Caphar-
(the Latinized form of the Hebrews prefix כּפִראּ, Kefar', the "construct form" of Kaophar', כָּפָר, from the root of the same form signifying "to cover," Gesenisi, Thesaur. p. 707), one of the numerous words employed in the Bible (and still oftener in later or, rabbinical Hebrew) to denote a village or collection of dwellings smaller than a city (Reland, Palcest. p. 516). See IR-. Stanley proposes to render it by "hamlet" (Palest. App. § 87), to distinguish its occurrences from those of Chavvah, Chatser, Bayith,
and other similar words. As an appellative it is found only three times: 1Ch 27:25; Song 7:11, and 1Sa 6:18 (in the last the pointing being different, Ko'pher, כֹּפֶּר); but in neither is there anything to enable us to fix any special force to the word. In names of places, it occurs in CHEPHAR-AKMMONAI, CHEPHIRAH, CAPHAR- SALAMA, and those here following; also CAPERNAUM, CAPARCOTIA, etc. But the number of places compounded therewith mentioned in the Talmud shows that the name became a much commoner one at a time subsequent to the Biblical history. See the words beginning with KEPHAR-. In Arabic, the corresponding local epithet Kefr is in frequent use (see the lists in Robinson's Researches, 3, Append.).
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More