--- title: סֵפֶר — missive · The Tanakh dictionary description: סֵפֶר (5612), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 185 times: missive. BDB 1906: n.m. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/5612.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [ס](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1505-2.md)‎ / סֵפֶר‎ # סֵפֶר «סֵפֶר» in the Tanakh dictionary: **missive** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers. **Used:** 185 times · **Key:** 5612 · **BDB:** סֵ֫פֶר ### Glosses the.scroll (63); scroll (24); the.book (17) ### Meaning (OSHB) missive [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1505/5612/#m1) ### Meaning (BDB 1906) n.m. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1505/5612/#m2) **The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Is 29:11 missive, document, writing, book (prob. ancient loan-word from Assyrian šipru, missive, message DlHWB 683, TelAm. šipru, šipirtu, id. WklTA Gloss.; √ šâpâru, send, send message or letter DlHWB 683, Wkll.c., whence also šâpiru, writer, and (perhaps ruler, šapirûtu, rule; v. HomAufsätze (1892), 34 BuhlLex 13; perhaps cf. Arabic سَفَرَ go forth to journey, ii. send on a journey Lane1370; NH סֵפֶר = BH; so Aramaic סִיפְרָא, ܣܶܦܪܳܐ; ChrPal. Aramaic ܣܝܦܪܐ SchwallyIdiot. 64; Arabic سِفْرٌ );—ס׳ abs. 2 S 11:14 +; cstr. Ex 24:7 +; sf. סִפְרִי Ex 32:33, סִפְרְךָ v 33 ψ 139:16; pl. סְפָרִים 1 K 21:8 +;— missive: letter of instruction, written order, commission, or request, usually from king, 2 S 11:14, 15; 1 K 21:8(×2), 9, 11; 2 K 5:5, 6(×2), 7; 10:1, 2, 6, 7; 19:14 = Is 37:14 cf. 2 Ch 32:17; 2 K 20:12 = Is 39:1; = written decree for publication Est 1:22; 3:13; 8:5; 9:20, 25, 30 (= אִגֶּרֶת v 26, 29, vid. p. 8 b supra), cf. וַיִּשְׁלַּח סְפָרִים בְּיַד הָרָצִים בַּסּוסִים רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ 8:10.—\[כָּתַב ס׳ 2 S 11:15; 1 K 21:8; 2 K 10:1, 6; 2 Ch 32:17; כָּתַב בַּסּ׳ (of specif. contents) 2 S 11:15; 1 K 21:9, 11; קָרָא אֶת־הַסּ׳ 2 K 5:7 read the letter\].— from prophet Je 29:1, other influential persons v 25, 29†. legal document, ס׳ כְּרִיתֻת certificate of divorce Dt 24:1, 3 and (fig.) Je 3:8; Is 50:1; ס׳ הַסִּקְנָה deed of purchase Je 32:11, 12 (del. art.), v 12, 14, 16, cf. בַּסּ׳ v 10, הַסִּפָרִים v 14 (si vera l.; del. 𝔊 Gie cf. Gf), סֵפֶר v 14 b, 44; ס׳ = indictment Jb 31:35 (obj. of כָּתַב; כָּתַב בְּ׳ = sign Je 32:10, 12, 44). book, or scroll, in which something is written to preserve it for future use Ex 17:14 (E), Jos 18:9 (JE), 1 S 10:25; Is 30:8 Jb 19:23 +; in form of roll, cf. וְנָגֹ֫לּוּ כַּסֵּפֶר הַשָּׁמַיִם Is 34:4, הַסּ׳ הֶחָתוּם 29:11, 12 (v. Je 36 etc., infr.); partic.: book of prophecies Je 25:13; 30:2 + 6 times Je 3:6; Dn 12:4; ס׳ חֲזוֹן נַחוּם Na 1:1; סֵפֶר י׳ Is 34:4; so מְגִלַּת סֵפֶר Je 36:2, 4 (= מְגִלָּה v 6 + 6 times; with many columns, דְּלָתוֹת v 23), Ez 2:9, cf. ψ 40:8. geneal. register, ס׳ תּוֹלְדוֹת Gn 5:1 (P), ס׳ הַיַּ֫חַשׂ Ne 7:5. law-book, †ס׳ הַבְּרִית Ex 24:7 (E), 2 K 23:2 = 2 Ch 34:30; 2 K 23:21; †ס׳ הַתּוֹרָה Dt 28:61; 29:20; 30:10; 31:26; Jos 1:8; 8:34 (all D), 2 K 22:8 = 2 Ch 34:15, 2 K 22:11; Ne 8:3; †ס׳ תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהִים Jos 24:26 (E), Ne 8:8 (reading ס׳ תּוֹרַת, so 𝔊, cf. Talm. Nedarim 37 b), v 18; 9:3; †ס׳ תּוֹרַת י׳ 2 Ch 17:9; 34:14; †ס׳ תִוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה