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כְּפַת

𐤊𐤐𐤕

kᵉphath

H3729 verb

SILEX Entry

Root כפת to bind, to tie, to fasten

Definition

To tie, bind, or fasten, with particular emphasis on restraining movement via the use of a rope, chain, or fetter. In Aramaic usage within the Hebrew Bible, indicates the action of securing or confining something or someone, often in a physical or metaphorical sense.

Semantic Range

to bind, to tie up, to fasten, to restrain physically, to fetter, to confine

Root / Etymology

The form כְּפַת derives from the Aramaic root כפ״ת, meaning 'to bind, tie, fasten.' It has no direct Hebrew cognate in the classical language, but relates to similarly structured roots in Semitic languages that express the idea of binding or fastening.

Historical & Contextual Notes

This verb appears in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel 3:20, 23-24) in the context of binding individuals before their casting into the fiery furnace. The context is specific to restraining or securing by physical means. The term reflects typical Aramaic verbal formation rather than classical Hebrew and is largely absent from non-Aramaic biblical material. While standard English translations render it as 'bind' or 'fetter,' the nuance is specifically about securing movement, not the broader spectrum of 'binding' used for covenantal or legal contexts in Hebrew. No direct connection to the English term 'fetter' as used in later periods; the Aramaic root focuses on practical, physical restraint.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) a root of uncertain correspondence; to fetter; bind.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כפת (k-p-t) — to bind, to tie, to fasten

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3729-03 מְכַפְּתִֽין mekhapetin AVpsmpa bound fettered ones 2
H3729-02 לְ/כַפָּתָ֔ה lekhapatah AR/Vpc to bind them to tightly bind 1
H3729-01 כְּפִ֨תוּ֙ kefitu AVQp3mp were bound they bound 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3729-02 Daniel 3:20 לְ/כַפָּתָ֔ה lekhapatah AR/Vpc to bind them to tightly bind
H3729-01 Daniel 3:21 כְּפִ֨תוּ֙ kefitu AVQp3mp were bound they bound
H3729-03 Daniel 3:23 מְכַפְּתִֽין mekhapetin AVpsmpa bound fettered ones
H3729-03 Daniel 3:24 מְכַפְּתִ֔ין mekhapetin AVprmpa bound fettered ones
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