2658. chaphar
Strong's Lexicon
chaphar: To dig, search, explore, or be ashamed

Original Word: חָפַּר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chaphar
Pronunciation: khaw-far'
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-far')
Definition: To dig, search, explore, or be ashamed
Meaning: to pry into, to delve, to explore

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Greek equivalent for "chaphar," the concept of digging or searching can be related to Greek words like "σκάπτω" (skapto - to dig) or "ἐρευνάω" (ereunao - to search, examine).

Usage: The Hebrew verb "chaphar" primarily means "to dig" or "to search." It is used in the context of digging physical structures such as wells or pits. Additionally, it can convey the idea of searching or exploring, often in a metaphorical sense. In some contexts, it also carries the connotation of being ashamed or confounded, reflecting a deeper emotional or spiritual searching or uncovering.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, digging wells was a crucial activity for survival, especially in arid regions. Wells provided essential water sources for people and livestock, and disputes over wells were common, as seen in the biblical narratives. The act of digging also symbolized exploration and discovery, both physically and spiritually. The metaphorical use of "chaphar" to mean being ashamed or confounded reflects the cultural understanding of uncovering one's inner self or being exposed.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to dig, search for
NASB Translation
76,500* (1), dig (2), digs (1), dug (11), hollowed (1), look around (1), paws (1), sank (1), search (3), spies (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. חָפַר verb dig, search for (Arabic id.; Aramaic חֲפַר, , id.; Late Hebrew חֵפֶר act of digging) —

Qal Perfect ׳ח Job 39:29; וְחָפַרְתָּ֫ Job 11:18; וְחָפַרְתָּ֫ה Deuteronomy 23:14; חָפַרְתִּי Genesis 21:30; חָֽפְרוּ Genesis 26:18 2t.; חָפָ֑רוּ Genesis 26:32; חֲפָרוּהָ Numbers 21:18; Imperfect וַיַּחְמֹּר Genesis 26:18,22; וַיַּחְמְּרֵהוּ Psalm 7:16; וָאֶחְמֹּר Jeremiah 13:7; יַחְמְּרוּ Job Job 39:21 (but read יַחְמֹּר so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 Di) Deuteronomy 1:22; וַיַּחְמְּרוּ Genesis 26:19 2t.; וַיַּחְמְּרֻהוּ Job 3:21; Infinitive construct לַחְמֹּר Joshua 2:2,3+ Isaiah 2:20 (compare below); Participle חֹפֵר Ecclesiastes 10:8; —

1 dig:

a. a well, with accusative בְּאֵר Genesis 21:30 (E), Genesis 26:15,18 (twice in verse); Genesis 26:19,21,22,32 (J), Numbers 21:18 (E); compare Exodus 7:24 (E); dig (a hole, implied as object) Deuteronomy 23:14; a pit, with hostile purpose, as snare or trap, figurative of malicious plan, with accusative בּוֺר Psalm 7:16 ("" כָּרָה); so with accusative גומץ Ecclesiastes 10:8, compare [שַׁחַת] לְנַפְשִׁי ׳ח Psalm 35:7; of horse, dig, i.e. paw the ground, יַחְמֹּר בָּעֵמֶק Job 39:21 (so read, see above) he paweth in the valley (compare Arabic hoof).

b. dig for something hidden, with accusative Job 3:21 (figurative of longing for death), Jeremiah 13:7 (no object expressed)

2 search, search out, explore, with accusative הָאָרֶץ Joshua 2:3 (twice in verse) (JE), Deuteronomy 1:22; of eagle, search for food, with accusative אֹכֶל ׳ח Job 39:29, with especially reference to keen vision ("" מֵרָחוֺק עֵינָיו יַבִּיטוּ); so = search or look carefully about before going to rest Job 11:18 (no object). — לַחְמֹּר Isaiah 2:20 see חֲפַרְמָּרָה below

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dig, paw, search out, seek

A primitive root; properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore -- dig, paw, search out, seek.

