שָׁחִיף
𐤔𐤇𐤉𐤐
shâchîyph
H7824 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A thin wooden board or plank, especially one prepared for use as paneling or ceiling covering. Typically refers to a slender piece of wood shaped or smoothed for construction purposes, particularly for lining or enclosing a space, such as a room or a chamber. Lexically, it denotes the material element itself (the board), but may also refer by extension to the act or state of being panelled or lined with such boards.
Semantic Range
thin board, planed plank, panel for ceilings or walls, paneling material
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שׁחף (sh-ch-p), which carries the sense of being thin, scoured, or chipped away, as seen in the noun שַׁחַף (sháchaf; a thin, perhaps scraped or chipped object). The form שָׁחִיף (shâchîyph) is a noun that denotes the result of this action — a thin, prepared board.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In its sole appearance in Habakkuk 2:11, שָׁחִיף refers to a wooden board used in the context of construction, likely for paneling (lining) walls or ceilings, a practice common in affluent buildings of the monarchic period. The term is functionally equivalent to other words for building materials, but שָׁחִיף emphasizes the thin, planed quality of the wood as opposed to generic lumber or beams. Unlike related terms such as קֶרֶשׁ (keresh, 'beam, plank') or לֻחוֹת (luchot, 'tablets, boards'), שָׁחִיף underscores lightness and planing. In English Bibles, it is sometimes translated as 'ceiled with boards,' but this phrase obscures the specific craftsmanship and material nuance connoted in Hebrew. The word does not carry religious or symbolic meaning in the biblical text but is vivid architectural vocabulary. Its meaning remains consistent; there is no evidence for semantic shift after the biblical period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as שַׁחַף; a board (as chipped thin); cieled with.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁחף (sh-ḥ-p) — to scour, strip, shave thin
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7824-01 |
שְׂחִ֥יף | sechif | HAamsc |
paneled | thin-planked | paneled | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7824-01 |
Ezekiel 41:16 | שְׂחִ֥יף | sechif | HAamsc |
paneled | thin-planked | paneled |