סְחִי
𐤎𐤇𐤉
çᵉchîy
H5501 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A substance or material regarded as refuse, waste, or dross—what is swept away or discarded due to lack of value. The term primarily denotes that which is swept off a surface, such as floor sweeps, rubbish, or the leavings after a cleansing process. By extension, it can refer to something considered abject, despised, or of no consequence in a social or ritual context.
Semantic Range
refuse, sweepings, rubbish, offscouring, what is discarded or swept aside; abject or despised material
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb סָחָה, which means 'to sweep away' or 'scrape off.' The noun form סְחִי is a concrete noun denoting what is produced by this action—the sweepings or refuse. The route from the verbal root indicates the result of the action, not the action itself.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word סְחִי is rare in the Hebrew Bible, found in contexts describing what is physically swept away or metaphorically referencing abjection. Notably, in Ezekiel 26:4, the term appears in imagery emphasizing destruction and removal of worth or significance. The sense of abjectness can be contrasted with other words for refuse or impurities (e.g., פֶּסֶל for 'filth' or שְׁפִי for 'dross'), marking סְחִי as more specifically 'what is swept away.' Later translations and traditions sometimes rendered this as 'offscouring' or 'scum,' but these terms carry stronger connotations in English than the Hebrew intends. In post-biblical Hebrew, the semantic field narrowed further, often restricted to literal sweepings or street refuse. Not to be confused with social terms for the marginalized, although some metaphorical overlap can be seen in prophetic or poetic uses.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סָחָה; refuse (as swept off); offscouring.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סחה (s-ḥ-h) — to sweep away, scrape off, remove by sweeping
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5500 | סָחָה | and I will thoroughly sweep away |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5501-01 |
סְחִ֧י | sechi | HNcmsa |
scum | swept-off refuse | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5501-01 |
Lamentations 3:45 | סְחִ֧י | sechi | HNcmsa |
scum | swept-off refuse |