ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Lexicon

H3722 - kaphar

kaphar, kāphar, כָּפַר, H3722, atone, cover, expiate

Strong's: H3722 · BLB lookup Pronunciation: kaw-far' Part of speech: verb (Piel typically; also Pual, Hithpael) OT occurrences: ~102 in verbal forms; ~150 in cognate noun kippur / kapporet Greek equivalent (LXX): exilaskomai / hilaskomai, see G2434 - hilasmos / G2435 - hilasterion

Semantic range

There are ads on our codex that pay for hosting and keep the codex free. If you can, please consider whitelisting ris3n.com or allowing scripts to support the work.

Sponsored

Brands, events, influencers advertise here

  1. To cover, atone, make atonement, the dominant cultic / theological sense
  2. To pacify, appease (Genesis 32:20, Jacob: "I will cover his face with the present that goes before me")
  3. To wipe away, blot out in some contexts
  4. To purge, cleanse in cultic contexts
  5. To pay a ransom in some contexts

The etymological discussion:

  • "Cover", from cognate Akkadian kapāru (to cover); the sins are covered by the atoning blood
  • "Wipe", alternative etymology; the sins are wiped away
  • "Pay ransom", from cognate kopher (a ransom-price); atonement as substitutionary payment

The conservative consensus combines these, kaphar signifies the action by which sin is dealt with, covered, removed, and the sinner ransomed-by-substitution.

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

Theological force, atonement

Kaphar is the central OT verb for atonement. The cognate noun kippur (atonement) gives the name Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16; 23:27-32). The cognate noun kapporet (mercy seat, Exodus 25:17-22) is the locus where atonement is enacted, see G2435 - hilasterion.

Levitical-sacrificial context

The Levitical system uses kaphar extensively for the priest making atonement:

  • Leviticus 1:4, burnt offering "to kaphar on his behalf"
  • Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35, sin offering atonement
  • Leviticus 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7, guilt / sin offerings
  • Leviticus 16, Day of Atonement, kaphar repeated 16 times in this chapter alone
  • Leviticus 17:11, "I have given it [the blood] to you on the altar to kaphar for your nephesh; for it is the blood by reason of the nephesh that makes atonement"

The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16)

The annual Yom Kippur ritual:

  1. The high priest sacrifices a bull for himself (Lev 16:6, 11)
  2. He casts lots over two goats (Lev 16:7-10)
  3. One goat is sacrificed; its blood sprinkled on the kapporet / mercy seat (Lev 16:15-19)
  4. The other goat, the azazel (scapegoat), has the priest's hands laid on it; it bears the people's sins to the wilderness (Lev 16:20-22)

The two-goat-pattern displays the dual aspect of kaphar:

  • Substitutionary blood, the slaughtered goat's blood as atonement
  • Sin-removal, the scapegoat carries away the sins

Christ fulfills both (Hebrews 9-10): His blood atones AND His sin-bearing removes guilt.

Kaphar as substitutionary atonement

Leviticus 17:11's principle, the blood makes atonement for the soul, establishes the substitutionary-blood structure:

  • The life (in the blood) is given
  • The life atones for the life of the worshipper
  • One life given for another

The pattern grounds NT substitutionary-atonement (Hebrews 9:22, "without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness"). Christ's blood is the kaphar-blood of the New Covenant, His life given for ours.

Theological dimensions of kaphar

The verb captures multiple aspects:

  1. Covering, sin is covered, hidden from God's wrath
  2. Cleansing, the worshipper / community is purified
  3. Ransom, the sinner is bought free (cognate kopher, Exodus 21:30; Job 33:24)
  4. Propitiation, God's wrath is satisfied / appeased (the LXX hilaskomai preserves this)
  5. Reconciliation, relationship restored

These dimensions are not mutually exclusive; they capture different angles of one comprehensive divine-sacrificial-action.

Christological fulfillment, Hebrews 9-10

Hebrews 9-10 develops the Christological fulfillment of kaphar extensively:

  • Christ enters the heavenly kapporet with His own blood (Heb 9:11-14, 24-26)
  • One sacrifice for sins forever (Heb 10:11-14)
  • The OT system was a shadow; the sōma belongs to Christ (Heb 10:1; Col 2:17)
  • Christ as the eternal priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 7) offers the eternal-once-for-all kaphar (Heb 9:12, 25-28; 10:10, 12, 14)

The trajectory: OT kaphar (annual, repeated, by animal blood) → NT kaphar (once, eternal, by Christ's blood). The OT shadow is fulfilled in the NT substance.

Kopher (cognate noun)

The cognate kopher (H3724), ransom-price, appears 17 times. Notable:

Mark 10:45 (G3083 - lytron, lytron / ransom) corresponds to this kopher tradition: Christ as the unique-effective ransom that human beings cannot pay.

Notable verses

Patristic / scholarly note

The OT kaphar tradition is foundational for Christian atonement theology. Conservative engagement:

  • Leon Morris (The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, 1955; The Atonement, 1983)
  • John Stott (The Cross of Christ, 1986)
  • William Lane (Hebrews WBC, 1991)
  • Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey, Andrew Sach (Pierced for Our Transgressions, 2007)
  • D. A. Carson; J. I. Packer

See also

Notes

Lexical workspace for kaphar.