כָּפָר (ka.phar)
ka.phar
Chephar
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun kaphar refers to a village or small settlement, appearing only twice in the Hebrew Bible. Its primary occurrence is in Joshua 18:24, where it identifies "Chephar-ha-ammoni," or the village of the Ammonites, as one of the towns allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. This brief mention helps locate a specific community within the broader geography of the promised land.
Lexical sources distinguish this term from its near-synonym kopher (H3724), which often carries connotations of ransom or atonement, though both words can denote a village. In the context of Joshua, kaphar functions simply as a geographical marker for a humble, rural dwelling place rather than a fortified city. The word’s limited usage underscores its role as a standard descriptor for smaller inhabited places in ancient Israelite society.
Its appearance in 1 Chronicles 8:7 further confirms its use as a proper noun component for settlements. By understanding kaphar as a basic unit of rural life, readers gain insight into the diverse landscape of tribal inheritances, ranging from major urban centers to modest villages like Chephar-ha-ammoni.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Chephar-ha-ammoni appears in Joshua 18:24 as one of the towns allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. This simple mention reminds us that God’s promises were not just for great cities or powerful leaders, but also for small communities and humble villages. Each place listed was part of a larger inheritance, showing that every location had a specific role in God’s plan for His people.
When we read about these settlements, we see how God cares for the details of daily life. The inclusion of Chephar-ha-ammoni highlights that even modest villages were valued and remembered in Scripture. This encourages us to trust that God sees and remembers every part of our lives, no matter how small they may seem.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ in the/ villages1×
- and/ Kephar1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/כְפַ֧ר1×
- וּ/בַ/כְּפָרִים֙1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 18:24
Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.
This verse lists Chephar-ha-ammoni as a specific town in Benjamin’s territory, showing how the word identifies a real place in God’s distribution of the land.
-
I Chronicles 27:25
Over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. Over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, in the villages, and in the towers was Jonathan the son of Uzziah;
Although this verse uses a different Hebrew word for villages, it reinforces the biblical pattern of acknowledging smaller settlements alongside major cities in administrative records.