סָפַר107 H5608a
To count, number (Qal); to recount, narrate, declare (Piel); to be counted (Nifal); to be told (Pual) — linking enumeration with storytelling.
Saphar beautifully illustrates how ancient Hebrew thought connected counting and recounting. The same root that means 'number the stars' (Gen 15:5) also means 'tell the story' (Gen 24:66) — as if to say that narrating is a kind of careful accounting of events, and counting is a form of declaration. The Qal stem handles enumeration, the Piel shifts to narration and proclamation, and the passive stems (Nifal, Pual) reverse each respectively. The cognate noun sepher ('book, scroll, document') further confirms the root's association with organized, deliberate recording. Cross-linguistic evidence is revealing: languages like Spanish split cleanly between contar ('to count' and 'to tell a story' — preserving the Hebrew ambiguity), while German distinguishes zählen ('count') from erzählen ('narrate'), and Korean separates 세다 from 이야기하다, showing that many languages eventually split what Hebrew holds together.
5. Piel: to enumerate exhaustively — Piel with exhaustive-enumeration force: to count thoroughly, enumerate completely — 3 occurrences where the Piel intensification pushes saphar back toward its counting meaning but with emphatic thoroughness or declared impossibility. 'Who can number the clouds?' (Job 38:37); 'I would declare and speak of them, but they are more than can be numbered' (Ps 40:5); 'I can count all my bones' (Ps 22:17). German ich kann zählen and Spanish puedo contar use counting vocabulary rather than narration words, confirming that the Piel here recovers the enumeration sense under intensive force. This small cluster bridges the counting and declaring poles of the root. 3×
AR["أُحْصِي","عَنِ-الإِحْصاءِ","يُحْصِي"]·ben["আমি-গণনা-করতে-পারি","গণনা-করবে","গণনা-থেকে"]·DE["als-kann-sein-gezählt","er-erzaehlt","ich-kann-zählen"]·EN["I-can-count","can-count","than-can-be-numbered"]·FR["de-raconter","raconter"]·heb["אספר","יספור","מ-ספר"]·HI["गिन-सकता-हूँ","गिन-सकता-है","गिनने-से"]·ID["menghitung"]·IT["contare","narro'"]·jav["Kula-nètung","kanggé-dipun-itang","ngetang"]·KO["-세기-에서","세겠느냐","셀수-있음이라"]·PT["Conto","contará","do-que-contar"]·RU["исчислит","свыше-счёта","считаю"]·ES["de-contar","puede-contar","puedo-contar"]·SW["Ninaweza-kuhesabu","anahesabu","kuliko-kuhesabu"]·TR["-saymaktan","sayabilirim","sayar"]·urd["شمار-سے-زیادہ","میں-گن-سکتا-ہوں","گنتا ہے"]
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
1. Piel: to recount, tell, narrate — Piel: to recount, tell, narrate, declare — the largest sense at 64 occurrences, covering the intensive stem's core meaning of verbal narration and declaration. This is the saphar of storytelling: Abraham's servant 'told' everything that had happened (Gen 24:66), Joseph's brothers 'recounted' their dreams (Gen 37:9-10), and the Psalmist pledges to 'declare' God's works (Ps 9:1; 73:28; 78:4). The Piel intensification suggests not casual mention but deliberate, thorough recounting. Spanish contar and declarar, French raconter, and Korean 선포하다/이야기하다 all select narrative-declaration vocabulary. The imperative forms — 'tell me!' (Gen 37:16; Judg 7:13) — underscore the conversational urgency of this sense. 64×
