STRONGS NUMBER H5608


Word Summary
saphar: to count, recount, relate
Original Word: סָפַר
Transliteration: saphar
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-far')
Part of Speech: verb; noun masculine
Short Definition: to count, recount, relate
Meaning: to count, recount, relate
Strong's 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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H5608. saphar

סָפַר107 verb count,

Pi`el recount, relate (probably ancient denominative from סֵפֶר‎; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Ethiopic measure Di404); —

Qal27 Perfect3masculine singular ׳ס2 Samuel 24:10, 2masculine singular סָפַרְתָּהPsalm 56:9, וְסָפַרְתָּ֫Leviticus 25:8, etc.; Imperfect יִסְמֹּרPsalm 87:6 + Job 38:37 where read probably יִסְמֹּר‎ (Bu) for יִסְמּוֺר יְסַמֵּר, ᵑ031:4, וַיִּסְמֹּר2 Chronicles 2:1; 2:16, suffix וַיִּסְמְּרֵםEzra 1:8; 2masculine singular תִּסְמֹּרJob 39:2, תִּסְמּוֺר14:16, תִּסְמָּרֿDeuteronomy 16:9, etc.; Imperative masculine singular סְפֹרGenesis 15:5; masculine plural סִפְרוּ1 Chronicles 21:2; Psalm 48:13; Infinitive construct לִסְמֹּרGenesis 15:5 2t.; Participle סֹפֵרIsaiah 33:18 (twice in verse) (see also סֹפֵרn. 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 2 Chronicles 2:16); accusative omitted Genesis 41:49 (E); + ל‎ (dativus commodi [dative of benefit] or ethicus [of interest]), Leviticus 15:13, 28; 23:15; 25:8 (all PH), Deuteronomy 16:9; Ezekiel 44:26; Ezra 1:8; Psalm 87:6; Isaiah 33:8 (absolute), 33:18 (but text suspicious, conjectures in Du CheHpt).

2 number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon: תִּסְמּוֺר צְעָדַיJob 14:16 of my steps thou takest account, so 31:4; see also 38:37 (compare above); סָפַרַתַּה נֹדִיPsalm 56:9 my wandering hast thou reckoned, taken into account (Che reads סִמַּרְתִּי‎ after ᵐ5‎).

Niph`al Imperfect3masculine singular יִסָּפֵרHosea 2:1 4t.; 3 masculine plural יִסָּֽפְרוּ1 Kings 8:5; 2 Chronicles 5:6, וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ1 Chronicles 23:3; — be counted, numbered usually with negative, to indicate multitude, יִסּ ׳לֹא מֵרֹבGenesis 16:10 (J) it is not to be counted, for multitude, so 32:13 (J), 1 Kings 3:8 ("" לֹא יִמָּנֶה‎), 8:5 (+ id.), 2 Chronicles 5:6 (+ id.); compare Hosea 2:1 (+ לֹאֿ יִמַּד‎), Jeremiah 33:22 ("" יִמַּד לֹא‎); positively, only הַלְּוִיִּם וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ1 Chronicles 23:3.

Pi`el67 Perfect1singular סִמַּ֫רְתִּיPsalm 119:26, סִמַּ֑רְתִּי119:13; 3plural סִמְּרוּJudges 6:13 3t.; Imperfect3masculine singular יְסַמֵּרJob 38:37 +, 1 singular אֲסַמֵּרPsalm 22:18 +; cohortative אֲסַמֵּ֑רָהJob 15:7; 1plural וַנְּסַמֶּרֿExodus 10:2, etc.; Imperative סַמֵּרIsaiah 43:26, etc.; Infinitive construct סַמֵּר (לְ)Psalm 50:16 5t.; Participle מְסַמֵּרJudges 7:13; 2 Kings 8:5; plural מְסַמְּרִיםPsalm 19:2; 78:4; — recount, rehearse, declare:

