קוֹף

# The Hebrew Word for Ape (H6971: קוֹף) The Hebrew word *qoph* denotes an ape, referring to a non-human primate animal. With only two occurrences in the biblical text, this term appears rarely in the Hebrew scriptures, suggesting either limited contact with or specialized interest in this particular creature among ancient Hebrew speakers and writers. The minimal frequency of this word—appearing just twice in the entire biblical corpus—indicates that apes were not commonplace animals in the ancient Levantine world. They were likely exotic creatures, either encountered through trade networks or known primarily through accounts from distant lands. The word's presence in the biblical text demonstrates that Hebrew speakers possessed terminology for identifying animals beyond their immediate environment, reflecting broader geographical awareness and commerce during the biblical period. Without additional lexical data about the specific contexts of these two occurrences, the full significance of this term within biblical narrative and thought remains constrained. The word itself simply denotes the animal category, but its rarity suggests it functioned more as a reference to an exotic or foreign creature than as a central element in Hebrew religious, cultural, or metaphorical discourse.