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סָפֵר

𐤎𐤐𐤓

çâphêr

H5613 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ספר to count, to record, to write

Definition

Scribe—one who writes, copies, or records official documents, letters, decrees, or accounts; an individual whose primary function is the recording, preserving, or transmitting of written material, whether in administrative, governmental, or religious contexts. The term encompasses both officials operating within state or temple institutions and those who serve in more general clerical or literary functions.

Semantic Range

scribe, secretary, official writer, record-keeper, administrator; in some contexts, an expert in written documents or laws

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ספר (s-p-r), meaning 'to count, recount, write,' with the specific form סָפֵר functioning as a noun denoting a person engaged in the act of writing or documentation. This is a loanword from Biblical Hebrew into Aramaic, with the form adjusted for Aramaic phonology and grammatical conventions.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Biblical Aramaic (notably in the books of Ezra and Daniel), סָפֵר refers primarily to an official scribe within the administration of empires such as Babylon, Persia, or local provincial governments, rather than exclusively to Israelite or Judahite scribes. The scribe's function included drafting royal decrees, copying correspondence, and sometimes interpreting or managing legal documents. In contrast to the Hebrew סוֹפֵר (sōphēr), the Aramaic form is contextually linked to foreign imperial bureaucracies within which Israelite or Judean exiles and returnees operated. While the English term 'scribe' is an accurate translation in administrative contexts, in Jewish liturgical or communal traditions (developed later), 'scribe' may carry specialized religious connotations not present in early imperial settings. The role of the scribe in post-exilic Judean society evolved to include religious expertise (notably Ezra), but the Aramaic סָפֵר itself in the biblical texts refers consistently to a civil, bureaucratic office.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from the same as סְפַר; a scribe (secular or sacred); scribe.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ספר (s-p-r) — to count, to recount, to record, to write

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4557 מִסְפָּר in counted number of
H4558 מִסְפָּר counted total
H4559 מִסְפֶּרֶת Mispereth
H5601 סַפִּיר in the blue precious stones
H5608 סָפַר I will recount

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5613-02 סָֽפְרָ֔/א safera ANcmsd/Td the scribe the scribe 4
H5613-01 סָפַ֨ר safar ANcmsc scribe he counted 2

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5613-02 Ezra 4:8 סָֽפְרָ֔/א safera ANcmsd/Td the scribe the scribe
H5613-02 Ezra 4:9 סָֽפְרָ֔/א safera ANcmsd/Td the scribe the scribe
H5613-02 Ezra 4:17 סָֽפְרָ֔/א safera ANcmsd/Td the scribe the scribe
H5613-02 Ezra 4:23 סָפְרָ֖/א safera ANcmsd/Td the scribe the scribe
H5613-01 Ezra 7:12 סָפַ֨ר safar ANcmsc scribe he counted
H5613-01 Ezra 7:21 סָפַ֤ר safar ANcmsc scribe he counted
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