H5608B

סֹפֵר

so.pherH:N-M

secretary

1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe 1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary 1b) learned man, scribe Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)

Full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon entry

סָפַר₁₀₇ verb count, Pi`el recount, relate (probably ancient denominative from סֵפֶר; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Ethiopic measure Di⁴⁰⁴); —

Qal₂₇ Perfect 3 masculine singular ׳ס 2Sam 24:10, 2 masculine singular סָפַרְתָּה Ps 56:9, וְסָפַרְתָּ֫ Lev 25:8, etc.; Imperfect יִסְפֹּר Ps 87:6 + Job 38:37 where read probably יִסְפֹּר (Bu) for ᵑ0 יְסַפֵּר, יִסְפּוֺר Job 31:4, וַיִּסְפֹּר 2Chr 2:1; 2Chr 2:16, suffix וַיִּסְפְּרֵם Ezra 1:8 2 masculine singular תִּסְפֹּר Job 39:2, תִּסְפּוֺר Job 14:16, תִּסְפָּרֿ Deut 16:9, etc.; Imperative masculine singular סְפֹר Gen 15:5 masculine plural סִפְרוּ 1Chr 21:2; Ps 48:13 Infinitive construct לִסְפֹּר Gen 15:5 + 2 t.; Participle סֹפֵר Isa 33:18 (twice in verse) (see also סֹפֵר
n. below); —

1. count things, to learn their number, with accusative, Gen 15:5 (twice in verse) (J) 2Sam 24:10 + 10 t. (+ accusative of congnate meaning with verb 2Chr 2:16); accusative omitted Gen 41:49 (E); + ל (dativus commodi [dative of benefit] or ethicus [of interest]), Lev 15:13; Lev 15:28; Lev 23:15; Lev 25:8 (all PH), Deut 16:9; Ezek 44:26; Ezra 1:8; Ps 87:6; Isa 33:8 (absolute), vIsa 33:18 (but text suspicious, conjectures in Du Che^Hpt).

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

Niph`al Imperfect 3 masculine singular יִסָּפֵר Hos 2:1 + 4 t.; 3 masculine plural יִסָּֽפְרוּ 1Kgs 8:5; 2Chr 5:6, וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ 1Chr 23:3 — be counted, numbered usually with negative, to indicate multitude, מֵרֹב ׳לֹא יִסּ Gen 16:10 (J) it is not to be counted, for multitude, so Gen 32:13 (J), 1Kgs 3:8 (|| יִמָּנֶה לֹא), 1Kgs 8:5 (+ id.), 2Chr 5:6 (+ id.); compare Hos 2:1 (+ יִמַּד לֹאֿ), Jer 33:22 (|| לֹא יִמַּד); positively, only וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ הַלְּוִיִּם 1Chr 23:3.

Pi`el₆₇ Perfect 1 singular סִפַּ֫רְתִּי Ps 119:26, סִפַּ֑רְתִּי vPs 119:13 3 plural סִפְּרוּ Judg 6:13 + 3 t.; Imperfect 3 masculine singular יְסַפֵּר Job 38:37 +, 1 singular אֲסַפֵּר Ps 22:18 +; cohortative אֲסַפֵּ֑רָה Job 15:7 1 plural וַנְּסַפֶּרֿ Exod 10:2, etc.; Imperative סַפֵּר Isa 43:26, etc.; Infinitive construct (לְ) סַפֵּר Ps 50:16 + 5 t.; Participle מְסַפֵּר Judg 7:13; 2Kgs 8:5 plural מְסַפְּרִים Ps 19:2; Ps 78:4 — recount, rehearse, declare:

1. recount something (accusative) to (לְ person) Judg 6:13; Judg 7:13; Gen 24:66 (J), 1Sam 11:5 + 18 t. (of rehearsing glorious deeds of ׳י Ps 44:2; Ps 73:28; Ps 78:3; Ps 78:4; Ps 79:13); with accusative + בְּ local Ezek 12:16, elsewhere of rehearsing name or praise of ׳י Exod 9:16 (J) Ps 9:15; Ps 96:3 = 1Chr 16:24; Ps 102:22; Jer 51:10 with accusative alone Ps 9:2; Ps 19:2; Ps 119:13 (+ בְּ instrumental), Ps 145:6 + 8 t. Psalms + Isa 43:21, all of rehearsing praise of ׳י; compare עָֽצְמוּ מִסַּפֵּר Ps 40:6 they are too great to rehearse with accusative also Jer 23:28; Jer 23:32; Job 15:17; Job 28:27; Ps 119:26 accusative omitted Isa 43:26, with לְ person Gen 40:8 (E) + 6 t., with אֶלֿ person Gen 37:10 (E), with בְּאָזְנֵי Exod 10:2 with כְּמוֺ (q. v.) Ps 73:15 with אֶלֿ concerning Ps 2:7, compare Ps 69:27 ( ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Ew Ol Gr Bi Che Bae add; in that case read יֹסִ֑פוּ); with עַלֿ concerning + לְ person Joel 1:3.

