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כַּרְפַּס

𐤊𐤓𐤐𐤎

karpaç

H3768 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain to cover (from Persian loan context), textile, fiber

Definition

A plant-based textile fiber, most likely referring to a kind of fine linen, cotton, or possibly a greenish textile or dye derived from a plant; primarily designates a fabric or material of high quality used in garments or decorations.

Semantic Range

fine textile, luxury cloth, cotton, fine linen, possibly green fabric or dyed fabric, decorative material

Root / Etymology

Borrowed from a foreign language; precise Hebrew root is uncertain, but the word is of Persian origin (cf. Old Persian 'karpas' meaning 'cotton'). Entered Biblical Hebrew most likely through trade and cultural contact with Persian or Indo-Iranian regions during or after the exile.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term כַּרְפַּס (karpaç) is a loanword, appearing in Esther 1:6 in the context of luxury textiles at the Persian court. Its meaning corresponds to textiles introduced from the east—possibly cotton, fine linen, or fabric dyed a greenish color. The mention alongside other luxury fabrics in Achaemenid settings underscores the association with opulence and foreign material culture, reflecting the vocabulary shift in the post-exilic Persian period. The reference to 'byssus' (fine linen) in older translations ties to Greco-Roman usage and is not strictly accurate to the Israelite context. The word is not related to core Israelite textile terminology like שֵׁשׁ (shesh, 'linen'). Later uses in Jewish tradition identify 'karpas' as a green vegetable for ceremonial use, but this is post-biblical and does not reflect its biblical meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign origin; byssus or fine vegetable wool; green.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כרפס (k-r-p-s) — textile, plant-fiber cloth, covering material

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3768-01 כַּרְפַּ֣ס karepas HNcmsa green fine plant-textile 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3768-01 Esther 1:6 כַּרְפַּ֣ס karepas HNcmsa green fine plant-textile
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