Word Study for H5609 (סְפַר) | Strong's Concordance

çᵉphar /sef-ar'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to סָפַר

Meaninga book

KJV usagebook, roll.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of çᵉphar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word çᵉphar, represented by H5609, translates to a book or roll. It appears 5 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. Its usage consistently points to written documents of significant authority, whether royal decrees, historical records, or divine books of judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H5609 is used in contexts of both royal administration and divine revelation. In Ezra, it is a key term for official documents. A search is ordered in the "house of the rolls" to find a decree Ezra 6:1, and a "book of the records" is consulted to determine the history of Jerusalem Ezra 4:15. It also refers to sacred texts, specifically the "book of Moses," which contains instructions for the service of God Ezra 6:18. In Daniel's vision, the term takes on an eschatological meaning, where "the books" are opened as part of a great judgment scene Daniel 7:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the function and nature of a çᵉphar:

H1799 dikrôwn (a register; record): This word specifies the content of a çᵉphar. In Ezra 4:15, a search is made in the "book of the records" to uncover historical information.
H3792 kᵉthâb (something written, i.e. a writing, record or book): This term describes the state of the content within a çᵉphar. The regulations for the service of God at Jerusalem are "as it is written in the book of Moses" Ezra 6:18.
H6606 pᵉthach (to open): This verb describes the action taken to access the contents of a çᵉphar. In Daniel's vision of judgment, the "books were opened" Daniel 7:10.
H1780 dîyn (judgement): This concept is closely linked to çᵉphar in a divine context. The heavenly scene in Daniel 7:10 shows that when the "judgement was set," the "books were opened."

Theological Significance

The word H5609 carries significant weight regarding authority, history, and judgment.

Vessel of Authority: A çᵉphar serves as a container for authoritative information, whether it is a royal decree Ezra 6:1, the legal and historical basis for a political decision Ezra 4:15, or the divine law found in the "book of Moses" Ezra 6:18.
Record of Accountability: The "book of the records" mentioned in Ezra 4:15 establishes a city's history of rebellion, showing that these documents serve as a basis for accountability.
Instrument of Divine Judgment: In its most profound use, the çᵉphar is an instrument of divine activity. The vision in Daniel 7:10, where "the judgement was set, and the books were opened," frames these records as central to God's final, cosmic judgment.

Summary

In summary, H5609 çᵉphar is more than a simple word for a book. It represents a formal, authoritative written record. From the administrative "house of the rolls" in Babylon to the sacred "book of Moses" and the heavenly books of judgment in Daniel's vision, çᵉphar signifies a document that preserves truth, establishes law, and serves as a basis for accountability before both kings and God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 5 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

סְפַר
סִפְרִין
סִפְרַיָּ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezra (3 verses); never once in the other 37.

Ezra

Daniel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.