1 recount something (accusative) to (לְ‎ person) Judges 6:13; 7:13; Genesis 24:66 (J), 1 Samuel 11:5 18t. (of rehearsing glorious deeds of ׳יPsalm 44:2; 73:28; 78:3; 78:4; 79:13); with accusative + בְּ‎ local Ezekiel 12:16, elsewhere of rehearsing name or praise of ׳יExodus 9:16 (J) Psalm 9:15; 96:3 = 1 Chronicles 16:24; Psalm 102:22; Jeremiah 51:10; with accusative alone Psalm 9:2; 19:2; 119:13 (+ בְּ‎ instrumental), 145:6 8t. Psalms + Isaiah 43:21, all of rehearsing praise of ׳י‎; compare מִסַּמֵּר עָֽצְמוּPsalm 40:6 they are too great to rehearse with accusative also Jeremiah 23:28, 32; Job 15:17; 28:27; Psalm 119:26; accusative omitted Isaiah 43:26, with לְ‎ person Genesis 40:8 (E) + 6 t., with אֶלֿ‎ person 37:10 (E), with בְּאָזְנֵיExodus 10:2; with כְּמוֺ‎ (q. v.) Psalm 73:15; with אֶלֿconcerning 2:7, compare 69:27 ( ᵑ6 ᵐ5‎ Ew Ol Gr Bi Che Bae add; in that case read יֹסִ֑פוּ‎); with עַלֿconcerning + לְ‎ person Joel 1:3.

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

3 count exactly, accurately כָּלעַֿצְמוֺתָ֑י אֲסַמֵּרPsalm 22:18 I can count exactly all my bones (in wasted body). — 40:6 see below

1, Job 38:37 read יִסְמֹּר‎.

Pu`al be recounted, related, rehearsed: Perfect3masculine singular לְ סֻמַּרIsaiah 52:15; Imperfect3masculine singular לְ יְסֻמַּרJob 37:20 (clause as subject), + לְconcerning Psalm 22:31; with בְּ‎ local 88:12; absolute יְסֻמָּ֑רHabakkuk 1:5.

סוֺפֵר סֹפֵר,noun masculinePsalm 45:2 enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe (properly participle of סָפַר‎; Aramaic סַפְרָא‎, id. compare doctus, literatus; O Aramaic ספראid., Lzb330 Cook85; Phoenician ספר‎ Lzb330); — absolute סֹפֵרJudges 5:14 +, סוֺפֵר2 Samuel 8:17 +; construct סֹפֵר2 Kings 12:11 2t., + Jeremiah 52:25 (Gie GFM read ׳הַסּ‎ as "" 2 Kings 25:19); plural סֹפְרִים1 Kings 4:3; Jeremiah 8:8, ׳סוֺ1 Chronicles 2:55; 1Chron 34:13; construct סֹפְרֵיEsther 3:12; 8:9; —

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

b. king's official = secretary 2 Samuel 8:17 = 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 הַסּ ׳לִשְׁכַּת36:12; 36:20; 36:21, הַסּ ׳בֵּית37:15, 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); ׳הַסּ הַצָּבָא שַׂר2 Kings 25:19 = Jeremiah 52:25 (si vera lectio in Kings) implies military authority (but הַצּ ׳שַׂר‎ 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; 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; ׳ס1 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, ס עֵט ׳מָהִירPsalm 45:2, הַסּ ׳קֶסֶתEzekiel 9:2-3, הַסּ ׳תַּעַרJeremiah 36:23; especially learned in the law, and assuming to issue its precepts, סֹפְרִים שֶׁקֶר עֵט8:8.

3 specifically of Ezra, at once priest (כֹּהֵן‎) and learned in the law (סֹפֵר‎), Ezra 7:11, י מִצְוֺת ׳בְרֵי‎ Di ׳ס7:11 [compare Aramaic 7:12; 7:21], ׳ס משֶׁה בְּתוֺרֵת מָהִיר7:6; Nehemiah 8:1, 4, 9, 13; 12:26, 36.