Forms and Transliterations
וְ֝חָפַרְתָּ֗ וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה וְיַחְפְּרוּ־ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַֽיַּחְפְּרוּ֙ וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ וַיַּחְפְּר֧וּ וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר ׀ וַיַּחְפֹּר֙ וָאֶחְפֹּ֗ר ואחפר וחפרת וחפרתה ויחפר ויחפרהו ויחפרו ויחפרו־ חֲפָר֣וּהָ חָֽפְרוּ֙ חָֽפַר־ חָפְר֥וּ חָפַ֖רְתִּי חָפָ֑רוּ חֹפֵ֥ר חפר חפר־ חפרו חפרוה חפרתי יַחְפְּר֣וּ יחפרו לַחְפֹּ֥ר לחפר chafar chaFarti chaFaru chafaRuha chafeRu choFer ḥā·p̄ā·rū ḥă·p̄ā·rū·hā ḥā·p̄ar- ḥā·p̄ar·tî ḥā·p̄ə·rū ḥāp̄ar- ḥāp̄artî ḥāp̄ārū ḥăp̄ārūhā ḥāp̄ərū ḥō·p̄êr ḥōp̄êr lachPor laḥ·pōr laḥpōr vaechPor vaiyachpeRehu vaiyachpeRu vaiyachpeRuhu vaiyachPor vechafarta vechafarTah veyachperu wā’eḥpōr wā·’eḥ·pōr way·yaḥ·pə·rê·hū way·yaḥ·pə·rū way·yaḥ·pə·ru·hū way·yaḥ·pōr wayyaḥpərêhū wayyaḥpərū wayyaḥpəruhū wayyaḥpōr wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tā wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tāh wə·yaḥ·pə·rū- wəḥāp̄artā wəḥāp̄artāh wəyaḥpərū- yachpeRu yaḥ·pə·rū yaḥpərū
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 21:30
HEB: לְעֵדָ֔ה כִּ֥י חָפַ֖רְתִּי אֶת־ הַבְּאֵ֥ר
NAS: that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this
KJV: they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
INT: witness for dug well likewise

Genesis 26:15
HEB: הַבְּאֵרֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י אָבִ֔יו
NAS: servants had dug in the days
KJV: servants had digged in the days
INT: the wells which had dug servants his father's

Genesis 26:18
HEB: וַיָּ֨שָׁב יִצְחָ֜ק וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר ׀ אֶת־ בְּאֵרֹ֣ת
NAS: Then Isaac dug again the wells
KJV: And Isaac digged again the wells
INT: again Isaac dug the wells of water

Genesis 26:18
HEB: הַמַּ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ בִּימֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם
NAS: which had been dug in the days
KJV: of water, which they had digged in the days
INT: of water which had been dug the days Abraham

Genesis 26:19
HEB: וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־ יִצְחָ֖ק
NAS: servants dug in the valley
KJV: servants digged in the valley,
INT: dug servants Isaac's

Genesis 26:21
HEB: וַֽיַּחְפְּרוּ֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת
NAS: Then they dug another well,
KJV: And they digged another well,
INT: dug well another

Genesis 26:22
HEB: וַיַּעְתֵּ֣ק מִשָּׁ֗ם וַיַּחְפֹּר֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת
NAS: from there and dug another
KJV: And he removed from thence, and digged another
INT: moved there and dug well another

Genesis 26:32
HEB: הַבְּאֵ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָפָ֑רוּ וַיֹּ֥אמְרוּ ל֖וֹ
NAS: which they had dug, and said
KJV: the well which they had digged, and said
INT: the well which had dug and said have found

Exodus 7:24
HEB: וַיַּחְפְּר֧וּ כָל־ מִצְרַ֛יִם
NAS: the Egyptians dug around
KJV: And all the Egyptians digged round about
INT: dug all Egyptian

