סָבָא
𐤎𐤁𐤀
çâbâʼ
H5433 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To drink deeply, especially of wine or intoxicants; to become drunk or sated with drink. In extended usage, denotes one who habitually becomes drunk (a drunkard). The word primarily describes the act of drinking to excess, with a focus on reaching a state of inebriation or fullness through drinking.
Semantic Range
to drink deeply, to drink to excess, to become drunk, to satiate oneself with drink, drunkard (as participial/noun form), imbiber, wine-bibber
Root / Etymology
Root סבא (ס-ב-א), traditionally understood as related to 'drinking to fullness' or 'imbibing to excess.' The root is distinct from, but perhaps associated semantically with, the root שׂבע (s-b-ʻ, 'to be sated' or 'to be satisfied'), but סבא emphasizes the act of drinking and the resulting state of intoxication or satiety through drinking, not simply general satisfaction. Lexical cognates appear in related Semitic languages with similar senses.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb סָבָא is rare in biblical usage, appearing primarily in poetic or prophetic contexts (e.g., Isaiah 56:12, containing the participial form סָבוֹא). The nuance is stronger than simply 'to drink'; it consistently implies overindulgence, with connotations of moral or social reproach. The participial or nominal form can signify a habitual drinker ('drunkard'), which distinguishes it from terms like שָׁתָה (to drink) that lack this negative connotation. In some contexts, the term might carry a reference to group identity, as with 'Sabean' in some translations; this usage arises from contextual association (see Isaiah 45:14), but it is etymologically and lexically distinct from the root סבא meaning 'to drink to excess.' English translations such as 'drunkard' or 'wine-bibber' often reflect the social and moral sense, but the base meaning is the act of drinking excessively rather than merely the state of drunkenness. The vocabulary overlaps in meaning with other terms for inebriation (e.g., שָׁכַר), but סבא stresses the act of drinking to the point of being sated, not just the resulting condition.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to quaff to satiety, i.e. become tipsy; drunkard, fill self, Sabean, (wine-) bibber.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סבא (s-b-ʾ) — to drink deeply, to imbibe to excess, to become drunk
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5434 | סְבָא | Seba |
| H5435 | סֹבֶא | their intoxicating drink |
| H5436 | סְבָאִי | and Sebaites |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5433-04 |
סובאים | svvym | HVqrmpa |
drunkards | excess drinkers | 1 |
H5433-02 |
סְבוּאִ֑ים | sevuim | HVqsmpa |
drunkards | drunken ones | 1 |
H5433-06 |
בְ/סֹֽבְאֵי | vesoveey | HR/Vqrmpc |
among drunkards | in deep-drinking ones of | 1 |
H5433-01 |
סָבָאִ֖ים | savaim | HNcmpa |
Sabeans | deep-drinkers | 1 |
H5433-05 |
וְ/נִסְבְּאָ֣ה | venisebeah | HC/Vqh1cp |
and let us drink heavily | and let us become drunk | 1 |
H5433-03 |
סֹבֵ֣א | sove | HVqrmsa |
the-drunkard | deep-drinking one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5433-05 |
Isaiah 56:12 | וְ/נִסְבְּאָ֣ה | venisebeah | HC/Vqh1cp |
and let us drink heavily | and let us become drunk |
H5433-04 |
Ezekiel 23:42 | סובאים | svvym | HVqrmpa |
drunkards | excess drinkers |
H5433-01 |
Ezekiel 23:42 | סָבָאִ֖ים | savaim | HNcmpa |
Sabeans | deep-drinkers |
H5433-02 |
Nahum 1:10 | סְבוּאִ֑ים | sevuim | HVqsmpa |
drunkards | drunken ones |
H5433-06 |
Proverbs 23:20 | בְ/סֹֽבְאֵי | vesoveey | HR/Vqrmpc |
among drunkards | in deep-drinking ones of |
H5433-03 |
Proverbs 23:21 | סֹבֵ֣א | sove | HVqrmsa |
the-drunkard | deep-drinking one |