Original Word: גֶּפֶן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: gephen
Pronunciation: gheh'-fen
Phonetic Spelling: (gheh'-fen)
KJV: vine, tree
NASB: vine, vines
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to bend]
1. a vine (as twining), especially the grape
From an unused root meaning to bend; a vine (as twining), especially the grape -- vine, tree.
גפף (√ of following; compare Syriac in derivatives, curved, convex; also Arabic both hilly country and depression, Frey.)
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"Gephen" refers to the cultivated grapevine, a staple of the hill-country economy from patriarchal days through the Second Temple era. Terraced slopes around Hebron, Shechem, Jezreel, Carmel, and the Judean highlands were famed for their vines (Genesis 49:11; Numbers 13:23). The plant’s deep roots and ability to thrive in rocky soil made it the ideal cash crop for family farms. Grapes supplied:
• Fresh fruit (Numbers 13:20)
• Dried raisins (1 Samuel 25:18)
• Must and wine for daily use, offerings, and medicinal purposes (Proverbs 31:6; 1 Timothy 5:23)
Token of Covenant Blessing
From Eden’s implicit botanical variety to the Promised Land’s description as a place "of vines and fig trees and pomegranates" (Deuteronomy 8:8), the vine embodies God’s provision. Mosaic obedience brought the promise that "you will plant vineyards and eat their fruit" (Deuteronomy 28:30, positive side in 28:1-12), whereas disobedience reversed the blessing. Solomon’s era of peace was pictured as each man "under his own vine and fig tree" (1 Kings 4:25), a shorthand for national security and prosperity echoed by the prophets (Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10).
Legal and Liturgical Regulations
• Vintage gleanings were to remain for the poor and the sojourner: "When you harvest the grapes of your vineyard, you are not to glean what is left. Leave it for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow" (Deuteronomy 24:21).
• The first four years of fruit from newly planted vines were withheld for the LORD; the fifth year could be eaten (Leviticus 19:23-25).
• Nazirites avoided all products "from seed to skin" of the vine during their vow (Numbers 6:3-4; Judges 13:14).
• Drink offerings accompanying many sacrifices (e.g., Numbers 15:5,10) presupposed a steady supply of wine from the vine.
Israel as the LORD’s Vine
Psalm 80:8-11 recounts how God "transplanted a vine from Egypt," cleared the ground, and it filled the land—an Exodus-Canaan metaphor stressing election and nurture. Isaiah 5:1-7’s "Song of the Vineyard" intensifies the image: despite meticulous tending, the vine yields wild grapes, leading to judgment. Jeremiah 2:21, Hosea 10:1, and Ezekiel 15 & 17 develop the same theme—wayward Israel forfeits her privileged status.
Portrait of the Righteous and the Home
In wisdom literature the vine figures domestic felicity: "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house" (Psalm 128:3). It also illustrates temperance and joy: "Wine that gladdens the heart of man" (Psalm 104:15) versus the mocker of excess (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35).
Instrument of Divine Judgment
Yahweh can withhold vintage by drought, blight, or invading armies. Locust swarms "laid waste My vine" (Joel 1:7). Assyria is likened to a pruner stripping branches bare (Isaiah 18:5-6). In the apocalyptic Day of the LORD the ripe clusters of the earth’s "vine" are thrown into the great winepress of wrath (although the Hebrew word there is not gephen, the imagery loops back to Old Testament vine theology and anticipates Revelation 14:18-20).
Promise of Eschatological Restoration
Amos 9:14 previews a future when Israel "will plant vineyards and drink their wine." Isaiah 27:2-6 envisions a fruitful, protected vine filling the world with produce. These oracles set the stage for Second Temple hopes and later Messianic expectations.
Messianic and New Testament Resonance
The Greek ampelos in John 15 consciously echoes the Hebrew gephen. Jesus declares, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser... apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:1-5). By claiming to be the genuine vine, He fulfills the failed corporate symbolism of Israel, embodying perfect obedience and abundant life. Disciples, as branches, inherit the covenant fruitfulness originally intended for the nation (cf. Romans 11:16-24’s olive metaphor).
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Dependence: As a vine cannot be self-supporting, believers draw life and productivity solely from Christ.
2. Fruit Inspection: Isaiah 5 and John 15 stress quality over mere proliferation—spiritual fruit must match divine cultivation.
