Strong's Lexicon saphar: To count, recount, relate, declare, tell Original Word: ספר Word Origin: A primitive root Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G5585 (ψηφίζω, psephizo) - to count, calculate - G3056 (λόγος, logos) - word, speech, account Usage: The Hebrew verb "saphar" primarily means to count or number, but it also extends to recounting or relating information, often in the sense of declaring or telling a story. It is used in various contexts, from the literal counting of objects or people to the figurative recounting of events or declaring God's works. Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Israelite culture, counting and recounting were significant activities. Census-taking was essential for organizing tribes and armies, as seen in the book of Numbers. Storytelling was a vital part of preserving history and religious teachings, often done orally. The act of recounting God's deeds was a form of worship and remembrance, reinforcing communal identity and faith. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origindenominative verb from sepher Definition to count, recount, relate NASB Translation assigned (1), count (17), counted (6), counts (2), declare (6), declared (2), elapse (1), measuring (1), number (3), numbered (5), proclaim (1), recount (1), recounted (3), relate (3), related (9), relating (2), speak (1), state (1), surely (1), taken (1), taken account (1), talk (1), tell (23), telling (1), told (15), utter (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סָפַר107 verb count, Pi`el recount, relate (probably ancient denominative from סֵפֶר; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Ethiopic Qal27 Perfect3masculine singular ׳ס 2 Samuel 24:10, 2masculine singular סָפַרְתָּה Psalm 56:9, וְסָפַרְתָּ֫ Leviticus 25:8, etc.; Imperfect יִסְמֹּר Psalm 87:6 + Job 38:37 where read probably יִסְמֹּר (Bu) for ᵑ0 יְסַמֵּר, יִסְמּוֺר Job 31:4, וַיִּסְמֹּר2Chron 2:1; 2 Chronicles 2:16, suffix וַיִּסְמְּרֵם Ezra 1:8; 2masculine singular תִּסְמֹּר Job 39:2, תִּסְמּוֺר Job 14:16, תִּסְמָּרֿ Deuteronomy 16:9, etc.; Imperative masculine singular סְפֹר Genesis 15:5; masculine plural סִפְרוּ 1 Chronicles 21:2; Psalm 48:13; Infinitive construct לִסְמֹּר Genesis 15:5 2t.; 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 10t. (+ accusative of congnate meaning with verb 2Chron 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 CheHpt). 2 number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon: צְעָדַי תִּסְמּוֺר 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 סִמַּרְתִּי after ᵐ5). Niph`al Imperfect3masculine singular יִסָּפֵר Hosea 2:1 4t.; 3 masculine plural יִסָּֽפְרוּ 1 Kings 8:5; 2Chronicles 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`el67 Perfect1singular סִמַּ֫רְתִּי Psalm 119:26, סִמַּ֑רְתִּי Psalm 119:13; 3plural סִמְּרוּ Judges 6:13 3t.; Imperfect3masculine singular יְסַמֵּר Job 38:37 +, 1 singular אֲסַמֵּר Psalm 22:18 +; cohortative אֲסַמֵּ֑רָה Job 15:7; 1plural וַנְּסַמֶּרֿ Exodus 10:2, etc.; Imperative סַמֵּר Isaiah 43:26, etc.; Infinitive construct (לְ) סַמֵּר Psalm 50:16 5t.; Participle מְסַמֵּר Judges 7:13; 2 Kings 8:5; plural מְסַמְּרִים 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 18t. (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 8t. Psalms + Isaiah 43:21, all of rehearsing praise of ׳י; compare עָֽצְמוּ מִסַּמֵּר Psalm 40:6 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 t., with אֶלֿ person Genesis 37:10 (E), with בְּאָזְנֵי Exodus 10:2; with כְּמוֺ (q. v.) Psalm 73:15; with אֶלֿ concerning Psalm 2:7, compare Psalm 69:27 ( ᵐ5 ᵑ6 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 אֲסַמֵּר כָּלעַֿצְמוֺתָ֑י Psalm 22:18 I can count exactly all my bones (in wasted body). — Psalm 40:6 see below 1, Job 38:37 read יִסְמֹּר. Pu`al be recounted, related, rehearsed: Perfect3masculine singular סֻמַּר לְ Isaiah 52:15; Imperfect3masculine singular יְסֻמַּר לְ Job 37:20 (clause as subject), + לְ concerning Psalm 22:31; with בְּ local Psalm 88:12; absolute יְסֻמָּ֑ר Habakkuk 1:5. סֹפֵר, סוֺפֵר noun masculinePsalm 45:2 enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe (properly participle of סָפַר; Aramaic סַפְרָא, 1. 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 2Chronicles 24:11, — compare Zadok Nehemiah 13:13; — 2 Kings 22:3,8,9,10,12 2Chron 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 GFMJudges 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.2Chronicles 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. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance commune, account; declare, number, penknife, reckon, scribe, show forth, speak, 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. Forms and Transliterations אֲ֝סַפְּרָ֗ה אֲסַפְּרֶֽנָּה׃ אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה אֲסַפְּרָ֣ה אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה אֲסַפֵּ֥ר אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם אספר אספרה אספרם אספרנה׃ הַֽיְסֻפַּר־ הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר הַסֹּפֵ֑ר הַסֹּפֵ֔ר הַסֹּפֵ֖ר הַסֹּפֵ֗ר הַסֹּפֵ֜ר הַסֹּפֵ֡ר הַסֹּפֵר֒ הַסֹּפֵר֙ הַסּוֹפֵ֔ר הַסּוֹפֵ֖ר הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר הַסּוֹפֵ֜ר הַסּוֹפֵֽר׃ הַסּוֹפֵר֙ היספר היספר־ הסופר הסופר׃ הספר וְסָ֥פְרָה וְסָ֨פַר וְסָפַרְתָּ֣ וְסוֹפֵ֖ר וִֽיסַפְּר֖וּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ וַ֝אֲסַפֵּ֗ר וַ֭אֲסַפְּרָה וַֽיְסַפְּר֖וּם וַֽיְסַפְּרָ֑הּ וַֽיְסַפְּרוּם֙ וַֽיִּסְפְּרֵם֙ וַאֲסַפֵּֽרָה׃ וַיְסַ֨פְּרוּ־ וַיְסַפְּרוּ־ וַיְסַפֵּ֣ר וַיְסַפֵּ֤ר וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר וַיְסַפֵּ֧ר וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר וַיְסַפֶּר־ וַיִּסְפֹּ֣ר וַיִּסְפֹּ֨ר וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ֙ וַנְּ֨סַפֶּר־ וַתְּסַפֶּר־ וּ֝לְסַפֵּ֗ר וּנְסַפְּרָ֣ה וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם וּסְפֹר֙ ואספר ואספרה ואספרה׃ ויספר ויספר־ ויספרה ויספרו ויספרו־ ויספרום ויספרם ולספר ונספר־ ונספרה וסופר וספר וספרה וספרת וספרתם ותספר־ יְֽ֭סַפְּרוּ יְסַפְּר֖וּ יְסַפְּר֜וּ יְסַפֵּ֣ר יְסַפֵּ֬ר יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃ יְסֻפַּ֖ר יְסֻפָּֽר׃ יִ֭סְפֹּר יִסְפְּרוּ־ יִסְפּֽוֹר׃ יִסָּפְר֛וּ יִסָּפֵ֑ר יִסָּפֵ֖ר יִסָּפֵר֙ יספור׃ יספר יספר׃ יספרו יספרו־ יספרו׃ לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר לְסַפֵּ֣ר לִסְפֹּ֔ר לִסְפֹּ֖ר לִסְפֹּ֣ר לספר מְֽ֭סַפְּרִים מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים מְסַפֵּ֣ר מְסַפֵּ֥ר מִסַּפֵּֽר׃ מספר מספר׃ מספרים נְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר נספר סְפַרְתֶּ֑ם סְפָרָ֖ם סִ֝פְּר֗וּ סִ֝פְר֗וּ סִ֭פַּרְתִּי