כָּפִיס
a girder
Definition
The Hebrew word כָּפִיס (kâphîyç) refers to a structural beam or girder, specifically a large wooden timber used in building construction. It appears only in Habakkuk 2:11, where it is part of a prophetic taunt against unjust building practices. In this context, the 'beam' is personified as crying out from the wall, symbolizing how the materials of a house built by violence testify against its owner. The term emphasizes the substantial, load-bearing nature of the wood, integral to a building's framework.
Biblical Usage
כָּפִיס is used only once in the Old Testament, in Habakkuk 2:11. It occurs in a prophetic oracle of judgment, within a series of 'woes' pronounced against the Babylonian empire (and by extension, any oppressive power). The word is used metaphorically: the beam itself is portrayed as a witness that cries out against the violence and injustice used to acquire the resources for construction. This singular usage is highly poetic and symbolic, rather than a technical description in a narrative about building.
Etymology
The noun כָּפִיס is derived from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to connect' or 'to join.' This etymological background fits its meaning as a girder or beam, which functions to connect and support other parts of a structure. While no direct cognates in other Semitic languages are certain for this specific form, the concept relates to a family of words involving framing, joining, or constructing.
Semantic Range
Though a simple architectural term, כָּפִיס gains profound theological significance in its only biblical appearance. In Habakkuk 2:11, it illustrates the biblical principle that creation itself bears witness against human sin and injustice (cf. Romans 8:22). The personified beam crying out underscores that God's moral order permeates all of reality; even inanimate objects acquired through oppression become accusers. This enriches reading by showing how prophetic literature uses concrete, everyday objects to convey truths about divine judgment, accountability, and the futility of building a life on foundations of wrongdoing.
In ancient Near Eastern construction, large beams or girders (כְּפִיסִים) were valuable and often costly components, especially in regions where large timber was scarce and had to be imported. They were essential for supporting roofs and upper stories of significant buildings, like palaces or temples. Habakkuk's metaphor would resonate with an audience familiar with the exploitation and forced labor common in large imperial building projects, where materials were often seized or paid for with ill-gotten wealth.
קוֹרָה (qôrâ, H6982) — a more common term for a rafter or beam, used in literal construction contexts (e.g., Judges 16:29, Song of Solomon 1:17).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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