AR["أَخْبَرونا","أَخْبِرْني-","أُخْبِرُ","رَوَوْا-","سَرَدْتُ","فَ-قَصَّ","فَأَخْبَرَ","وَ-أَخبَرَ","وَ-أُخبِر","وَ-أُخْبِرْكُمْ","وَ-أُعْلِنُ","وَ-حَدَّثَ","وَ-حَدَّثَهُمْ","وَ-رَوَى","وَأَخْبَرَ"]·ben["আমি-ঘোষণা-করব","আমি-বর্ণনা-করব","আমি-বর্ণনা-করেছি","আর-বর্ণনা-করল","আর-বলল","আর-বললেন","এবং-আমি-বলব","এবং-বর্ণনা-করল","এবং-বলল","এবং-বললেন","ও-আমি-বর্ণনা-করব","ও-আমি-বলব","ও-বর্ণনা-করলেন","ও-বলল","বর্ণনা-করেছেন-","বলেছেন-","বলো-"]·DE["[ואספרה]","berichte-","haben-told","ich-declared","ich-haben-declared","ich-wird-recount","ich-wird-tell","ich-wird-verkündigen","und-er-erzaehlt","und-erzählte","und-ich-wird-tell","und-recounted","und-sagte"]·EN["I-declared","I-have-declared","I-will-declare","I-will-recount","I-will-tell","and-I-tell","and-I-will-tell","and-recounted","and-told","have-told","tell-"]·FR["[ויספר]","et-dit","et-raconter","et-recounted","raconte-","raconter"]·heb["אספרה","ו-אספר","ו-אספרה","ו-יספר","ו-סופר","ו-סיפר","סיפרו-","סיפרתי","ספרה-"]·HI["और-कहा","और-जब-बताया","और-बताया","और-मैं-बताऊँगा","और-वर्णन-करूँगा","बताई-","बताया","मैं-घोषणा-करूँगा","मैं-वर्णन-करूंगा","वर्णन-करूँगा","सप्पराह-"]·ID["Aku-akan-mengumumkan","Dan-ia-menceritakan","Dan-menceritakanlah","aku-ceritakan","aku-menceritakan","ceritakanlah-","dan-aku-akan-menceritakan","dan-aku-ceritakan","dan-aku-menceritakan","dan-ia menceritakan","dan-ia-menceritakan","dan-menceritakan","menceritakan-"]·IT["e-contare","e-narro'","e-recounted","e-riferì","narro'","riferisci-"]·jav["Cariyosna-","Kula-cariyos","Kula-nyariyosaken","Lan-Musa-nyariyosaken","Lan-nyariosaken","Lan-nyariyosaken","Lan-piyambakipun-nyariyosaken","kula-cariyosaken","kula-nyariyosaken","lan-kawula-nyariosaken","lan-kula-cariyosaken","lan-piyambakipun-nyariosaken","lan-piyambakipun-nyariyosaken","saha-kawula-badhé-nyariosaken","sampun-kula-cariyosaken","sampun-nyariosaken","sampun-nyariosaken-","sarta-nyariosaken"]·KO["그리고-말했다","그리고-선포하리라","그리고-이야기하리라","그리고-이야기하리이다","그리고-이야기하였다","그리고-이야기했다","그리고-전했다","말하였나이다","말해-다오","선포하리로다","아뢰었더니","이야기하였도다","전하리로다","전해주었나이다"]·PT["Declararei","E-contou","Proclamarei","conta","contaram","contarei","contei","e-contarei","e-contou","nos-contaram"]·RU["И-рассказал","буду-возвещать","возвещал-я","возвещу","и-возвещу","и-пересказал","и-расскажу","и-рассказал","расскажи-","рассказал-я","рассказали","рассказывали"]·ES["Cuéntame","Declararé","Y-contó","contaron-","contaré","conté","declararé","nos-contaron","y-contaré","y-contó"]·SW["Na-akaiambia","Na-akamweleza","Nitatangaza","na-akaiambia","na-akamwambia","na-akasema","na-akawaambia","na-akawasimulia","na-nitasimulia","niambie-","nimetangaza","nitasimulia","walituambia","wametusimulia"]·TR["Ve-anlattı","anlat-","anlatacağım","anlattılar","anlattılar-","anlattım","ve-anlatacağım","ve-anlattı","ve-anlatırım"]·urd["اور-بیان-کروں-گا","اور-بیان-کیا","اور-سنایا","بیان-کر-","بیان-کروں-گا","بیان-کیا","بیان-کیں","میں-بیان-کروں-گا","وَ-میں-بیان-کروں-گا"]
