כָּפָן (ka.phan)
ka.phan
famine
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun kaphan describes a state of severe hunger or famine, carrying a sense of acute physical distress. Unlike general terms for lack of food, this word emphasizes the painful, pressing nature of starvation. It appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both within the book of Job, highlighting its association with extreme suffering rather than everyday scarcity.
In Job 5:22 and 36:12, the term underscores the vulnerability of those who face divine judgment or calamity. The context suggests a hunger that is not merely empty but tormenting, reflecting the total deprivation experienced by the righteous sufferer. This usage distinguishes it from milder words for want, pointing instead to a crisis where survival itself is at stake.
Translators often render kaphan as "famine" or "hunger," depending on whether the context implies widespread disaster or individual agony. Its rarity in Scripture gives it weight, marking moments of profound desperation. The word serves as a stark reminder of human fragility when resources vanish completely.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kaphan describes a hunger that goes beyond simple appetite. It refers to a severe, pressing famine where survival itself is at stake. In the book of Job, this term highlights extreme suffering and total deprivation. It reminds us that human strength fails when resources vanish completely.
When you face seasons of deep distress, this word offers a sobering perspective on vulnerability. It shows that even the righteous may encounter crises where basic needs are unmet. Yet, the context in Job also points to God's ultimate sovereignty over such calamities.
This rare term invites trust when circumstances seem hopeless. It acknowledges the reality of pain while pointing toward a Creator who remains present in the midst of scarcity. Your faith can hold space for both the heaviness of struggle and the hope of divine provision.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ to/ famine1×
- and/ in/ hunger1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/לְ/כָפָ֣ן1×
- וּ/בְ/כָפָ֗ן1×
Key Verses
-
Job 5:22
You will laugh at destruction and famine, neither will you be afraid of the animals of the earth.
This verse uses kaphan to show that trust in God brings confidence even when facing severe famine, as the speaker claims they will not fear such destruction.
-
Job 30:3
They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
Here kaphan describes the agonizing physical state of those who are gaunt and gnawing at dry ground, illustrating the desperate reality of extreme hunger.