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סוּס

𐤎𐤅𐤎

çûwç

H5483 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סוס to leap, skip (traditional but unattested), (root likely denotes the animal: horse)

Definition

A domesticated horse, primarily used in biblical texts as a riding or draft animal, often for cavalry or war purposes. The word is also attested in post-biblical Hebrew for 'horse.' In a few contexts (notably in post-biblical Hebrew and later Aramaic), a closely related form can mean 'swallow' (the bird), likely as an analogical extension due to movement or speed, but this meaning does not appear in the Hebrew Bible itself. The primary sense in the Hebrew Bible is equine, referring to the animal kept and used by humans.

Semantic Range

horse, cavalry horse, warhorse, (in later Hebrew: swallow, crane [bird])

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain; though Strong’s derives it from a presumed root meaning 'to skip' or 'to leap,' there is no securely attested Hebrew root סוס with this meaning in the Bible. Likely ancient loanword (cf. Ugaritic ssw, Egyptian ssw) for 'horse.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, סוּס refers almost exclusively to horses, which were animals of status and military importance, especially in later monarchic Israel and Judah. The introduction and proliferation of horses in Israelite society is associated with state-building and military development, as seen in descriptions of Egypt, the Arameans, and other surrounding peoples (e.g., Deuteronomy 17:16; 1 Kings 10:26, 2 Kings 23:11). The horse was generally not part of early Israelite rural life before the monarchy. Use of סוּס for horses is especially prominent in prophetic literature, royal annals, and descriptions of warfare, where chariots and cavalry symbolize military might or foreign influence. Occasionally, the term appears in poetic contexts signifying speed or strength. The word's use for 'swallow' (the bird) belongs to later Hebrew and Aramaic, and is not attested in the biblical period. English translations sometimes obscure the military connotations of סוּס by rendering it generically as 'horse,' but in biblical context, the term typically connotes a domesticated, likely male horse used for royal, military, or ceremonial purposes. Compare פָּרָשׁ (parash), which more narrowly refers to a 'horseman' or cavalryman, not the animal itself.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or סֻס; from an unused root meaning to skip (properly, for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid flight); crane, horse (-back, -hoof). Compare פָּרָשׁ.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

סוס (s-w-s) — horse (equine animal), cavalry animal

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2702 חֲצַר סוּסִים horses
H5484 סוּסָה to my mare
H5485 סוּסִי My-Horse
H5580 סָס he exulted

Word Forms

31 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5483-19 סוּסִים֒ susim HNcmpa horses horses 34
H5483-14 ס֔וּס sus HNcmsa horses horse 22
H5483-06 הַ/סּוּסִ֛ים hasusim HTd/Ncmpa of the horses the horses 15
H5483-05 הַ/סּ֖וּס hasus HTd/Ncmsa the horse the horse 11
H5483-26 וְ/ס֥וּס vesus HC/Ncmsa and horse and horse 9
H5483-15 סוּסָי/ו֙ susayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his horses his horses 7
H5483-08 כְּ/ס֤וּס kesus HR/Ncmsc like a horse like a horse 4
H5483-16 סוּסֵי/הֶ֣ם suseyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their horses their horses 4
H5483-01 בַּ/סּוּסִ֗ים basusim HRd/Ncmpa for the horses in the horses 4
H5483-11 לַ֭/סּוּס lasus HRd/Ncmsa for the horse to the horse 3

Occurrences in Scripture

141 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5483-01 Genesis 47:17 בַּ/סּוּסִ֗ים basusim HRd/Ncmpa for the horses in the horses
H5483-14 Genesis 49:17 ס֔וּס sus HNcmsa a horse horse
H5483-01 Exodus 9:3 בַּ/סּוּסִ֤ים basusim HRd/Ncmpa on the horses in the horses
H5483-14 Exodus 14:9 סוּס֙ sus HNcmsc horses horse
H5483-14 Exodus 14:23 ס֣וּס sus HNcmsc horses horse
H5483-14 Exodus 15:1 ס֥וּס sus HNcmsa horse horse
H5483-14 Exodus 15:19 ס֨וּס sus HNcmsc horse horse
H5483-14 Exodus 15:21 ס֥וּס sus HNcmsa the horse horse
H5483-13 Deuteronomy 11:4 לְ/סוּסָ֣י/ו lesusayv HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms to its horses to his horses
H5483-19 Deuteronomy 17:16 סוּסִים֒ susim HNcmpa horses horses
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