כָּפִיס (ka.phis)
ka.phis
rafter
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun kaphis appears only once in the entire Bible, in Habakkuk 2:11, where it refers to a structural beam within a house. Lexicons describe it as a technical term for a specific type of timber, likely a rafter or a girder that supports the roof structure.
Because this word is so rare, its precise definition remains uncertain. Scholars generally agree it denotes a load-bearing element of a building, but they cannot definitively distinguish whether it refers to a horizontal beam or an inclined support. Its solitary usage suggests it was a common architectural term in the ancient Near East that fell out of general use by the time Habakkuk wrote.
The verse places this structural component in a striking theological context: stones and timber themselves are said to cry out against injustice. By using a word for a foundational building element, the text emphasizes that even the most ordinary, silent parts of human construction bear witness to moral truth when society violates it.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kaphis appears only once in Scripture, found in Habakkuk 2:11. It describes a rafter or timber beam that supports a roof. In this verse, the prophet declares that even these silent structural elements will cry out against injustice. This imagery suggests that our work and construction are never morally neutral. When we build with dishonesty or exploit others, the very materials of our lives bear witness to that wrong.
For your faith, this offers a sobering reminder that integrity matters in the hidden parts of life. Just as a rafter holds up a house, your character supports your spiritual foundation. You do not need to seek dramatic signs to know God is watching; He sees the beams you lay in secret. Let this encourage you to build your life on truth, knowing that God honors honesty even when no one else is looking.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ a rafter1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/כָפִ֖יס1×
Key Verses
-
Habakkuk 2:11
For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it.
This verse uniquely personifies the kaphis as a witness that answers against human wickedness, linking physical construction to moral accountability.