סִפְּרוּ־ סִפְרוּ֙ סִפַּ֑רְתִּי סַפְּר֣וּ סַפְּר֤וּ סַפְּרָה־ סַפְּרוּ־ סַפֵּ֑רוּ סַפֵּ֥ר סָפַ֣ר סָפַ֪רְתָּ֫ה סֹפְרִ֑ים סֹפְרִֽים׃ סֹפְרִים֙ סֹפְרֵ֨י סֹפְרֵֽי־ סֹפֵ֑ר סֹפֵ֞ר סֹפֵ֤ר סֹפֵ֥ר סֹפֵֽר׃ סֹפֵר֙ סֻפַּ֤ר סוֹפְרִ֥ים סוֹפֵ֤ר סוֹפֵ֬ר סוֹפֵֽר׃ סופר סופר׃ סופרים ספר ספר׃ ספרה־ ספרו ספרו־ ספרי ספרי־ ספרים ספרים׃ ספרם ספרתה ספרתי ספרתם תְּ֝סַפְּר֗וּ תְּסַפֵּר֩ תִּסְפְּר֖וּ תִּסְפָּר־ תִּסְפֹּ֣ר תִּסְפּ֑וֹר תספור תספר תספר־ תספרו ’ă·sap·pə·rāh ’ă·sap·pə·ren·nāh ’ă·sap·pêr ’ăsappêr ’ăsappərāh ’ăsappərennāh ’es·pə·rêm ’espərêm asapPer asappeRah asappeRennah Esperem has·sō·p̄êr has·sō·w·p̄êr hassoFer hassōp̄êr hassōwp̄êr hay·sup·par hay·sup·par- haysuppar haysuppar- lə·sap·pêr lesapPer ləsappêr lis·pōr lisPor lispōr mə·sap·pə·rîm mə·sap·pêr mesapPer məsappêr mesappeRim məsappərîm mis·sap·pêr missapPer missappêr nə·sap·pêr nesapPer nəsappêr sā·p̄ar sā·p̄ar·tāh saFar saFarTah sap·pə·rāh- sap·pê·rū sap·pə·rū sap·pə·rū- sap·pêr sāp̄ar sāp̄artāh sapPer sappêr sapperah sappərāh- sapperu sappêrū sappərū sappərū- sə·p̄ā·rām sə·p̄ar·tem sefaRam sefarTem səp̄ārām səp̄artem sifRu sip·par·tî sip·pə·rū sip·pə·rū- sip̄·rū sipParti sippartî sipperu sippərū sippərū- sip̄rū sō·p̄ə·rê sō·p̄ə·rê- sō·p̄ə·rîm sō·p̄êr sō·w·p̄êr sō·wp̄·rîm soFer sofeRei sofeRim sofRim sōp̄êr sōp̄ərê sōp̄ərê- sōp̄ərîm sōwp̄êr sōwp̄rîm sup·par suppar tə·sap·pə·rū tə·sap·pêr tesapPer təsappêr tesappeRu təsappərū tis·pār- tis·pə·rū tis·pō·wr tis·pōr tispār- tispeRu tispərū tispor tispōr tispōwr ū·lə·sap·pêr ū·nə·sap·pə·rāh ū·sə·p̄ar·tem ū·sə·p̄ōr ulesapPer ūləsappêr unesappeRah ūnəsappərāh usefarTem useFor ūsəp̄artem ūsəp̄ōr vaasapPer vaasapPerah vaiyispeRem vaiyisPor vaiyissafeRu vanNesapper vattesapper vaysapPer vaysappeRah vaysapperu vaysappeRum veSafar vesafarTa veSaferah vesoFer visappeRu wa’ăsappêr wa’ăsappêrāh wa’ăsappərāh wa·’ă·sap·pê·rāh wa·’ă·sap·pə·rāh wa·’ă·sap·pêr wan·nə·sap·per- wannəsapper- wat·tə·sap·per- wattəsapper- way·sap·pə·rāh way·sap·pə·rū- way·sap·pə·rūm way·sap·pêr way·sap·per- way·yis·pə·rêm way·yis·pōr way·yis·sā·p̄ə·rū waysappêr waysapper- waysappərāh waysappərū- waysappərūm wayyispərêm wayyispōr wayyissāp̄ərū wə·sā·p̄ar wə·sā·p̄ar·tā wə·sā·p̄ə·rāh wə·sō·w·p̄êr wəsāp̄ar wəsāp̄artā wəsāp̄ərāh wəsōwp̄êr wî·sap·pə·rū wîsappərū yə·sap·pê·rū yə·sap·pə·rū yə·sap·pêr yə·sup·par yə·sup·pār yesapPer yəsappêr yesapPeru yəsappêrū yəsappərū yesupPar yəsuppar yəsuppār yis·pə·rū- yis·pō·wr yis·pōr yis·sā·p̄ə·rū yis·sā·p̄êr yisperu yispərū- yisPor yispōr yispōwr yissaFer yissafeRu yissāp̄êr yissāp̄ərūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 15:5 HEB: נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־ NAS: toward the heavens, and count the stars, KJV: now toward heaven, and tell the stars, INT: Now the heavens and count the stars if Genesis 15:5 Genesis 16:10 Genesis 24:66 Genesis 29:13 Genesis 32:12 Genesis 37:9 Genesis 37:10 Genesis 40:8 Genesis 40:9 Genesis 41:8 Genesis 41:12 Genesis 41:49 Exodus 9:16 Exodus 10:2 Exodus 18:8 Exodus 24:3 Leviticus 15:13 Leviticus 15:28 Leviticus 23:15 Leviticus 23:16 Leviticus 25:8 Numbers 13:27 Deuteronomy 16:9 Deuteronomy 16:9 161 Occurrences |
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measure Di404); — 
id. compare 
doctus, literatus; O Aramaic ספרא id., Lzb330 Cook85; Phoenician ספר Lzb330); — absolute סֹפֵר 