Numbers 21:18
HEB: בְּאֵ֞ר חֲפָר֣וּהָ שָׂרִ֗ים כָּר֙וּהָ֙
NAS: which the leaders sank, Which the nobles
KJV: The princes digged the well,
INT: the well sank the leaders dug

Deuteronomy 1:22
HEB: אֲנָשִׁים֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ־ לָ֖נוּ אֶת־
NAS: before us, that they may search out the land
KJV: before us, and they shall search us out the land,
INT: men before may search the land and bring

Deuteronomy 23:13
HEB: בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ ח֔וּץ וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְשַׁבְתָּ֖
NAS: outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn
KJV: thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back
INT: sit outside shall dig and shall turn to cover

Joshua 2:2
HEB: מִבְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַחְפֹּ֥ר אֶת־ הָאָֽרֶץ׃
NAS: here tonight to search out the land.
KJV: of Israel to search out the country.
INT: the sons of Israel to search the land

Joshua 2:3
HEB: לְבֵיתֵ֔ךְ כִּ֛י לַחְפֹּ֥ר אֶת־ כָּל־
NAS: for they have come to search out all
KJV: for they be come to search out all the country.
INT: your house for to search all the land

Job 3:21
HEB: לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים׃
NAS: but there is none, And dig for it more than
KJV: for death, but it [cometh] not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
INT: death there and dig hidden

Job 11:18
HEB: יֵ֣שׁ תִּקְוָ֑ה וְ֝חָפַרְתָּ֗ לָבֶ֥טַח תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃
NAS: is hope; And you would look around and rest
KJV: hope; yea, thou shalt dig [about thee, and] thou shalt take thy rest
INT: there is hope look securely and rest

Job 39:21
HEB: יַחְפְּר֣וּ בָ֭עֵמֶק וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ
NAS: He paws in the valley, and rejoices
KJV: He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth
INT: paws the valley and rejoices

Job 39:29
HEB: מִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־ אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק
NAS: From there he spies out food;
KJV: From thence she seeketh the prey,
INT: there spies food afar

Psalm 7:15
HEB: בּ֣וֹר כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת
NAS: a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen
KJV: a pit, and digged it, and is fallen
INT: A pit has dug and hollowed fallen the hole

Psalm 35:7
HEB: רִשְׁתָּ֑ם חִ֝נָּ֗ם חָפְר֥וּ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃
NAS: for me; Without cause they dug a pit
KJV: [which] without cause they have digged for my soul.
INT: their net cause dug my soul

Ecclesiastes 10:8
HEB: חֹפֵ֥ר גּוּמָּ֖ץ בּ֣וֹ
NAS: He who digs a pit may fall
KJV: He that diggeth a pit shall fall
INT: digs A pit may fall

Jeremiah 13:7
HEB: וָאֵלֵ֣ךְ פְּרָ֔תָה וָאֶחְפֹּ֗ר וָֽאֶקַּח֙ אֶת־
NAS: to the Euphrates and dug, and I took
KJV: to Euphrates, and digged, and took
INT: went to the Euphrates and dug took the waistband

22 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2658
22 Occurrences


ḥā·p̄ar- — 1 Occ.
ḥā·p̄ar·tî — 1 Occ.
ḥā·p̄ā·rū — 1 Occ.
ḥă·p̄ā·rū·hā — 1 Occ.
ḥā·p̄ə·rū — 3 Occ.
ḥō·p̄êr — 1 Occ.
laḥ·pōr — 2 Occ.
wā·’eḥ·pōr — 1 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pə·rê·hū — 1 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pə·rū — 3 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pə·ru·hū — 1 Occ.
way·yaḥ·pōr — 2 Occ.
wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tā — 1 Occ.
wə·ḥā·p̄ar·tāh — 1 Occ.
wə·yaḥ·pə·rū- — 1 Occ.
yaḥ·pə·rū — 1 Occ.















2657
Top of Page
Top of Page