שְׁפַרְפַר
𐤔𐤐𐤓𐤐𐤓
shᵉpharphar
H8238 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A poetic or figurative Aramaic noun denoting the period of dawn or early morning, with an emphasis on its brightness, brilliance, or the shimmering light characterizing the first appearance of daylight. In context, it typically describes the interval at which sunrise is anticipated, highlighting luminosity and transition from night to day.
Semantic Range
dawn, break of day, the first brilliant light of morning, very early morning, brightening of the sky
Root / Etymology
From the Aramaic verb שָׁפַר (shapar), meaning 'to be fair, beautiful, or bright'; the reduplicated pattern in שְׁפַרְפַר suggests an intensive or descriptive nuance, focusing on the splendor or luminous quality of dawn.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שְׁפַרְפַר occurs uniquely in Daniel 6:20 (Aramaic section, v. 19 in some English versions), where it describes the time 'at the break of day' when Darius approaches the lions' den. Its meaning is literary and evocative, emphasizing the brightness or beauty of the dawn rather than only its chronological point. It differs from standard Hebrew terms such as שַׁחַר (shaḥar, 'dawn') or בֹּקֶר (boqer, 'morning') by focusing on the quality of the light rather than the simple occurrence of morning. English translations often render it as 'very early in the morning' or 'at dawn', but these can flatten its poetic connotations. The term has no significant attested meaning shift, as it occurs only once in Biblical Aramaic and retains the poetic nuance tied to the primary sense of brilliance or splendor in related Semitic usage. It does not refer to a calendar or ritual time but to the visual and experiential phenomenon of dawn.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from שָׁפַר; the dawn (as brilliant with aurora); [idiom] very early in the morning.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שפר (sh-p-r) — brightness, beauty, fairness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8208 | שָׁפִיר | Beautiful-Town |
| H8209 | שַׁפִּיר | splendid |
| H8231 | שָׁפַר | she became splendid |
| H8232 | שְׁפַר | he was pleasing |
| H8233 | שֶׁפֶר | beauty |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8238-01 |
בִּ/שְׁפַּרְפָּרָ֖/א | bisheparepara | AR/Ncmsd/Td |
at dawn | in the brilliant dawn | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8238-01 |
Daniel 6:20 | בִּ/שְׁפַּרְפָּרָ֖/א | bisheparepara | AR/Ncmsd/Td |
at dawn | in the brilliant dawn |