What does כְּפִיר (kĕpiyr) mean in the Bible?
כְּפִיר (kĕpiyr): Two distinct meanings share one root: young lion dominates biblical usage; village sense rare and archaic.
Hebrew · H3715
כְּפִיר
A village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane)
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כְּפִירH3715
Pronunciationkĕpiyr
What does כְּפִיר (kĕpiyr) mean in the Bible?
כְּפִיר (kĕpiyr): Two distinct meanings share one root: young lion dominates biblical usage; village sense rare and archaic.
Full entry for כְּפִיר (H3715) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3715?
The BSB source-word alignment has 32 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a young lion (4), of the young lions (3), The young lions (3), like a young lion (2), like young lions (2).
Where does כְּפִיר (kĕpiyr) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Judges 14:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (7), Psalms (6), Isaiah (3), Jeremiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Ita young lion4×Judges 14:5, Ezekiel 19:3, Ezekiel 19:5, Ezekiel 19:6
of the young lions3×Job 4:10, Nahum 2:11, Zechariah 11:3
The young lions3×Psalms 104:21, Jeremiah 2:15, Ezekiel 19:2
like a young lion2×Psalms 17:12, Micah 5:8
like young lions2×Isaiah 5:29, Jeremiah 51:38
of a lion2×Proverbs 19:12, Proverbs 20:2
a lion1×Ezekiel 32:2
and like a young lion1×Hosea 5:14
and young lion1×Isaiah 11:6
as a lion1×Proverbs 28:1
Does a young lion1×Amos 3:4
from these lions1×Psalms 35:17
in [one of] the villages1×Nehemiah 6:2
its villages1×Ezekiel 38:13
like a lion1×Jeremiah 25:38
of a young lion1×Ezekiel 41:19
of the lions1×Psalms 58:6
of young lions1×Job 38:39
or a young lion1×Isaiah 31:4
the young lion1×Psalms 91:13
Young lions1×Psalms 34:10
your young lions1×Nahum 2:13
Show sample aligned rows
Judges 14:5כְּפִ֣ירtoa young lionNoun - masculine singular constructNehemiah 6:2בַּכְּפִירִ֖יםtoin [one of] the villagesPreposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralJob 4:10כְפִירִ֣יםtoof the young lionsNoun - masculine pluralJob 38:39כְּפִירִ֣יםtoof young lionsNoun - masculine pluralPsalms 17:12וְ֝כִכְפִ֗ירtolike a young lionConjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singularPsalms 34:10כְּ֭פִירִיםtoYoung lionsNoun - masculine pluralPsalms 35:17מִ֝כְּפִירִ֗יםtofrom these lionsPreposition-m | Noun - masculine pluralPsalms 58:6כְּ֝פִירִ֗יםtoof the lionsNoun - masculine pluralPsalms 91:13כְּפִ֣ירtothe young lionNoun - masculine singularPsalms 104:21הַ֭כְּפִירִיםtoThe young lionsArticle | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowJudges 14:5
Aligned rows32
Books represented13
Judges1Nehemiah1Job2Psalms6Proverbs3Isaiah3Jeremiah3Ezekiel7Hosea1Amos1Micah1Nahum2Zechariah1
Source forms
כְּפִ֣יר4xkə·p̄îrJudges 14:5, Psalms 91:13, Ezekiel 19:3, Ezekiel 19:6
כַּ֭כְּפִיר2xkak·kə·p̄îrProverbs 19:12, Proverbs 20:2
כְּפִ֥יר2xkə·p̄îrEzekiel 19:5, Ezekiel 32:2
בַּכְּפִירִ֖ים1xbak·kə·p̄î·rîmNehemiah 6:2
הַ֭כְּפִירִים1xhak·kə·p̄î·rîmPsalms 104:21
וְהַכְּפִ֜יר1xwə·hak·kə·p̄îrIsaiah 31:4
וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר1xwə·ḵiḵ·p̄îrPsalms 17:12
וְכַכְּפִ֖יר1xwə·ḵak·kə·p̄îrHosea 5:14
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine plural7xJob 4:10, Job 38:39, Psalms 34:10, Psalms 58:6
Noun - masculine singular6xPsalms 91:13, Ezekiel 19:3, Ezekiel 19:5, Ezekiel 19:6
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular3xProverbs 19:12, Proverbs 20:2, Jeremiah 25:38
Noun - masculine singular construct2xJudges 14:5, Ezekiel 32:2
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular2xProverbs 28:1, Micah 5:8
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural2xIsaiah 5:29, Jeremiah 51:38
Article | Noun - masculine plural1xPsalms 104:21
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular1xNahum 2:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Two distinct meanings share one root: young lion dominates biblical usage; village sense rare and archaic.
Source Gloss
a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Two distinct meanings share one root: young lion dominates biblical usage; village sense rare and archaic.
a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane) BDB: young lion Usage: (young) lion, village. Compare 3723.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Young lions roaring together, depicting fierce animals in their strength and ferocity
King's wrath compared to young lion's roar, metaphor for terrifying and destructive anger
Fear of king's anger likened to young lion's roar, demonstrating power and authority
Righteous person bold as young lion, illustrating courage and fearlessness in moral character
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 32 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כְּפִיר is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.