2. Qal: to count, number — Qal: to count, number, reckon — 27 occurrences covering basic enumeration in the simple stem. God tells Abraham to 'count the stars, if you are able to count them' (Gen 15:5), Joseph stopped counting grain because it was beyond measure (Gen 41:49), and the census counting of Levites and warriors appears throughout Numbers and Chronicles. German zählen and Korean 세다 both select arithmetic-counting vocabulary, cleanly distinguished from the 'narrate' language these same languages use for sense 1. The participial form sopher ('counter, scribe') becomes a noun in its own right, linking the act of counting to the scribal profession (Isa 33:18). 27×
AR["أَحصَيتَهُ","أَحْصَاهُمْ","أَعُدُّهَا","الْعَادُّ","الْكَاتِبُ","تَعُدُّ","تُحْصِي","عَنِ-الْ-عَدِّ","عُدُّوا","عُدّوا","وَ-تَعُدُّ","وَ-عَدَّ","وَ-عَدَّهَا","وَ-عُدَّ","وَ-يَعُدُّ","وَتَعُدُّ","وَتَعُدُّونَ","يَعُدُّ"]·ben["আপনি-গণনা-করেন","আর-গণনা-করলেন","আর-তিনি-গণনা-করলেন-সেগুলো","এবং-গণনা-করবে","এবং-গোনো","গণনা-কর","গণনা-করতে","গণনা-করি-তাদের,","গণনা-করেছিলেন-তাদের","গণনা-করেন","তুমি-গণনা-করবে","তুমি-গণনা-করেছ","লেখক"]·DE["Buch","[ויספרם]","[יספור]","[תספור]","[תספר]","du-haben-gezählt","ich-zählen-ihnen","und-du-soll-zaehlen","und-sie-soll-zaehlen","und-soll-zaehlen","und-zaehlen","und-zähle","zaehlen","zu-zaehlen","zu-zählen","zählen"]·EN["He-counts","I-count-them","You-have-counted","and-count","and-counted","and-counted-them","and-shall-count","and-she-shall-count","and-you-shall-count","count","counted-them","do-you-count","is-the-one-counting","to-count","you-count"]·FR["[ויספר]","[ויספרם]","[ספרו]","[ספרם]","et-compter","et-devra-compter","et-elle-devra-compter","et-tu-devra-compter","livre","raconter","à-compter"]·heb["אספרם","ו-סופר","ו-סופר-ם","ו-ספר","ו-ספרה","ו-ספרת","ו-ספרתם","יספור","ל-ספור","ל-ספר","סופר","סופר-ם","ספרו","ספרתה","תספור"]·HI["और-गिन","और-गिना","और-गिने-उन्हें","और-गिनेगा","और-गिनेगी","और-गिनो","के-लिए-गिनने","गिनता-है","गिनती-करनेवाला","गिनना","गिनी-हैं-तूने","गिने-थे-उन्हें","गिनो","तू-गिनता-है","मैं-गिनूँ"]·ID["Aku-menghitungnya","Dan-hitunglah","Dan-kamu-akan-menghitung","Engkau menghitung","Engkau-menghitung","Ia menghitung","dan-dihitungnya","dan-hitunglah","dan-menghitung","dihitung-mereka","hitunglah","maka-menghitung","menghitung","penghitung"]·IT["a-contare","contare","e-contare","e-dovra-contare","e-ella-dovra-contare","e-tu-dovra-contare","narro'"]·jav["Lan-ngétang","Lan-sami-ètang","Menawi-kula-ngetang","Panjenengan-ngetang","dipuncacah","juru-cacah","juru-tulis","lan-ngetang","lan-ngétang","lan-étangen","mugi-surak","ngetang","ngitung","ngitunganana","sami-dipunluwari"]·KO["그가-세시나니","그리고-너는-셀지니라","그리고-세어라","그리고-세어주었다-그것들","그리고-세었다","그리고-셀-것이다","그리고-셀-것이다-너희는","