3. Stewardship: Old Testament gleaning laws inform Christian generosity, urging the withholding of "edges" for the poor.
4. Hope: Prophecies of restored vineyards underpin assurance that present pruning yields future fruit.
Representative Occurrences of גֶּפֶן
Genesis 40:9-10; Numbers 13:20; Deuteronomy 32:32; Judges 9:12-13; 1 Kings 21:1-2; 2 Kings 18:31; Psalm 80:8; Proverbs 24:30; Song of Songs 2:15; Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 6:9; Hosea 14:7; Micah 4:4; Zechariah 8:12.
Summary
Gephen threads through Scripture as literal sustenance, covenant symbol, moral parable, and prophetic signpost—culminating in the revelation of the true Vine whose branches bear lasting fruit to the Father’s glory.
Genesis 40:10
HEB: וּבַגֶּ֖פֶן שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה שָׂרִיגִ֑ם
NAS: and on the vine [were] three branches.
KJV: And in the vine [were] three branches:
INT: the vine three branches
Genesis 49:11
HEB: אֹסְרִ֤י לַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ [עִירֹה כ]
NAS: [his] foal to the vine, And his donkey's
KJV: his foal unto the vine, and his ass's
INT: ties to the vine colt to the choice
Numbers 6:4
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵעָשֶׂ֜ה מִגֶּ֣פֶן הַיַּ֗יִן מֵחַרְצַנִּ֛ים
NAS: by the grape vine, from [the] seeds
KJV: of the vine tree, from the kernels
INT: is produced vine the grape from seeds
Numbers 20:5
HEB: זֶ֗רַע וּתְאֵנָ֤ה וְגֶ֙פֶן֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן וּמַ֥יִם
NAS: or figs or vines or pomegranates,
KJV: or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates;
INT: of grain figs vines pomegranates water
Deuteronomy 8:8
HEB: חִטָּה֙ וּשְׂעֹרָ֔ה וְגֶ֥פֶן וּתְאֵנָ֖ה וְרִמּ֑וֹן
NAS: and barley, of vines and fig trees
KJV: and barley, and vines, and fig trees,
INT: of wheat and barley of vines and fig and pomegranates
Deuteronomy 32:32
HEB: כִּֽי־ מִגֶּ֤פֶן סְדֹם֙ גַּפְנָ֔ם
NAS: For their vine is from the vine
KJV: For their vine [is] of the vine
INT: For their vine of Sodom the vine
Deuteronomy 32:32
HEB: מִגֶּ֤פֶן סְדֹם֙ גַּפְנָ֔ם וּמִשַּׁדְמֹ֖ת עֲמֹרָ֑ה
NAS: For their vine is from the vine of Sodom,
KJV: For their vine [is] of the vine of Sodom,
INT: their vine of Sodom the vine the fields of Gomorrah
Judges 9:12
HEB: וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ הָעֵצִ֖ים לַגָּ֑פֶן לְכִי־ אַ֖תְּ
NAS: said to the vine, 'You come,
KJV: the trees unto the vine, Come
INT: said the trees to the vine come you
Judges 9:13
HEB: וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הַגֶּ֔פֶן הֶחֳדַ֙לְתִּי֙ אֶת־
NAS: But the vine said
KJV: And the vine said
INT: said the vine leave my new
Judges 13:14
HEB: אֲשֶׁר־ יֵצֵא֩ מִגֶּ֨פֶן הַיַּ֜יִן לֹ֣א
NAS: that comes from the vine nor
KJV: of any [thing] that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink
INT: that comes the vine wine should not
1 Kings 4:25
HEB: אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֤חַת גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְתַ֣חַת תְּאֵֽנָת֔וֹ
NAS: under his vine and his fig tree,
KJV: every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
INT: every under his vine under and his fig
2 Kings 4:39
HEB: אֹרֹת֒ וַיִּמְצָא֙ גֶּ֣פֶן שָׂדֶ֔ה וַיְלַקֵּ֥ט
NAS: a wild vine and gathered
KJV: a wild vine, and gathered
