סְאוֹן
𐤎𐤀𐤅𐤍
çᵉʼôwn
H5430 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A piece of footwear, likely a heavy boot or sandal, associated with warriors and warfare, emphasizing its use as a protective or military garment. The word implies footwear designed for marching in battle or traversing rough terrain. In context, it carries connotations of military readiness and may be symbolically connected with violence and the commotion of war.
Semantic Range
military boot, sandal for battle, warrior’s footwear, footwear used for marching or trampling in combat
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root סָאַן (san), which means 'to tread, to be muddy, to trample.' The noun סְאוֹן is formed to denote something used in treading or trampling, likely a boot or sandal. The etymology links the term to the act of marching or striking the ground, emphasizing robustness for combat or difficult terrain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סְאוֹן appears only in Isaiah 9:4 [Eng 9:5], in a passage describing the destructive accoutrements of war that will be abolished in the future as a sign of peace. The specific footwear referenced is not entirely clear, but it stands in parallel to 'garments rolled in blood,' underscoring implements of battle. The term is distinct from more common words for footwear in the Hebrew Bible such as נַעַל (na‘al, 'sandal'), and is specialized for military or harsh conditions. English translations often render it as 'boot' or 'military boot,' though the precise form and material are uncertain. Later Jewish interpretations sometimes interpreted the image symbolically. The context does not use later terms such as 'Jew,' and the footwear is not associated with ritual or religious function but strictly with battle imagery. The word is unique to the exilic or later exilic prophetic literature and does not appear in earlier Israelite texts, suggesting it may have had specialized or evolving usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סָאַן; perhaps a military boot (as aprotection from mud; battle.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סאן (s-ʾ-n) — to tread, trample, march, be muddy
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5431 | סָאַן | shod one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5430-01 |
סְאוֹן֙ | seon | HNcmsa |
anguish | battle marching-boot | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5430-01 |
Isaiah 9:4 | סְאוֹן֙ | seon | HNcmsa |
anguish | battle marching-boot |