네가-세었느냐","세기를","세는-것을","세는-자가","세라","세면","세셨도다","세소서","세시되","세었다-그들-을"]·PT["Contas","E-contareis","E-contarás","E-contou","Se-os-contasse","a-contar","conta","contai","contas","contaste","de-contar","e-conta","e-contará","e-os-contou","o-que-conta","recenseou-os"]·RU["и-исчислил","и-отсчитай","и-отсчитайте","и-перечислил-их","и-сосчитает","и-сосчитай","исчислил-их","пересчитайте","сосчитаю-их","считает","считаешь","считал-Ты","считать","считающий","счётчик"]·ES["Los-contaré","Y-contarás","Y-contaréis","Y-contó","a-contar","contad","contaste","cuenta","cuentas","cuenten","de-contar","el-que-cuenta","escriba","los-contó","y-contará","y-cuenta","y-los-contó","¿Cuentas"]·SW["Na-mtahesabu","Na-utahesabu","alihesabu","anahesabu","atahesabu","hesabuni","kuhesabu","mhesabuji","na-akahesabu","na-akavihesabu","na-uhesabu","nikiyahesabu","umeihesabu","unahesabu","wahesabuni"]·TR["Sayar-mısın","Ve-saydı","sayan","sayar","sayarsın","saydın-","saymaya","saymayı","saymıştı-onları","saysam-onları","sayın","ve-say","ve-sayacak","ve-sayacaksın","ve-sayacaksınız","ve-saydi-onlari"]·urd["اور-گن","اور-گنا","اور-گنو","اور-گِن-لے","اور-گِنے-انہیں","اگر-میں-گنوں-اُنہیں","تو-گنے","لکھنے-والا","کیا-تو-گنتا-ہے","گنا","گنتا ہے","گنتا-ہے-تُو","گننا","گننے-والا","گنو","گِنی-تُو-نے"]
3. Nifal: to be counted, be numbered — Nifal: to be counted, be numbered — 8 occurrences in the passive stem, almost always in contexts of uncountable multitude. Hagar is told her descendants 'cannot be counted for multitude' (Gen 16:10), Jacob's descendants likewise (Gen 32:12), and Solomon's imported laborers 'were numbered' at 153,600 (2 Chr 2:17). Spanish podían ser contados, German gezählt werden kann, and French can-être-compta all render the passive counting faithfully. The Nifal of saphar becomes a formulaic expression for the overwhelming abundance of divine blessing — what cannot be counted testifies to God's generosity. 8×
AR["تُحْصَى","فَأُحْصِيَ","يُحْصى","يُحْصَى","يُعَدُّ"]·ben["আর-গণনা-করা-হল","গণনা-করা-যাবে","গণনা-করা-যায়","গণনা-হতে-পারে","গোনা-যাবে","গোনা-যায়","সংখ্যা-হবে"]·DE["er-erzaehlt","gezählt-werden-kann","kann-sein-counted","koennte-sein-counted","und-zaehlen","wird-er-gezählt-werden","zaehlen"]·EN["and-were-numbered","can-be-counted","could-be-counted","it-will-be-counted"]·FR["[ויספרו]","[יספרו]","can-être-compta","cela---être-compta","compter","il-comptera","peut-être-compta","pourrait-être-compta"]·heb["ו-סופר","ייספר","יספר","יספרו","סופר"]·HI["और-गिने-गए","गिन-जयेग","गिनी-जा-सकती","गिनी-जाएगी","गिनी-जाती","गिने-जाते-थे"]·ID["dan-dihitung","dapat-dibilang","dapat-dihitung"]·IT["can-essere-contò","contare","e-contare","esso-will-essere-contò","potrebbe-essere-contò","può-essere-contò"]·jav["Lan-kaitung","badhé-kaétang","dipun-etang","saged-dipun-etang","saged-dipun-wilang","saged-dipunétang","saged-diétang","saged-kaétang"]·KO["그리고-세어졌다","세어지다","세어지리라","세어질-수-있었다","셀-수-없는","셀-수-있는","셀-수-있다","헤아리리라"]·PT["E-foram-contados","contados","