סִינִים
𐤎𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤌
Sinim
H5515 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A distant land or people group referenced in Isaiah 49:12, typically understood as representing a remote region far to the east or south from the perspective of ancient Israel; often interpreted as a toponym denoting an unknown or far-off territory.
Semantic Range
distant land, remote people group, place far from Israel, (later interpreted as Syene, China, or unspecified distant East or South)
Root / Etymology
The word סִינִים (Sinim) appears in the plural form and is a toponym or ethnonym. Its root is uncertain, and there is no known Semitic root with the consonants ס-י-נ or associated cognates that clarify its origin. It is likely a loanword or an exonym referencing a foreign group or location.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סִינִים (Sinim) occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible, at Isaiah 49:12, in an oracle describing the regathering of dispersed Israelites from distant lands. The exact identification is uncertain. Some suggest a connection with places known from outside the Hebrew Bible, such as Syene (Aswan in southern Egypt, cf. Ezek 29:10, 30:6, Hebrew: סְוֵנֵה) or even China (due to phonetic similarities in much later tradition), but there is no direct historical or linguistic evidence for these identifications in the biblical period. Ancient and modern commentators generally agree that the term designates a very remote, eastern or southern region from the Israelite perspective, chosen for its connotation of distance rather than its precise geographic referent. The word's exact referent is lost to history, and English translations usually transliterate or footnote the term, sometimes misleadingly rendering it as 'Sinim' without further clarification. The word is distinct from other biblical terms for known regions such as Cush (Nubia/Ethiopia) or Sheba (southern Arabia). Its meaning did not shift over time due to its rare occurrence, and it likely served to indicate the broadest possible extent of the Israelite diaspora in prophetic speech.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
plural of an otherwise unknown name; Sinim, a distant Oriental region; Sinim.
Bantu Hebrew
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סינ (uncertain) (s-y-n (uncertain)) — uncertain; functions as a toponym for a distant land or people
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5515-01 |
סִינִֽים | sinim | HNp |
of Sinim | Sinim | Sinim | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5515-01 |
Isaiah 49:12 | סִינִֽים | sinim | HNp |
of Sinim | Sinim | Sinim |