חֲפֹר (cha.phor)
cha.phor
mole
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun cha.phor refers to a mole, an animal known for its habit of digging through earth. In the biblical text, this creature is not described as blind or pitiable, but rather as a worker that moves beneath the surface, carving tunnels through the ground.
This word appears only once in the entire Old Testament, found in Isaiah 2:20. The context describes people hiding idols of silver and gold in the holes of rocks and the crags of cliffs to escape divine judgment. By comparing these hidden treasures to a mole’s burrow, the text emphasizes the secrecy and futility of trying to conceal false gods from God’s sight.
The imagery highlights the contrast between the dark, hidden places where idols are stored and the light of truth that exposes them. The mole serves as a metaphor for the desperate, underground retreat of those who reject divine authority, seeking refuge in places meant only for creatures of the earth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word cha.phor appears only once in Scripture, nestled within Isaiah’s warning about idolatry. It describes a mole, an animal that lives in the dark, digging tunnels beneath the earth. In this verse, people hide their silver and gold idols in rocky crevices, offering them to moles and bats. This image captures the shame of turning away from the living God to worship created things.
When we face judgment or fear, our instinct is often to hide. We may try to conceal our struggles, sins, or doubts in secret places, hoping no one will find them. But just as the mole’s burrow is a place of darkness and isolation, hiding from God only deepens our separation from His light. True peace comes not from concealment, but from coming into the open.
This passage invites us to examine what we might be trying to hide. Are there areas of our lives where we prefer the shadows? The good news is that God’s light exposes everything, not to condemn us, but to heal us. We can bring our hidden things into His presence, trusting that He offers forgiveness and restoration rather than rejection.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ [the] digging of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/חְפֹּ֥ר1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 2:20
In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats,
This verse uses the mole as a symbol of the degraded state of idols when they are cast aside in shame during divine judgment.