INT: herbs and found vine A wild and gathered
2 Kings 18:31
HEB: וְאִכְל֤וּ אִישׁ־ גַּפְנוֹ֙ וְאִ֣ישׁ תְּאֵֽנָת֔וֹ
NAS: each of his vine and each
KJV: ye every man of his own vine, and every one
INT: eat each of his vine and each of his fig
Job 15:33
HEB: יַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְר֑וֹ וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ
NAS: his unripe grape like the vine, And will cast off
KJV: his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off
INT: will drop the vine grape and will cast
Psalm 78:47
HEB: יַהֲרֹ֣ג בַּבָּרָ֣ד גַּפְנָ֑ם וְ֝שִׁקְמוֹתָ֗ם בַּֽחֲנָמַֽל׃
NAS: He destroyed their vines with hailstones
KJV: He destroyed their vines with hail,
INT: destroyed hailstones their vines and their sycamore frost
Psalm 80:8
HEB: גֶּ֭פֶן מִמִּצְרַ֣יִם תַּסִּ֑יעַ
NAS: You removed a vine from Egypt;
KJV: Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt:
INT: A vine Egypt removed
Psalm 80:14
HEB: וּרְאֵ֑ה וּ֝פְקֹ֗ד גֶּ֣פֶן זֹֽאת׃
NAS: and take care of this vine,
KJV: and behold, and visit this vine;
INT: and see and take vine Even
Psalm 105:33
HEB: וַיַּ֣ךְ גַּ֭פְנָם וּתְאֵנָתָ֑ם וַ֝יְשַׁבֵּ֗ר
NAS: He struck down their vines also and their fig trees,
KJV: He smote their vines also and their fig trees;
INT: struck their vines and their fig and shattered
Psalm 128:3
HEB: אֶשְׁתְּךָ֤ ׀ כְּגֶ֥פֶן פֹּרִיָּה֮ בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֪י
NAS: shall be like a fruitful vine Within
KJV: [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides
INT: your wife vine A fruitful Within
Songs 2:13
HEB: חָֽנְטָ֣ה פַגֶּ֔יהָ וְהַגְּפָנִ֥ים ׀ סְמָדַ֖ר נָ֣תְנוּ
NAS: its figs, And the vines in blossom
KJV: her green figs, and the vines [with] the tender grape
INT: has ripened figs and the vines blossom have given
Songs 6:11
HEB: לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲפָֽרְחָ֣ה הַגֶּ֔פֶן הֵנֵ֖צוּ הָרִמֹּנִֽים׃
NAS: To see whether the vine had budded
KJV: [and] to see whether the vine flourished,
INT: to see had budded the vine budded the pomegranates
Songs 7:8
HEB: שָׁדַ֙יִךְ֙ כְּאֶשְׁכְּל֣וֹת הַגֶּ֔פֶן וְרֵ֥יחַ אַפֵּ֖ךְ
NAS: be like clusters of the vine, And the fragrance
KJV: shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell
INT: your breasts clusters of the vine and the fragrance of your breath
Songs 7:12
HEB: אִם פָּֽרְחָ֤ה הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ פִּתַּ֣ח הַסְּמָדַ֔ר
NAS: whether the vine has budded
KJV: let us see if the vine flourish,
INT: whether has budded the vine have opened blossoms
Isaiah 7:23
HEB: שָּׁ֛ם אֶ֥לֶף גֶּ֖פֶן בְּאֶ֣לֶף כָּ֑סֶף
NAS: there used to be a thousand vines, [valued] at a thousand
KJV: shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand
INT: in it thousand vines A thousand silver
55 Occurrences
Strong's Hebrew 1612
55 Occurrences
bag·gə·p̄ā·nîm — 1 Occ.
bag·ge·p̄en — 1 Occ.
ḵag·gā·p̄en — 1 Occ.
ḵag·ge·p̄en — 2 Occ.
ḡā·p̄en — 1 Occ.
gap̄·nāh — 1 Occ.
gap̄·nām — 2 Occ.
gap̄·nə·ḵā — 1 Occ.
gap̄·nî — 1 Occ.
gap̄·nōw — 4 Occ.
gap̄·nām — 1 Occ.
ḡe·p̄en — 10 Occ.
hag·ge·p̄en — 13 Occ.
kag·ge·p̄en — 1 Occ.
kə·ḡe·p̄en — 1 Occ.
lag·gā·p̄en — 1 Occ.
lag·ge·p̄en — 1 Occ.
lə·ḡe·p̄en — 3 Occ.
mig·ge·p̄en — 4 Occ.
ū·ḇag·ge·p̄en — 1 Occ.
wā·ḡe·p̄en — 1 Occ.
wə·ḡe·p̄en — 2 Occ.
wə·hag·gə·p̄ā·nîm — 1 Occ.