חָפַר
châphar · khaw-far'
properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore
Lexicon
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore
- properly, to pry into
- by implication, to delve, to explore
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: dig, paw, search out, seek.
Letters
- חHet8
Picture: courtyard wall or enclosure
- Concrete
- wall · fence · tent wall
- Extended
- to separate · protection · the inside vs. the outside · private
- פPe80
Picture: an open mouth
- Concrete
- mouth · lips · teeth
- Extended
- to speak · a word · an edge or opening · to scatter speech
- רResh200
Picture: a human head
- Concrete
- head · face · person
- Extended
- first · top · beginning · chief · the highest
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to separate and protect › to speak, the word › the head, the highest
To separate and protect that works to speak, the word of the head, the highest.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of חָפַר above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
22 occurrences · 22 OT · 0 NT · 20 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- digged4 · 18%
- which they had digged2 · 9%
- to search out2 · 9%
- and digged2 · 9%
- unto me, that i have digged1 · 5%
- had digged1 · 5%
- and they digged1 · 5%
- from thence, and digged1 · 5%
- us, and they shall search us out1 · 5%
- thou shalt dig1 · 5%
- but it cometh not; and dig1 · 5%
- yea, thou shalt dig1 · 5%
- he paweth1 · 5%
- from thence she seeketh1 · 5%
- they have digged1 · 5%
- he that diggeth1 · 5%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.