סִין
𐤎𐤉𐤍
Sin
H5512 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place name referring to either a city in the northeastern Nile Delta region of Egypt or a wilderness in the southern region bordering the Sinai Peninsula. In the context of Hebrew Bible narratives, 'Sin' can denote (1) an Egyptian frontier city (often identified with Pelusium) near the Mediterranean coast, and (2) a geographically distinct wilderness region (typically 'the Wilderness of Sin') located between Elim and Sinai, through which the Israelites traveled during the exodus.
Semantic Range
city in Egypt on the eastern frontier (possibly Pelusium); wilderness region in southern Sinai between Elim and Sinai; place name of uncertain origin
Root / Etymology
Etymology uncertain. The root of סִין is not clear in Hebrew; it is not readily derived from any established Semitic root. The city Sin (Hebrew סִין) is likely a transliteration of an Egyptian place name, paralleled by Egyptian 'Swenet' (Syene/Aswan) or Greek 'Pelousion' (Pelusium) as possible referents; however, ancient correspondence is not securely established. As a wilderness name, it may reflect a pre-Hebrew or foreign substrate name, possibly related to Egyptian or Northwest Semitic place-naming traditions.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Ezekiel (Ezekiel 30:15-16), 'Sin' is referenced as a notable Egyptian city—probably Pelusium, an important fortress town in the Delta, long considered 'the strength of Egypt's frontiers.' In the wilderness narrative (Exodus 16:1; 17:1; Numbers 33:11-12), 'the Wilderness of Sin' is geographically distinct from the city in Egypt—a southern Sinai desert zone through which the Israelites are said to have traveled after leaving Elim on the way to Sinai. Later translations sometimes render both the city and wilderness as 'Sin' without distinction, which can obscure their different locations and significance. The term should not be confused with 'Sin' (as in 'Sinai') despite similar spellings or the English term for moral wrongdoing. Usage is limited and context-dependent, with no substantial evidence of the term carrying symbolic or theological meaning in biblical texts. In later periods, the place names lost clear identification as on-the-ground geography shifted; classical and modern attempts at identification remain uncertain.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain derivation; Sin the name of an Egyptian town and (probably) desert adjoining; Sin.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סין (s-y-n) — uncertain; place name of foreign or substrate origin
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5513 | סִינִי | the Sinite |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5512-01 |
סִ֔ין | sin | HNp |
of Sin | Sin | Sin | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5512-01 |
Exodus 16:1 | סִ֔ין | sin | HNp |
of Sin | Sin | Sin |
H5512-01 |
Exodus 17:1 | סִ֛ין | sin | HNp |
of Sin | Sin | Sin |
H5512-01 |
Numbers 33:11 | סִֽין | sin | HNp |
of Sin | Sin | Sin |
H5512-01 |
Numbers 33:12 | סִ֑ין | sin | HNp |
of Sin | Sin | Sin |
H5512-01 |
Ezekiel 30:15 | סִ֖ין | sin | HNp |
Sin | Sin | Sin |
H5512-01 |
Ezekiel 30:16 | סִ֔ין | sin | HNp |
Sin | Sin | Sin |