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

3. count exactly, accurately אֲסַפֵּר כָּלעַֿצְמוֺתָ֑י Ps 22:18 I can count exactly all my bones (in wasted body). — Ps 40:6 see below 1, Job 38:37 read יִסְפֹּר.

Pu`al be recounted, related, rehearsed: Perfect 3 masculine singular סֻפַּר לְ Isa 52:15 Imperfect 3 masculine singular יְסֻפַּר לְ Job 37:20 (clause as subject), + לְ concerning Ps 22:31 with בְּ local Ps 88:12 absolute יְסֻפָּ֑ר Hab 1:5.

סֹפֵר, סוֺפֵר noun masculine^{Ps 45:2} enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe (properly participle of סָפַר; Aramaic סַפְרָא, id. compare doctus, literatus; O Aramaic ספרא id., Lzb³³⁰ Cook⁸⁵; Phoenician ספר Lzb³³⁰); — absolute סֹפֵר Judg 5:14 +, סוֺפֵר 2Sam 8:17 +; construct סֹפֵר 2Kgs 12:11 + 2 t., + Jer 52:25 (Gie GFM read ׳הַסּ as || 2Kgs 25:19); plural סֹפְרִים 1Kgs 4:3; Jer 8:8, ׳סוֺ 1Chr 2:55; 1Chr 34:13 construct סֹפְרֵי Esth 3:12; Esth 8:9 —

1. a. enumerator, muster-officer in description of leaders of Israel ׳משְׁכִים בְּשֵׁבֶט ס Judg 5:14.
b. king's official = secretary 2Sam 8:17 = 2Sam 20:25 = 1Chr 18:16; 2Kgs 18:18; 2Kgs 18:37 = Isa 36:3; Isa 36:22 Solomon had two 1Kgs 4:3 (in all these distinguished from מַזְכִּיר); also 2Kgs 19:2 = Isa 37:2; Jer 36:10; Jer 36:12, compare ׳לִשְׁכַּת הַסּ vJer 36:12 vJer 36:20 vJer 36:21, ׳בֵּית הַסּ Jer 37:15; Jer 37:20 acting as treasurer and paymaster 2Kgs 12:11 = 2Chr 24:11, — compare Zadok Neh 13:13 — 2Kgs 22:3; 2Kgs 22:8; 2Kgs 22:9; 2Kgs 22:10; 2Kgs 22:12 = 2Chr 34:15; 2Chr 34:18; 2Chr 34:20; 1Chr 24:6 (Levite); שַׂר הַצָּבָא ׳הַסּ 2Kgs 25:19 = Jer 52:25 (si vera lectio in Kings) implies military authority (but ׳שַׂר הַצּ perhaps gloss GFM^{Judg 5:14}); Ew Sta and others read (as Jeremiah) scribe of general.
c. in Persia, secretaries who wrote out (king's) decrees, according to Esth 3:12; Esth 8:9.
d. 2Chr 26:11 uses ׳ס for muster-officer; 1Chr 2:55 mentions families of סוֺפְרִים; 2Chr 34:13 knows ׳ס as Levites; ׳ס 1Chr 27:32 = man of learning.

2. professional class of learned men, 'scribes' able to read and write Jer 36:26; Jer 36:32 with writing implements, ׳מָהִיר עֵט ס Ps 45:2, ׳קֶסֶת הַסּ Ezek 9:2; Ezek 9:3, ׳תַּעַר הַסּ Jer 36:23 especially learned in the law, and assuming to issue its precepts, עֵט שֶׁקֶר סֹפְרִים Jer 8:8.

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

[סָפֵר] noun masculine secretary, scribe (ᵑ7 Syriac; Biblical Hebrew סֹפֵר); — emphatic סָֽפְרָא the secretary, Persian official, Ezra 4:8; Ezra 4:9; Ezra 4:17; Ezra 4:23 construct סָפַר the scribe Ezra 7:12; Ezra 7:21, of Ezra as learned in God's law.

43 occurrences

II Samuel (1), I Kings (1), II Kings (9), I Chronicles (3), II Chronicles (6), Ezra (2), Nehemiah (6), Isaiah (3), Jeremiah (10), Ezekiel (2)