סֹךְ
𐤎𐤊
çôk
H5520 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A shelter constructed from intertwined branches or foliage, often temporary, used as a place of protection or concealment. The term can refer to a hut, lair, or makeshift structure serving as a cover, particularly for animals or as a figurative dwelling. In poetic and prophetic texts, it can also signify a protective pavilion or covert.
Semantic Range
hut made of branches, animal lair, lair or den, covert, shelter, protective pavilion, figurative shelter or refuge
Root / Etymology
From the root סכך meaning 'to weave together, cover, shelter.' The noun סֹךְ designates something woven as a shelter, typically from intertwined branches, emphasizing its function as a place of covering or concealment derived from the action of weaving together for protection.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In early Israelite contexts, סֹךְ most commonly refers to a rudimentary shelter constructed for temporary use, often related to pastoral or wilderness life (e.g., animal lair or oven cover). The construction is rustic, lacking the permanence or sanctity of structures such as the מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, tabernacle) or the סֻכָּה (sukkah, booth for festival use). In poetic prophetic literature, especially in Psalms and Isaiah, סֹךְ may function metaphorically for divine protection or a haven in times of danger. English translations often render it as 'den,' 'covert,' or 'pavilion,' but each reflects a different nuance: 'den' implies an animal’s lair, while 'pavilion' introduces later, royal or ritual associations not always present in the original context. Unlike סֻכָּה, which later acquires ritual and festival significance for Israelites, סֹךְ generally retains a more basic sense of a woven, provisional shelter. The term does not carry later associations with Judean religious identity or ritual practice.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סָכַךְ; a hut (as of entwined boughs); also a lair; covert, den, pavilion, tabernacle.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סכך (s-k-k) — weave together, cover, shelter, protect
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4329 | מֵיסָךְ | sheltering portico of |
| H4537 | מָסַךְ | screening curtain |
| H4539 | מָסָךְ | the screening-curtain |
| H4540 | מְסֻכָּה | your shelter |
| H5519 | סָךְ | dense throng |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5520-02 |
סֻכּ֑/וֹ | suko | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his covert | his woven shelter | 2 |
H5520-01 |
בְּ/סֻכֹּ/ה֮ | besukoh | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
in His pavilion | in his woven-shelter | 1 |
H5520-03 |
בְ/סֻכֹּ֗/ה | vesukoh | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
in its thicket | in his woven shelter | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5520-02 |
Jeremiah 25:38 | סֻכּ֑/וֹ | suko | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his covert | his woven shelter |
H5520-03 |
Psalms 10:9 | בְ/סֻכֹּ֗/ה | vesukoh | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
in its thicket | in his woven shelter |
H5520-01 |
Psalms 27:5 | בְּ/סֻכֹּ/ה֮ | besukoh | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
in His pavilion | in his woven-shelter |
H5520-02 |
Psalms 76:3 | סֻכּ֑/וֹ | suko | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
His tabernacle | his woven shelter |