Jos 8:31; 23:6 (both D), 2 K 14:6; Ne 8:1; †ס׳ מֹשֶׁה 2 Ch 25:4; 35:12; Ne 13:1. book of poems, ס׳ מִלְחֲמֹת י׳ Nu 21:14 (JE), ס׳ הַיָּשָׁר Jos 10:13 (JE), 2 S 1:18. book concerned with kings, ס׳ דִּבְרֵי שְׁלֹמֹה 1 K 11:41, and especially ס׳ דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי וגו׳ 1 K 14:19, 29 + 31 times K (18 times of Isr., 15 times of Judah), cf. Est 10:2 (of Media and Pers.); also ס׳ דִּבְרֵי הַיָמִים לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד 1 Ch 27:24 (reading ס׳ for מִסְפָּר, 𝔊 Kit Hpt); ס׳ הַמְּלָכִים לִיהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל 2 Ch 16:11; ס׳ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וְיִשׂ׳ 25:26; 28:26; 32:32; ס׳ מ׳ יִשׂ׳ וִיהוּדָה 27:7 35:27; 36:8; ס׳ מ׳ יִשׂ׳ 1 Ch 9:1; 2 Ch 20:34; מִדְרַשׁ ס׳ הַמְּלָבִים 24:27; also ס׳ דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים Ne 12:23; Est 2:23; ס׳ הַזִּכְרֹנוֹת דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים Est 6:1. once בַּסְּפָרִים Dn 9:2 by means of the Scriptures (canonical books) cf. Ew Meinh Bev MartiKau. God’s record-book, ψ 139:16, ס׳ זִכָּרוֹן Mal 3:16; God’s register of living, Ex 32:32, 33 (E), ס׳ חַיִּים ψ 69:29; הַסּ׳ Dn 12:1 (citizens of Mess. kingdom). ס׳ =book-learning, especially writing: יָדַע (הַ)סֵּפֶר Is 29:11, 12(×2) (of ability to read); so לְלַמְּדָם סֵפֶר וּלְשׁוֹן כַּשְׂדִּים Dn 1:4 to teach them the writing and speech of the Chaldeans (on constr. v. Ges§ 128 a); more gen. הַשְׂכִּיל בְּכָל־ס׳ וְחָכְמָה v 17.—\[סֵפֶר book is joined with vbs. thus: it is written (יִכָּתֵב) Mal 3:16; a thing is written בַּסּ׳ Ex 17:14 + 20 times, עַל־ס׳ 2 S 1:18 + 50 times (+ Je 36:32; בַּדְּיוֹ with ink v 18), אֶל־ס׳ †Je 30:2; 51:60; conversely דָּרַשׁ מֵעַל ס׳ Is 34:16; שָׁמַע מֵעַל ס׳ Je 36:11; v. also †בַּסּ׳ וְיֻחָ֑קוּ Jb 19:23 inscribe in a book, †עַל־ס׳ חֻקָּהּ Is 30:8 (‖ כָּתְבָהּ עַל־לוּחַ); †מָחָה מִסּ׳ blot out of a book Ex 32:32, 33 ψ 69:29; †קָרָא אֶת־הַסּ׳ Je 51:63 read the book, scroll, but usually †קָרָא בְס׳ 36:8, 10, 13 Ne 8:8, 18; 9:3; 13:1\].—ס׳ in קִרְיַת ס׳, v. ק׳. Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 121 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (8 candidates) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every English meaning of «סֵפֶר» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1505/5612/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames. ### In the verses [Nahum 1:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/NAM.1.1/) מַשָּׂ֖א נִֽינְוֵ֑ה סֵ֧פֶר חֲז֛וֹן נַח֖וּם הָאֶלְקֹשִֽׁי׃ *Word for word:* the.oracle of.Nineveh the.document of.the.vision of.Nahum the Elkoshite *JPS 1917:* THE BURDEN of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. [Psalms 69:29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.69.29/) יִ֭מָּחֽוּ מִסֵּ֣פֶר חַיִּ֑ים וְעִ֥ם צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים אַל־יִכָּתֵֽבוּ׃ *Word for word:* may.they.be.wiped.out from.\[the\] scroll of.life and with righteous.\[people\] not may.they.be.written.down *JPS 1917:* Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. - ← previous: [סְפָר](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/5611.md) - next →: [סָפַר](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/lemma_3a_5e1_5b8_5e4_5b7_5e8.md) - ↑ back to [ס](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1505-2.md)