Brown-Driver-Briggs
סֵ֫פֶר185 noun masculineIsaiah 29:11 missive, document, writing, book (probably ancient loan-word from Assyrian
šipru,
missive,
message Dl
HWB 683, Tel Amarna
šipru, šipirtu,
id. Wkl
TA Gloss; √
šâpâru, send, send message or letter Dl
HWB 683, Wkl
l.c., whence also
sâpiru, writer, and (perhaps)
ruler, šapirûtu, rule; see Hom
Aufsätze (1892), 34 Buhl
Lex 13; perhaps compare Arabic
go forth to journey, II.
send on a journey Lane
1370; Late Hebrew
סֵפֶר = Biblical Hebrew; so Aramaic
סִיפְרָא 
; Christian-Palestinian Aramaic
Schw
Idioticon 64; Arabic
); —
׳ס absolute
2 Samuel 11:14 +; construct
Exodus 24:7 +; suffix
סִפְרִי Exodus 32:33,
סִפְרְךָ Exodus 32:33;
Psalm 139:16; plural
סְפָרִים 1 Kings 21:8 +; —
1 missive:
a. letter of instruction, written order, commission, or request, usually from king, 2 Samuel 11:14,15; 1 Kings 21:8 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 21:9,11; 2 Kings 5:5,6 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 5:7; 2 Kings 10:1,2,6,7; 2 Kings 19:14 = Isaiah 37:14 compare 2 Chronicles 32:17; 2 Kings 20:12 = Isaiah 39:1; = written decree for publication Esther 1:22; Esther 3:13; Esther 8:5; Esther 9:20,25,30 ( = אִגֶּרֶת Esther 9:25; Esther 9:29, see above), compare וַיִּשְׁלַח סְפָרִים בְּיִד הָרָצִים בַּסּוּסִים רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ Esther 8:10. — [׳כָּתַב ס 2 Samuel 11:15; 1 Kings 21:8; 2 Kings 10:1,6; 2Chronicles 32:17; ׳כָּתַב בַּסּ (of specific contents) 2 Samuel 11:15; 1 Kings 21:9,11; קָרָא ׳אֶתהַֿסּ 2 Kings 5:7 read the letter]. —
b. from prophet Jeremiah 29:1, other influential persons Jeremiah 29:25; Jeremiah 29:29 .
2 legal document, כְּרִיתֻת ׳ס certificate of divorce Deuteronomy 24:1,3and (figurative) Jeremiah 3:8; Isaiah 50:1; הַמִּקְנָה ׳ס deed of purchase Jeremiah 32:11,12 (strike out article), Jeremiah 32:12; Jeremiah 32:14; Jeremiah 32:16, compare ׳בַּסּ Jeremiah 32:10, הַסְּפָרִים Jeremiah 32:14 (si vera lectio; strike out ᵐ5 Gie compare Gf), סֵפֶר Jeremiah 32:16b; Jeremiah 32:44; ׳ס = indictment Job 31:35 (object of כָּתַב; ׳כָּתַב בְּ = sign Jeremiah 32:10,12,44).
3 book, or scroll, in which something is written to preserve it for future use Exodus 17:14 (E), Joshua 18:9 (JE), 1 Samuel 10:25; Isaiah 30:8; Job 19:23 +; in form of roll, compare וְנָגֹ֫לוּ כַּסֵּפֶר הַשָּׁמַיִם Isaiah 34:4, הֶחָתוּם ׳הַסּ Isaiah 29:11,12 (see Jeremiah 36, etc., below); particular:
a. book of prophecies Jeremiah 25:13; Jeremiah 30:2 6t. Jeremiah 36; Daniel 12:4; חֲזוֺן נַחוּם ׳ס Nahum 1:1; ׳סֵפֶר י Isaiah 34:4; so מְגִלַּת סֵפֶר Jeremiah 36:2,4 (= מְגִלָּה Jeremiah 36:6 6t.; with many columns, דְּלָתוֺת Jeremiah 36:23), Ezekiel 2:9, compare Psalm 40:8.
b. geneal. register, ׳ס תּוֺלְדוֺת Genesis 5:1 (P), הַיַּ֫חַשׂ ׳ס Nehemiah 7:5.
