר | lekhaper | HR/Vpc |
to make atonement | to intensively wipe away |