Lexicon :: Strong's H5608 - sāp̄ar

סָפַר

Transliteration

sāp̄ar

Pronunciation

saw-far'

Part of Speech

masculine noun, verb

Root Word (Etymology)

A primitive root

Dictionary Aids

TWOT Reference: 1540,1540c

Strong's Info

Strong’s Definitions

סָפַר çâphar, saw-far'; a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:—commune, (ac-) count; declare, number, penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 161x

The KJV translates Strong's H5608 in the following manner: scribe (50x), tell (40x), declare (24x), number (23x), count (6x), shew forth (5x), writer (4x), speak (2x), accounted (1x), commune (1x), told out (1x), reckon (1x), penknife (with H8593) (1x), shewing (1x), talk (1x).

KJV Translation Count — Total: 161x

Outline of Biblical Usage [?]

verb

to count, recount, relate
1. (Qal)
  1. to count (things)
  2. to number, take account of, reckon
2. (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered
3. (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare
  1. to recount (something), rehearse
  2. to talk
  3. to count exactly or accurately
4. (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related
  masculine noun
enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
1. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary
2. learned man, scribe

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)

Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon [?] (Jump to Scripture Index)

STRONGS H5608: Abbreviations

סָפַר ₁₀₇ verb count, Pi. recount, relate (probably ancient denominative from סֵפֶר; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Ethiopic measure Di⁴⁰⁴); —
Qal₂₇ Perfect 3rd person masculine singular ס׳ 2 Samuel 24:10, 2nd person masculine singular סָפַרְתָּה Psalm 56:9, וְסָפַרְתָּ֫ Leviticus 25:8, etc.; Imperfect יִסְפֹּר Psalm 87:6 + Job 38:37 where read probably יִסְפֹּר (Bu) for MT יְסַפֵּר, יִסְפּוֹר Job 31:4, וַיִּסְפֹּר 2 Chronicles 2:1; 2 Chronicles 2:16, suffix וַיִּסְפְּרֵם Ezra 1:8; 2nd person masculine singular תִּסְפֹּר Job 39:2, תִּסְפּוֹר Job 14:16, תִּסְפָּר־ Deuteronomy 16:9, etc.; Imperative masculine singular סְפֹר Genesis 15:5; masculine plural סִפְרוּ 1 Chronicles 21:2; Psalm 48:13; Infinitive construct לִסְפֹּר Genesis 15:5 + 2 times; Participle סֹפֵר Isaiah 33:18 (twice in verse) (see also סֹפֵר n. below); —

1. count things, to learn their number, with accusative, Genesis 15:5 (twice in verse) (J) 2 Samuel 24:10 + 10 times (+ accusative of congnate meaning with verb 2 Chronicles 2:16); accusative omitted Genesis 41:49 (E); + ל (dativus commodi [dative of benefit] or ethicus [of interest]), Leviticus 15:13, 28; Leviticus 23:15; Leviticus 25:8 (all PH), Deuteronomy 16:9; Ezekiel 44:26; Ezra 1:8; Psalm 87:6; Isaiah 33:8 (absolute), Isaiah 33:18 (but text suspicious, conjectures in Du Che^Hpt).

2. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon: תִּסְפּוֹר צְעָדַי Job 14:16 of my steps thou takest account, so Job 31:4; see also Job 38:37 (compare above); נֹדִי סָפַרַתַּה Psalm 56:9 my wandering hast thou reckoned, taken into account (Che reads סִפַּרְתִּי after ).

Niph. Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יִסָּפֵר Hosea 2:1 + 4 times; 3rd person masculine plural יִסָּֽפְרוּ 1 Kings 8:5; 2 Chronicles 5:6, וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ 1 Chronicles 23:3; — be counted, numbered usually with negative, to indicate multitude, מֵרֹב לֹא יִסּ׳ Genesis 16:10 (J) it is not to be counted, for multitude, so Genesis 32:13 (J), 1 Kings 3:8 (|| יִמָּנֶה לֹא), 1 Kings 8:5 (+ id.), 2 Chronicles 5:6 (+ id.); compare Hosea 2:1 (+ יִמַּד לֹאֿ), Jeremiah 33:22 (|| לֹא יִמַּד); positively, only וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ הַלְּוִיִּם 1 Chronicles 23:3.
Pi.₆₇ Perfect 1st person singular סִפַּ֫רְתִּי Psalm 119:26, סִפַּ֑רְתִּי Psalm 119:13; 3rd person plural סִפְּרוּ Judges 6:13 + 3 times; Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יְסַפֵּר Job 38:37 +, 1st person singular אֲסַפֵּר Psalm 22:18 +; cohortative אֲסַפֵּ֑רָה Job 15:7; 1st person plural וַנּסַפֶּר־ Exodus 10:2, etc.; Imperative סַפֵּר Isaiah 43:26, etc.; Infinitive construct (לְ)סַפֵּר Psalm 50:16 + 5 times; Participle מְסַפֵּר Judges 7:13; 2 Kings 8:5; plural מְסַפְּרִים Psalm 19:2; Psalm 78:4; — recount, rehearse, declare:

1. recount something (accusative) to (לְ person) Judges 6:13; Judges 7:13; Genesis 24:66 (J), 1 Samuel 11:5 + 18 times (of rehearsing glorious deeds of י׳ Psalm 44:2; Psalm 73:28; Psalm 78:3; Psalm 78:4; Psalm 79:13); with accusative + בְּ local Ezekiel 12:16, elsewhere of rehearsing name or praise of י׳ Exodus 9:16 (J) Psalm 9:15; Psalm 96:3 = 1 Chronicles 16:24; Psalm 102:22; Jeremiah 51:10; with accusative alone Psalm 9:2; Psalm 19:2; Psalm 119:13 (+ בְּ instrumental), Psalm 145:6 + 8 times Psalms + Isaiah 43:21, all of rehearsing praise of י׳; compare מִסַּפֵּֽר עָֽצְמוּ Psalm 40:6 [Psalm 40:5] they are too great to rehearse with accusative also Jeremiah 23:28, 32; Job 15:17; Job 28:27; Psalm 119:26; accusative omitted Isaiah 43:26, with לְ person Genesis 40:8 (E) + 6 times, with אֶלֿ person Genesis 37:10 (E), with בְּאָזְנֵי Exodus 10:2; with כְּמוֺ (which see) Psalm 73:15; with אֶלֿ concerning Psalm 2:7, compare Psalm 69:27 ( Ew Ol Gr Bi Che Bae add; in that case read יֹסִ֑פוּ); with עַלֿ concerning + לְ person Joel 1:3.

2. apparently, in weakened sense, talk Psalm 59:13; Psalm 64:6 (with ל concerning), Psalm 73:15 (with כְּמוֺ).

3. count exactly, accurately כָּלעַֿצְמוֺתָ֑י אֲסַפֵּר Psalm 22:18 I can count exactly all my bones (in wasted body). — Psalm 40:6 see below 1, Job 38:37 read יִסְפֹּר.

† Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular לְ סֻפַּר Isaiah 52:15; Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular לְ יְסֻפַּר Job 37:20 (clause as subject), + לְ concerning Psalm 22:31; with בְּ local Psalm 88:12; absolute יְסֻפָּ֑ר Habakkuk 1:5.

† סֹפֵר, סוֺפֵר noun masculine^{Psalm 45:2} enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe (properly participle of סָפַר; Aramaic סַפְרָא, id. compare doctus, literatus; O Aramaic ספרא id., Lzb³³⁰ Cook⁸⁵; Phoenician ספר Lzb³³⁰); — absolute סֹפֵר Judges 5:14 +, סוֺפֵר 2 Samuel 8:17 +; construct סֹפֵר 2 Kings 12:11 + 2 times, + Jeremiah 52:25 (Gie GFM read הַסּ׳ as || 2 Kings 25:19); plural סֹפְרִים 1 Kings 4:3; Jeremiah 8:8, סוֺ׳ 1 Chronicles 2:55; 2 Chronicles 34:13; construct סֹפְרֵי Esther 3:12; Esther 8:9; —

a. enumerator, muster-officer in description of leaders of Israel משְׁכִים בְּשֵׁבֶט ס׳ Judges 5:14.

b. king's official = secretary 2 Samuel 8:17 = 2 Samuel 20:25 = 1 Chronicles 18:16; 2 Kings 18:18, 37 = Isaiah 36:3, 22; Solomon had two 1 Kings 4:3 (in all these distinguished from מַזְכִּיר); also 2 Kings 19:2 = Isaiah 37:2; Jeremiah 36:10, 12, compare לִשְׁכַּת הַסּ׳ Jeremiah 36:12; Jeremiah 36:20; Jeremiah 36:21, בֵּית הַסּ׳ Jeremiah 37:15, 20; acting as treasurer and paymaster 2 Kings 12:11 2 Chronicles 24:11, — compare Zadok Nehemiah 13:13; — 2 Kings 22:3, 8, 9, 10, 12 2 Chronicles 34:15; 34:18; 34:20; 1 Chronicles 24:6 (Levite); שַׂר הַצָּבָא הַסּ׳ 2 Kings 25:19 = Jeremiah 52:25 (si vera lectio in Kings) implies military authority (but שַׂר הַצּ׳ perhaps gloss GFM^{Judges 5:14}); Ew Sta and others read (as Jeremiah) scribe of general.

c. in Persia, secretaries who wrote out (king's) decrees, according to Esther 3:12; Esther 8:9.

d. 2 Chronicles 26:11 uses ס׳ for muster-officer; 1 Chronicles 2:55 mentions families of סוֺפְרִים; 2 Chronicles 34:13 knows ס׳ as Levites; ס׳ 1 Chronicles 27:32 = man of learning.

2. professional class of learned men, 'scribes' able to read and write Jeremiah 36:26, 32; with writing implements, מָהִיר עֵט ס׳ Psalm 45:2, קֶסֶת הַסּ׳ Ezekiel 9:2, 3, תַּעַר הַסּ׳ Jeremiah 36:23; especially learned in the law, and assuming to issue its precepts, עֵט שֶׁקֶר סֹפְרִים Jeremiah 8:8.

3. specifically of Ezra, at once priest (כֹּהֵן) and learned in the law (סֹפֵר), Ezra 7:11, בְרֵי מִצְוֺת י׳ Di ס׳ Ezra 7:11 [compare Aramaic Ezra 7:12; Ezra 7:21], מָהִיר בְּתוֺרֵת משֶׁה ס׳ Ezra 7:6; Nehemiah 8:1, 4, 9, 13; Nehemiah 12:26, 36.

See related Aramaic BDB entry H5613.

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