c. law-book, הַבְּרִית ׳ס Exodus 24:7 (E), 2 Kings 23:2 2Chronicles 34:30; 2 Kings 23:21; הַתּוֺרָה ׳ס Deuteronomy 28:61; Deuteronomy 29:20; Deuteronomy 30:10; Deuteronomy 31:26; Joshua 1:8; Joshua 8:34 (all D), 2 Kings 22:8 2Chronicles 34:15; 2 Kings 22:11; Nehemiah 8:3; תּוֺרַת אֱלֹהִים ׳ס Joshua 24:26 (E), Nehemiah 8:8 (reading תּוֺרַת ׳ס, so ᵐ5, compare TalmudNedarim37b), Nehemiah 8:18; Nehemiah 9:3; ׳תּוֺרַת י ׳ס2Chronicles 17:9; 34:14; תּוֺרַת משֶׁה ׳ס Joshua 8:31; Joshua 23:6 (both D), 2 Kings 14:6; Nehemiah 8:1; משֶׁה ׳ס2Chronicles 25:4; 35:12; Nehemiah 13:1.
d. book of poems, ׳מִלְחֲמֹת י ׳ס Numbers 21:14 (JE), הַיָּשָׁר ׳ס Joshua 10:13 (JE), 2 Samuel 1:18.
e. book concerned with kings, דֵּבְרֵי שְׁלֹמֹה ׳ס 1 Kings 11:41, and especially ׳דּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי וגו ׳ס 1 Kings 14:19,29 31t. Kings (18 t. of Israel, 15 t. of Judah), compare Esther 10:2 (of Media and Persia); also דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לַמֶּלֶךְ ׳ס דָּוִיד 1 Chronicles 27:24 (reading ׳ס for מִסְמָּד, ᵐ5 KitHpt); הַמְּלָכִים לִיהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל ׳ס2Chronicles 16:11; מַלְכֵי ׳ס ׳יְהוּדָה וְיִשׁ2Chronicles 25:26; 28:26; 32:32; וִיהוּדָה ׳יִשׂ ׳מ ׳ס2Chronicles 27:7; 35:27; 36:8; ׳יִשׂ ׳מ ׳ס 1 Chronicles 9:1; 2Chronicles 20:34; ׳הָמְּלָכִים מִדְרַשׁ ס2Chronicles 24:27; also דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים ׳ס Nehemiah 12:23; Esther 2:23; הַזִּכְרֹנוֺת דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים ׳ס Esther 6:1.
f. once בַּסְּפָרִים Daniel 9:2 by means of the Scriptures (canonical books) compare Ew Meinh Bev MartiKau.
g. God's record-book, Psalm 139:16, זִכָּרוֺן ׳ס Malachi 3:16; God's register of living, Exodus 32:32,33 (E), חַיִּים ׳ס Psalm 69:29; ׳הַסּ Daniel 12:1 (citizens of Messianic kingdom).
4 ׳ס = book-learning, especially writing: יָדַע (הַ) סֵּפֶר Isaiah 29:11,12 (twice in verse) (of abilityto read); so לְלַמְּדָם סֵפֶר וּלְשׁוֺן כַּשְׂדִּים Daniel 1:4 to teach them the writing and speech of the Chaldeans (on construction see Ges§ 128a); more Generally וְחָכְמָה ׳הַשְׂכִּיל בְּכָלסֿ Daniel 1:17. — [סֵפֶר book is joined with verbs thus: it is written (יִכָּפֶב) Malachi 3:16; a thing is written ׳בַּסּ Exodus 17:14 20t., ׳עַלסֿ 2 Samuel 1:18 50t. ( + Jeremiah 36:32; בַדְּיוֺ with ink Jeremiah 36:18), ׳אֶלסֿ Jeremiah 30:2; Jeremiah 51:60; conversely ׳דָּרַשׁ מֵעַל ס Isaiah 34:16, ׳שָׁמַע מֵעַל ס Jeremiah 36:11; see also וְיֻחָ֑קוּ ׳בַּסּ Job 19:23 inscribe in a book, חֻקָּהּ ׳עָלסֿ Isaiah 30:8 ("" כָּתְבָהּ עַללֿוּחַ); ׳מָחָה מִסּ blot out of a book Exodus 32:32,33; Psalm 69:29; ׳קָרָא אֶתהַֿסּ Jeremiah 51:63 read the book, scroll, but usually ׳קָרָא בְס Jeremiah 36:8,10,13; Nehemiah 8:8; Nehemiah 8:18; Nehemiah 9:3; Nehemiah 13:1]. — ׳ס in ׳קִרְיַת ס, see ׳ק
[סִפְרָה] noun feminine book; — suffix הֲלאֹ בְּסִפְרָתֶ֑ךָ Psalm 56:9 (compare סֵפֶר 3g); strike out as gloss Bi Che Hup-Now Du. — compare also [סְפֹרָה] below
