Hebrew word · H3717

כָּפַל

kaful

to double

To double or fold double. The related noun kefel and dual kiflayim mean 'double, twofold'.

Appears 5 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to double, fold double, double over

1a) (Qal) to double over

1b) (Niphal) to be doubled

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Exodus 26:9

Range of meaning

To double or fold double. The related noun kefel and dual kiflayim mean 'double, twofold'.

Against the English

Translations differ between 'double' (KJV, WEB), 'fold over double' (BSB) and 'double over' (ESV). All of these convey folding. None of them settles whether the folded half lies back on the roof or hangs down over the doorway.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 28:16 and 39:9: the high priest's breastpiece is 'doubled', folded to form a pouch a span square. Exod 26:24 and 36:29 use related wording for the corner frames. Job 41:13 [Heb 41:5] speaks of a 'double bridle', and Isa 40:2 says Jerusalem received 'double' (kiflayim) for her sins.

Where it appears

Exodus · 4

  1. Exodus 26:9 וְכָפַלְתָּ֙ and you will fold double

    Join five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another. Then fold the sixth curtain over double at the front of the tent.

    Here: To fold something so it lies in two layers. It is a craft word used elsewhere for the doubled breastpiece (Exod 28:16). Here it means folding the end cloth over on itself.

  2. Exodus 28:16 כָּפ֑וּל folded double

    It must be square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide.

  3. Exodus 39:9 כָּפ֖וּל כָּפֽוּל׃ folded double

    It was square when folded over double, a span long and a span wide.

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 21:14 וְתִכָּפֵ֞ל so it may be doubled

    ‘So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword that slays, a sword of great slaughter closing in on every side!

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.