H5608. saphar

סָפַר‎₁₀₇ verb count,

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

Qal₂₇ Perfect3masculine singular ׳ס‎ 2 Samuel 24:10, 2masculine singular סָפַרְתָּה‎ Psalm 56:9, וְסָפַרְתָּ֫‎ Leviticus 25:8, etc.; Imperfect יִסְמֹּר‎ Psalm 87:6 + Job 38:37 where read probably יִסְמֹּר‎ (Bu) for יִסְמּוֺר יְסַמֵּר, ᵑ0‎ 31:4, וַיִּסְמֹּר‎2 Chronicles 2:1; 2:16, suffix וַיִּסְמְּרֵם‎ Ezra 1:8; 2masculine singular תִּסְמֹּר‎ Job 39:2, תִּסְמּוֺר‎ 14:16, תִּסְמָּרֿ‎ Deuteronomy 16:9, etc.; Imperative masculine singular סְפֹר‎ Genesis 15:5; masculine plural סִפְרוּ‎ 1 Chronicles 21:2; Psalm 48:13; Infinitive construct לִסְמֹּר‎ Genesis 15:5 2t.; Participle סֹפֵר‎ Isaiah 33:18 (twice in verse) (see also סֹפֵר‎ n. below); —

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

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

Niph`al Imperfect3masculine singular יִסָּפֵר‎ Hosea 2:1 4t.; 3 masculine plural יִסָּֽפְרוּ‎ 1 Kings 8:5; 2 Chronicles 5:6, וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ‎ 1 Chronicles 23:3; — be counted, numbered usually with negative, to indicate multitude, יִסּ ׳לֹא מֵרֹב‎ Genesis 16:10 (J) it is not to be counted, for multitude, so 32:13 (J), 1 Kings 3:8 ("" לֹא יִמָּנֶה‎), 8:5 (+ id.), 2 Chronicles 5:6 (+ id.); compare Hosea 2:1 (+ לֹאֿ יִמַּד‎), Jeremiah 33:22 ("" יִמַּד לֹא‎); positively, only הַלְּוִיִּם וַיִּסָּֽפְרוּ‎ 1 Chronicles 23:3.

Pi`el₆₇ Perfect1singular סִמַּ֫רְתִּי‎ Psalm 119:26, סִמַּ֑רְתִּי‎ 119:13; 3plural סִמְּרוּ‎ Judges 6:13 3t.; Imperfect3masculine singular יְסַמֵּר‎ Job 38:37 +, 1 singular אֲסַמֵּר‎ Psalm 22:18 +; cohortative אֲסַמֵּ֑רָה‎ Job 15:7; 1plural וַנְּסַמֶּרֿ‎ Exodus 10:2, etc.; Imperative סַמֵּר‎ Isaiah 43:26, etc.; Infinitive construct סַמֵּר (לְ)‎ Psalm 50:16 5t.; Participle מְסַמֵּר‎ Judges 7:13; 2 Kings 8:5; plural מְסַמְּרִים‎ Psalm 19:2; 78:4; — recount, rehearse, declare:

1 recount something (accusative) to (לְ‎ person) Judges 6:13; 7:13; Genesis 24:66 (J), 1 Samuel 11:5 18t. (of rehearsing glorious deeds of ׳י‎ Psalm 44:2; 73:28; 78:3; 78:4; 79:13); with accusative + בְּ‎ local Ezekiel 12:16, elsewhere of rehearsing name or praise of ׳י‎ Exodus 9:16 (J) Psalm 9:15; 96:3 = 1 Chronicles 16:24; Psalm 102:22; Jeremiah 51:10; with accusative alone Psalm 9:2; 19:2; 119:13 (+ בְּ‎ instrumental), 145:6 8t. Psalms + Isaiah 43:21, all of rehearsing praise of ׳י‎; compare מִסַּמֵּר עָֽצְמוּ‎ Psalm 40:6 they are too great to rehearse with accusative also Jeremiah 23:28, 32; Job 15:17; 28:27; Psalm 119:26; accusative omitted Isaiah 43:26, with לְ‎ person Genesis 40:8 (E) + 6 t., with אֶלֿ‎ person 37:10 (E), with בְּאָזְנֵי‎ Exodus 10:2; with כְּמוֺ‎ (q. v.) Psalm 73:15; with אֶלֿ‎ concerning 2:7, compare 69:27 ( ᵑ6 ᵐ5‎ 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 Psalm 59:13; 64:6 (with ל‎ concerning), 73:15 (with כְּמוֺ‎).

3 count exactly, accurately כָּלעַֿצְמוֺתָ֑י אֲסַמֵּר‎ Psalm 22:18 I can count exactly all my bones (in wasted body). — 40:6 see below

1, Job 38:37 read יִסְמֹּר‎.

Pu`al be recounted, related, rehearsed: Perfect3masculine singular לְ סֻמַּר‎ Isaiah 52:15; Imperfect3masculine singular לְ יְסֻמַּר‎ Job 37:20 (clause as subject), + לְ‎ concerning Psalm 22:31; with בְּ‎ local 88:12; absolute יְסֻמָּ֑ר‎ Habakkuk 1:5.

סוֺפֵר סֹפֵר,‎ noun masculine^{Psalm 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 Judges 5:14 +, סוֺפֵר‎ 2 Samuel 8:17 +; construct סֹפֵר‎ 2 Kings 12:11 2t., + Jeremiah 52:25 (Gie GFM read ׳הַסּ‎ as "" 2 Kings 25:19); plural סֹפְרִים‎ 1 Kings 4:3; Jeremiah 8:8, ׳סוֺ‎ 1 Chronicles 2:55; 1Chron 34:13; construct סֹפְרֵי‎ Esther 3:12; 8:9; —

1. a. enumerator, muster-officer in description of leaders of Israel ס בְּשֵׁבֶט ׳משְׁכִים‎ Judges 5:14.

b. king's official = secretary 2 Samuel 8:17 = 20:25 = 1 Chronicles 18:16; 2 Kings 18:18, 37 = Isaiah 36:3, 22; Solomon had two 1 Kings 4:3 (in all these distinguished from מַזְכִּיר‎); also 2 Kings 19:2 = Isaiah 37:2; Jeremiah 36:10, 12, compare הַסּ ׳לִשְׁכַּת‎ 36:12; 36:20; 36:21, הַסּ ׳בֵּית‎ 37:15, 20; acting as treasurer and paymaster 2 Kings 12:11 2 Chronicles 24:11, — compare Zadok Nehemiah 13:13; — 2 Kings 22:3, 8, 9, 10, 12 2 Chronicles 34:15; 34:18; 34:20; 1 Chronicles 24:6 (Levite); ׳הַסּ הַצָּבָא שַׂר‎ 2 Kings 25:19 = Jeremiah 52:25 (si vera lectio in Kings) implies military authority (but הַצּ ׳שַׂר‎ perhaps gloss GFM^{Judges 5:14}); Ew Sta and others read (as Jeremiah) scribe of General.

c. in Persia, secretaries who wrote out (king's) decrees, according to Esther 3:12; 8:9.

d.2 Chronicles 26:11 uses ׳ס‎ for muster-officer; 1 Chronicles 2:55 mentions families of סוֺפְרִים‎; 2 Chronicles 34:13 knows ׳ס‎ as Levites; ׳ס‎ 1 Chronicles 27:32 = man of learning.

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

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