What does כֹּפֶר (kōper) mean in the Bible?
כֹּפֶר (kōper): Ransom-price that covers or atones for sin; literal covering substance becomes metaphor for expiation.
Hebrew · H3724
כֹּפֶר
Properly, a cover , i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-price
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כֹּפֶר H3724
Pronunciation kōper
What does כֹּפֶר (kōper) mean in the Bible?
כֹּפֶר (kōper): Ransom-price that covers or atones for sin; literal covering substance becomes metaphor for expiation.
Full entry for כֹּפֶר (H3724) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3724?
The BSB source-word alignment has 17 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a ransom (3), his ransom (2), [become] a ransom (1), [for] your ransom (1), a bribe (1).
Where does כֹּפֶר (kōper) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 6:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (3), 1 Samuel (2), Exodus (2), Job (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It a ransom 3× Exodus 30:12, Numbers 35:31, Numbers 35:32
his ransom 2× Job 33:24, Psalms 49:7
[become] a ransom 1× Proverbs 21:18
[for] your ransom 1× Isaiah 43:3
a bribe 1× 1 Samuel 12:3
bribe 1× Job 36:18
bribes 1× Amos 5:12
may ransom 1× Proverbs 13:8
of henna blossoms 1× Song Of Solomon 1:14
payment 1× Exodus 21:30
ransom 1× Proverbs 6:35
villages 1× 1 Samuel 6:18
with henna 1× Song Of Solomon 4:13
with pitch 1× Genesis 6:14
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 6:14 בַּכֹּֽפֶר׃ to with pitch Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 21:30 כֹּ֖פֶר to payment Noun - masculine singular Exodus 30:12 כֹּ֧פֶר to a ransom Noun - masculine singular construct Numbers 35:31 כֹ֙פֶר֙ to a ransom Noun - masculine singular Numbers 35:32 כֹ֔פֶר to a ransom Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 6:18 כֹּ֣פֶר to villages Noun - masculine singular construct 1 Samuel 12:3 כֹ֔פֶר to a bribe Noun - masculine singular Job 33:24 כֹֽפֶר׃ to his ransom Noun - masculine singular Job 36:18 כֹּ֝֗פֶר to bribe Noun - masculine singular Psalms 49:7 כָּפְרֽוֹ׃ to his ransom Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 6:14
Aligned rows 17
Books represented 10
Genesis 1 Exodus 2 Numbers 2 1 Samuel 2 Job 2 Psalms 1 Proverbs 3 Song Of Solomon 2 Isaiah 1 Amos 1
Source forms
כֹ֔פֶר 3x ḵō·p̄er Numbers 35:32, 1 Samuel 12:3, Amos 5:12
כֹּ֣פֶר 3x kō·p̄er 1 Samuel 6:18, Proverbs 13:8, Proverbs 21:18
בַּכֹּֽפֶר׃ 1x bak·kō·p̄er Genesis 6:14
הַכֹּ֤פֶר׀ 1x hak·kō·p̄er Song Of Solomon 1:14
כֹ֙פֶר֙ 1x ḵō·p̄er Numbers 35:31
כֹּ֖פֶר 1x kō·p̄er Exodus 21:30
כֹּ֧פֶר 1x kō·p̄er Exodus 30:12
כֹּ֝֗פֶר 1x kō·p̄er Job 36:18
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 9x Exodus 21:30, Numbers 35:31, Numbers 35:32, 1 Samuel 12:3
Noun - masculine singular construct 3x Exodus 30:12, 1 Samuel 6:18, Proverbs 13:8
Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Song Of Solomon 1:14
Noun - masculine plural 1x Song Of Solomon 4:13
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 43:3
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 49:7
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x Genesis 6:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Ransom-price that covers or atones for sin; literal covering substance becomes metaphor for expiation.
Source Gloss
properly, a cover , i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-price
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Ransom-price that covers or atones for sin; literal covering substance becomes metaphor for expiation.
properly, a cover, i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-price BDB: pitch Usage: bribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village.
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
Price paid to redeem or secure one's life from danger or death
Substitute payment or compensation offered in place of another person
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 17 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כֹּפֶר 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.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain