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שֵׂךְ

𐤔𐤊

sêk

H7899 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סכך to cover, to enclose, to shelter

Definition

A thorn or brier, particularly as it forms part of a hedge or defensive barrier; refers to a plant with spines or pricks used to impede or enclose. The word emphasizes the physical and sometimes metaphorical aspect of obstruction or defense via prickly vegetation.

Semantic Range

thorn, brier, prickly plant, hedge plant; obstruction; harmful or defensive vegetation, literal and metaphorical uses

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root סכך (to cover, enclose, shelter), possibly influenced by the similar sounding root שוך (to hedge in, fence). The word שֵׂךְ is a noun indicating a specific type of plant, likely a thorny species used to construct hedges or barriers.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שֵׂךְ appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Micah 7:4), where it forms part of imagery denoting obstruction or harmful entanglement, often metaphorically for people or situations that cause pain or difficulty. The botanical identification is uncertain, though the emphasis is on prickly or thornbush types of plants effective for creating fences. It is distinct from other terms like חָדָה (thorn) or דַּרְדַּר (thistle), which emphasize sharpness or waste. Later English translations render the term as 'brier' or 'thorn,' but such readings risk obscuring the nuance of a plant used specifically for enclosure or protection. In post-biblical Hebrew, the term does not survive, and its precise identification remains unclear.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סָכַךְ in the sense of שׂוּךְ; a brier (as of a hedge); prick.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סכך (s-k-k) — cover, enclose, shelter

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

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7899-01 לְ/שִׂכִּים֙ lesikim HR/Ncmpa pricks hedge-thorns 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7899-01 Numbers 33:55 לְ/שִׂכִּים֙ lesikim HR/Ncmpa pricks hedge-thorns
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