H3713b H3713b
hoarfrost, white frost formed by frozen dew
The delicate white ice crystals that form on cold mornings when dew freezes. Exodus compares the appearance of manna to hoarfrost on the ground—fine, white, flake-like. The psalmist celebrates God scattering frost like ashes, part of the winter phenomena under divine control. Job's divine interrogation includes frost's origin, numbered among creation's mysteries beyond human mastery.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Exodus 16:14 describes manna's appearance using a double simile: 'fine as hoarfrost on the ground' (דַּק כַּכְּפֹר), emphasizing its delicate, crystalline quality. Job 38:29 asks rhetorically who birthed the hoarfrost of heaven, personifying it within creation's wonders. Psalm 147:16 praises God who 'gives hoarfrost like ashes' (יִתֵּן כְּפוֹר כָּאֵפֶר). The imagery is consistently visual—white, fine-textured, ephemeral—qualities preserved in translations (Spanish escarcha, French 'frost'). 3×
AR["الصَّقِيعَ", "كَ-الْجَلِيدِ", "وَصَقِيعُ"]·ben["আর-তুষারপাত", "তুষারের-মতো", "হিম"]·DE["frost", "und-Loesegeld", "wie-der-frost"]·EN["and-the-frost-of", "frost", "like-the-frost"]·FR["comme-coupe", "comme-le-frost", "et-וכפר"]·heb["ו-כפור", "כ-כפור", "כפור"]·HI["और-पाला", "जैसे-पाला", "पाला"]·ID["dan-embun beku", "embun-beku", "seperti-embun-beku"]·IT["[כפור]", "come-il-frost", "e-e-il-frost-di"]·jav["embun-beku", "kados-priya-beku", "lan-bun-beku"]·KO["그리고-서리를", "서리-같은", "서리를"]·PT["E-geada-de-", "a-geada", "como-a-geada"]·RU["и-иней", "иней", "как-иней"]·ES["como-la-escarcha", "escarcha", "y-escarcha-de"]·SW["kama-barafu", "na-ukungu-wa-baridi", "umande-wa-baridi"]·TR["kırağı", "kırağı-gibi", "ve-kırağıyı"]·urd["اور-پالا", "جیسے-پالا", "پالا"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. כְּפוֹר n.m. hoar frost (NH id.)—כ׳ ψ 147:16; כְּפֹר Ex 16:14 (P), Jb 38:29.