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סִיג

𐤎𐤉𐤂

çîyg

H5509 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סוג to turn aside, depart, move away

Definition

Metallic slag or dross; the waste material or impurities separated from metal during the refining process, typically during silver or gold smelting. In figurative usage, refers to people or things deemed worthless, rejected, or impure, especially in contexts of moral or religious purification.

Semantic Range

metal slag, dross, scoria, metallic refuse; by extension, something or someone regarded as impure, unworthy, rejected; moral impurity

Root / Etymology

The word סִיג (sig) is generally derived from the root סוּג, which at root means 'to turn aside, depart, move away.' The form סִיג refers specifically to the byproduct of smelting, the dross or scoria left after precious metals are refined. The concept of something moved away or cast off (refuse) underlies the shift from the root meaning to the specific lexical sense of dross.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, סִיג refers concretely to the dross produced during the refining of silver (cf. Proverbs 25:4, Isaiah 1:22, Ezekiel 22:18, Psalm 119:119). The metaphorical extension is notable: prophets employ it to speak of social or moral impurity, especially in passages where the purification or judgment of the people is in view. In these contexts, the term signals what is unworthy or separated out from that which is valuable. Later translators sometimes use 'dross' or 'refuse,' but the figurative sense is not always fully expressed in English. The word does not appear frequently, so its usage is relatively stable. סִיג should be distinguished from similar terms like סֶרֶף (seraph), which refers to a fiery serpent or burning one, rather than a metallurgical byproduct. The term continues into post-biblical Hebrew with the meaning of dross, maintaining both literal and figurative uses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or סוּג; (Ezekiel 22:18), from סוּג in the sense of refuse; scoria; dross.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סוג (s-w-g) — to turn aside, depart, move away

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5472 סוּג the ones turning back
H5473 סוּג enclosed one

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5509-05 סִגִ֥ים sigim HNcmpa dross metal drosses 4
H5509-02 לְ/סִיגִ֑ים lesigim HR/Ncmpa dross to metallic slags 2
H5509-04 סִיגָ֑יִ/ךְ sigayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs your dross your drosses 1
H5509-01 לְ/סִ֑יג lesig HR/Ncmsa dross to metallic dross 1
H5509-03 ל/סוג lsvg HR/Ncmsa dross to metallic dross 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5509-02 Isaiah 1:22 לְ/סִיגִ֑ים lesigim HR/Ncmpa dross to metallic slags
H5509-04 Isaiah 1:25 סִיגָ֑יִ/ךְ sigayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs your dross your drosses
H5509-03 Ezekiel 22:18 ל/סוג lsvg HR/Ncmsa dross to metallic dross
H5509-01 Ezekiel 22:18 לְ/סִ֑יג lesig HR/Ncmsa dross to metallic dross
H5509-05 Ezekiel 22:18 סִגִ֥ים sigim HNcmpa dross metal drosses
H5509-02 Ezekiel 22:19 לְ/סִגִ֑ים lesigim HR/Ncmpa dross to metallic slags
H5509-05 Psalms 119:119 סִגִ֗ים sigim HNcmpa scum metal drosses
H5509-05 Proverbs 25:4 סִיגִ֣ים sigim HNcmpa the dross metal drosses
H5509-05 Proverbs 26:23 סִ֭יגִים sigim HNcmpa dross metal drosses
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