Saphar (סָפַר) has a fascinating semantic range: to count or number things (Genesis 15:5 — count the stars), and to tell or recount narratives (Psalm 22:31 — they will come and declare his righteousness). From this root come: sepher (book/scroll/letter), sopherim (scribes — counters/recorders), and mispar (number). The physical act of counting and the narrative act of declaring are related: both involve making an account of things.
The theological richness of saphar appears most powerfully in the Psalms. Psalm 19:1: 'The heavens declare (saphar) the glory of God' — creation itself is constantly telling/counting out the divine glory. Psalm 22:22: 'I will tell of your name to my brothers' — the righteous sufferer who was rescued now declares God's faithful acts. Psalm 78:4: 'We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD.' The scribes (sopherim) were the professional counters and declarer of God's word. God's own promise in Genesis 15:5 — 'Count (saphar) the stars if you are able to number them' — used the word that also means 'tell,' implying Abraham's descendants would be a story as vast and uncountable as the stars.
Saphar connects counting and storytelling into one act: to number something is to honor it, to make it count, to give it a story. Every star, every hair on your head (Matthew 10:30 — 'all are numbered'), every tear (Psalm 56:8 — God puts our tears in his bottle and records them) is kept in God's account. We are invited to join in this act of sacred declaration — saphar-telling the glory and faithfulness of God to the next generation.