Strong's Definition
properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate
Derivation: a primitive root;
KJV Usage: commune, (ac-) count; declare, number, [phrase] penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.
TWOT Reference: 1540,c
Outline of Biblical Usage
Septuagint (LXX) Greek Equivalents
This Hebrew word is translated by the following Greek words in the Septuagint:
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Hebrew Lexicon
סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount. v 1) to count, recount, relate 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to count (things) 1a2) to number, take account of, reckon 1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered 1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare 1c1) to recount (something), rehearse 1c2) to talk 1c3) to count exactly or accurately 1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related
סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary. 1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe 1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary 1b) learned man, scribe Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew
noun m
Officials
scribe, secretary = a high-ranking official, usually learned, who served in the king's court and was responsible for the king's official business ► held some authority in administrative and financial, and perhaps also military matters
JDG 5:14 · 2SA 8:17 · 2SA 20:25 · 1KI 4:3 · 2KI 12:11 · 2KI 18:18 · 2KI 18:37 · 2KI 19:2 · 2KI 22:3 · 2KI 22:8 · 2KI 22:9 · 2KI 22:10 · 2KI 22:12 · 2KI 25:19 · 1CH 2:55 · 1CH 18:16 · 1CH 24:6 · 1CH 27:32 · 2CH 24:11 · 2CH 26:11 · 2CH 34:13 · 2CH 34:15 · 2CH 34:18 · 2CH 34:20 · EZR 7:6 · EZR 7:11 · EZR 7:11 · NEH 8:1 · NEH 8:4 · NEH 8:9 · NEH 8:13 · NEH 12:26 · NEH 12:36 · NEH 13:13 · EST 3:12 · EST 8:9 · PSA 45:2 · ISA 36:3 · ISA 36:22 · ISA 37:2 · JER 8:8 · JER 36:10 · JER 36:12 · JER 36:12 · JER 36:20 · JER 36:21 · JER 36:23 · JER 36:26 · JER 36:32 · JER 37:15 · JER 37:20 · JER 52:25 · EZK 9:2 · EZK 9:3
verb · מִסְפָּר · סֹופֵר · סְפָר · סֵפֶר · סְפֹרָה · סִפְרָה
Measure | verb qal, verb nif, verb pi
to number, to count = action with which one determines or estimates the number of a collection of persons or objects
GEN 15:5 · GEN 15:5 · GEN 16:10 · GEN 32:13 · GEN 41:49 · 2SA 24:10 · 1KI 3:8 · 1KI 8:5 · 1CH 21:2 · 1CH 23:3 · 2CH 2:16 · 2CH 5:6 · EZR 1:8 · JOB 38:37 · JOB 39:2 · PSA 22:18 · PSA 48:13 · PSA 139:18 · ISA 22:10 · ISA 33:18 · ISA 33:18 · JER 33:22 · HOS 2:1
Measure | verb qal
Collocation: ספר סְפָר
to take a census literally: to count a census; hence: = action by which humans in authority organize an official count or a numbering of persons
Know | verb qal
to note well literally: to count; hence: = action by which a deity is well aware of a certain event
Non-Engage | verb qal
to count off literally: to count; hence: = action by which humans defer action until a certain time has passed
LEV 15:13 · LEV 15:28 · LEV 23:15 · LEV 23:16 · LEV 25:8 · DEU 16:9 · DEU 16:9 · EZK 44:26
Role | verb qal
to assign literally: to count out; hence: = causative action by which humans assign a certain task to a specific number of people
See | verb qal
Collocation: ספר צְעָדִים
to keep a close watch literally: to count (someone's) steps; hence: = action by which deities keep track of everything someone does
Speak | verb pi
to tell, to recount, to proclaim, to declare = action by which humans communicate verbally to others about an event or situation, with focus on the contents rather than on the speech act
GEN 24:66 · GEN 29:13 · GEN 37:9 · GEN 37:10 · GEN 40:8 · GEN 40:9 · GEN 41:8 · GEN 41:12 · EXO 9:16 · EXO 10:2 · EXO 18:8 · EXO 24:3 · NUM 13:27 · JOS 2:23 · JDG 6:13 · JDG 7:13 · 1SA 11:5 · 1KI 13:11 · 1KI 13:11 · 2KI 8:4 · 2KI 8:5 · 2KI 8:6 · 1CH 16:24 · EST 5:11 · EST 6:13 · JOB 12:8 · JOB 15:17 · JOB 28:27 · JOB 37:20 · PSA 2:7 · PSA 9:2 · PSA 9:15 · PSA 19:2 · PSA 22:23 · PSA 22:31 · PSA 26:7 · PSA 40:6 · PSA 44:2 · PSA 48:14 · PSA 50:16 · PSA 59:13 · PSA 64:6 · PSA 66:16 · PSA 69:27 · PSA 71:15 · PSA 73:15 · PSA 73:28 · PSA 75:2 · PSA 78:3 · PSA 78:4 · PSA 78:6 · PSA 79:13 · PSA 87:6 · PSA 88:12 · PSA 96:3 · PSA 102:22 · PSA 107:22 · PSA 118:17 · PSA 119:13 · PSA 119:26 · PSA 145:6 · ISA 43:21 · ISA 43:26 · ISA 52:15 · JER 23:27 · JER 23:28 · JER 23:32 · JER 51:10 · EZK 12:16 · JOL 1:3 · HAB 1:5
1 JOB 38:37 DCH proposes two additional possible senses: (1) disperse and (2) beautify
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon
סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate Qal 27 count things, to learn their number
number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
Niph. be counted, numbered
Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare
Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed
base
סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe base