Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yigal Levin" <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chemorion" <chosefu_chemorion AT wycliffe.org>
To: "David Kimbrough (CLWA)" <dkimbrough AT clwa.org>; "'Yigal Levin'"
<leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>; "b-hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Bribes, Gifts, and Tribute


> On the subject line, you have listed bribes, gifts, and tribute.The list
> could also include propitiation and appeasement. I have just noticed that
in
> 1 Samuel 12: 3, the word "kofer" is translated by many English versions as
> "bribe". This term is also close to  "kafer" (Numbers 25:13). May I just
> know if there is any difference between "kofer" (1 Samuel 12:3 ) and
> "shohad" ( Proverbs 17:8).
>
> Thanks,
> Chemorion D Chosefu.
>
>

Sure. The basic meaning of KPR is "to cover" as in Gen. 6:14 (don't ask me
where KJV gets "pitch" from). By extention, a kofer is an "exchange" or
sacrifice that "covers up" a sin. Yom HaKkippurim is "the day of covering
for sin". And so Kofer becomes a "ransom" or a bribe.

Yigal