סַרְפָּד
𐤎𐤓𐤐𐤃
çarpâd
H5636 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A type of stinging or irritating plant, likely an invasive or noxious weed, referred to in poetic or figurative contexts in the Hebrew Bible to connote desolation or neglect. Its precise botanical identification is uncertain; it is often associated with stinging nettle but may denote a class of brambly or annoyingly persistent weeds. The term is primarily used to evoke imagery of land left untended or cursed, where such plants flourish.
Semantic Range
stinging weed, nettle, bramble, irritant plant, general noxious weed; symbol of neglect or abandonment
Root / Etymology
From the root שרף (saraf), meaning 'to burn.' The word سַרְפָּד (sarpad) likely derives from the notion of burning with reference to the irritation or stinging sensation caused by contact with the plant, paralleling the burning caused by fire. The development is from the sensation of a sting (which feels like a minor burn) to the designation for the plant producing such a sensation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סַרְפָּד occurs infrequently and only in poetic or prophetic contexts (e.g., Proverbs 24:31; Isaiah 55:13), linked with the vocabulary of land abandonment and reversal of fertility. It often appears together or in parallel with חָחוּ (ḥāḥū, 'thorn' or 'brier') and similar terms, emphasizing the chaotic growth of wild plants where cultivated fields have fallen into neglect. English translations vary considerably (e.g., 'brier,' 'nettle,' 'thistle,' 'weed'), reflecting uncertainty regarding precise species; none exactly correspond to a known plant in modern botanical terms. Later Jewish tradition and ancient versions (e.g., LXX) likewise attest ambiguity. The word does not refer to 'briers' in the sense of large thorn-brush, but rather to smaller, irritant weeds. In post-biblical Hebrew, the term is retained in similar sense. The use of 'nettle' in English is conventional, but should not be taken as a definitive identification.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סָרַף; a nettle (as stinging like a burn); brier.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שרף (ś-r-p) — to burn, to incinerate, to be consumed by fire
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4955 | מִשְׂרָפָה | burnings |
| H8314 | שָׂרָף | the burning ones |
| H8316 | שְׂרֵפָה | the burning |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5636-01 |
הַ/סִּרְפַּ֖ד | hasirepad | HTd/Ncmsa |
the brier | the burning-weed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5636-01 |
Isaiah 55:13 | הַ/סִּרְפַּ֖ד | hasirepad | HTd/Ncmsa |
the brier | the burning-weed |