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כַּפֹּרֶת

𐤊𐤐𐤓𐤕

kappôreth

H3727 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כפר to cover, to atone, to expiate

Definition

A cover or lid, specifically referring to the gold covering placed atop the Ark of the Covenant in the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle and later the temple; conceived as the place of atonement or presence where ritual actions involving sacrificial blood were performed before YHWH.

Semantic Range

cover (of the Ark of the Covenant), lid, place of atonement, locus of ritual meeting with the deity

Root / Etymology

From the root כפר (k-p-r), meaning 'to cover, make atonement, expiate.' The feminine noun כַּפֹּרֶת (kappôreth) is formed as a substantive denoting the object that covers. While the root commonly implies atoning or covering over sin, the word itself refers precisely to the physical lid of the Ark.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כַּפֹּרֶת is used exclusively for the golden lid covering the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 25:17–22, Leviticus 16, etc.). Ancient Israelite ritual understanding connected the kappôreth to the atonement rites especially on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), when the high priest sprinkled sacrificial blood toward or upon the lid to symbolize expiation of Israelite transgressions. The location was perceived as the intersection of divine presence ('where I will meet with you', Exod. 25:22) and atoning action. English translations typically render the term as 'mercy seat', a phrase coined in early modern times, but this wording introduces later theological connotations absent in the original text. The term 'lid' or 'cover' more accurately reflects both the physical object and the primary meaning of the word, while its ritual significance is determined by context. The word is never used for other types of lids or coverings and is restricted in meaning to the Ark's cover. In post-exilic and later Second Temple literature, the physical object described by כַּפֹּרֶת fades from view as the Ark itself disappears or is described as lost. By the Hellenistic period, Greek translators rendered כַּפֹּרֶת as ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion), emphasizing propitiation, which influenced later religious terminology but does not strictly represent the original Israelite understanding.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּפַר; a lid (used only of the cover of the sacred Ark); mercy seat.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כפר (k-p-r) — to cover, to atone, to expiate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3713 כְּפוֹר covering layer
H3715 כְּפִיר in the young lions
H3716 כְּפִירָה Kephirah
H3722 כָּפַר I will wipe away
H3723 כָּפָר in the enclosed villages

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3727-01 הַ/כַּפֹּֽרֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover 25
H3727-03 כַפֹּ֖רֶת khaporet HNcfsc a mercy seat atonement-cover 1
H3727-02 כַּפֹּ֖רֶת kaporet HNcfsc mercy seat atonement-cover of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

27 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3727-03 Exodus 25:17 כַפֹּ֖רֶת khaporet HNcfsc a mercy seat atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 25:18 הַ/כַּפֹּֽרֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa of the mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 25:19 הַ/כַּפֹּ֛רֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 25:20 הַ/כַּפֹּ֔רֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 25:20 הַ/כַּפֹּ֔רֶת hakaporet-2 HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 25:21 הַ/כַּפֹּ֛רֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 25:22 הַ/כַּפֹּ֗רֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 26:34 הַ/כַּפֹּ֔רֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 30:6 הַ/כַּפֹּ֗רֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover
H3727-01 Exodus 31:7 הַ/כַּפֹּ֖רֶת hakaporet HTd/Ncfsa the mercy seat the atonement-cover
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