Kopher
/ˈkoʊfər/noun
A transliteration of Hebrew words that can refer to henna, ransom, or a covering substance, depending on context.
Did you know?In the Hebrew Bible, kōpher appears in the Song of Songs for henna, while a related form describes ransom or an atoning payment; the connection between these senses is debated by scholars.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
כֹּפֶר (kōpher)
“A word used for henna in the Song of Songs and, in another lexical tradition, for ransom or a covering payment.”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
κύπρος (kýpros)
“The Septuagint’s Greek rendering of the henna plant; this is the source of the botanical name Cyprus in later usage.”
Late Antiquity
Hebrew
כִּפֻּרִים (kippurim)
“Atonements or acts of expiation, from the same Hebrew consonantal root כ־פ־ר in the religious vocabulary of Yom Kippur.”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
כַּפֹּרֶת (kappōret)
“The covering or mercy seat of the biblical Ark of the Covenant, formed from the same root family.”
Modern English
English
kopher
“A scholarly transliteration used in biblical, Hebrew, and religious studies for these Hebrew forms and their contextual meanings.”
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