contavam-se","pode-ser-contado","será-contada","será-numerado"]·RU["и-исчислены-были","исчислить","исчисляется","сосчитается","счислялись"]·ES["Y-fueron-contados","podían-ser-contados","puede-ser-calculado","puede-ser-contado","se-contará","será-contada","serán-contados"]·SW["Na-wakahesabiwa","haitahesabika","hawakuhesabika","hesabika","hesabiwa","kuhesabika","watakokotolewa"]·TR["Ve-sayıldı","hesaplanacak","sayılabilir","sayılacak","sayılır","sayılırlardı"]·urd["-گنے-جا-سکتے-تھے","اور-گنے-گئے","شمار-کی-جائے","گنی-جائے-گی","گنی-جائےگی","گنیں-جا-سکتیں","گنے-جا-سکتے"]
4. Pual: to be told, be declared — Pual: to be told, be declared — 5 occurrences in the passive of the Piel, receiving narration rather than performing it. 'Shall it be told him that I would speak?' (Job 37:20); 'what had not been told them they shall see' (Isa 52:15); 'a posterity shall serve him; it shall be recounted to the Lord for a generation' (Ps 22:30). This is the passive counterpart of sense 1 — events and divine deeds as objects of narration that reach their audience. Habakkuk 1:5 uses it to dramatic effect: God announces a work 'you would not believe though it were told you.' The Pual form emphasizes the reception side of the storytelling act. 5×
AR["أُخبِرَ","هَلْ-يُحَدَّثُ","هَلْ-يُخْبَرُ-","يُحْكَى","يُخْبَرْ"]·ben["কি-বলা-হবে-","বর্ণনা-করা-হলেও","বর্ণনা-হবে","বর্ণনা-হবে-কি","বলা-হয়েছিল"]·DE["Buch","der-er-erzaehlt","er-erzaehlt","es-soll-sein-told","wird-es-sein-declared"]·EN["it-shall-be-told","it-were-told","shall-it-be-told-","was-told","will-it-be-declared"]·FR["il-comptera","il-racontera","le-il-racontera","livre","raconter"]·heb["ה-יסופר","יסופר","סופר"]·HI["उनको","क्या-बताया-जाए","क्या-वर्णित-होगी","बताया-जाए","वर्णन-किया-जाएगा"]·ID["Apakah diberitahukan-","Apakah-diceritakan","diceritakan","diceritakan."]·IT["contare","narro'"]·jav["Menapa-badhé-dipun-cariyosaken","Punapa-dipuncariosaken","dipun-cariyosaken","dipuncariyosaken"]·KO["선포되리이까","전할지라도","전해지겠느냐","전해지리로다","전해진"]·PT["Será-contado-","Será-declarada","for-contada","lhes-foi-contado","será-contado"]·RU["будет-ли-рассказано-","будет-поведано","было-рассказано","неужели-будет-поведано","расскажут"]·ES["les-fue-contado","se-contará","sea-contada","¿Acaso-se-contará","¿Le-será-contado-"]·SW["Je-itasimuliwa","ambiwa","ikiambiwa","itasimiliwa","je-aambiwe"]·TR["anlatilan","anlatılacak","anlatılsa","anlatılır-mı","mı-Anlatılır-"]·urd["بتایا-گیا","بیان-کیا-جائے","شمار-کیا-جائے-گا","کیا بتایا جائے گا","ہَ-کیا-بیان-ہو-گی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
סָפַר107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate (prob. ancient denom. from סֵפֶר; NH = BH; Ethiopic ሰፈረ; measure Di404);— Qal27 Pf. 3 ms. ס׳ 2 S 24:10, 2 ms. סָפַרְתָּה ψ 56:9, וְסָפַרְתָּ֫ Lv 25:8, etc.; Impf. יִסְפֹּר ψ 87:6 + Jb 38:37 where read prob. יִסְפֹּר (Bu) for MT יְסַפֵּר, יְסְפּוֹר Jb 31:4, וַיִּסְפֹּר 2 Ch 2:1, 16, sf. וַיִּסְפְּרֵם Ezr 1:8; 2 ms. תִּסְפֹּר Jb 39:2, תִּסְפּוֹר 14:16,…