שֻׂכָּה
𐤔𐤊𐤄
sukkâh
H7905 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A barbed or spiked implement, most likely a weapon or martial device equipped with sharp, pointed projections. The term can refer specifically to a dart, spear, or javelin with a barbed head used in combat, emphasizing the presence of thorns or sharp points. In the singular, it indicates a singular implement; infrequently, it may indicate a collection or array of barbed weapons or spikes.
Semantic Range
barbed weapon, dart, spear with spikes, javelin with thorns, iron spike, martial implement with sharp points
Root / Etymology
From the root שׂכך (s-k-k), 'to entwine, interweave, cover, fence in,' but here the noun שֻׂכָּה is derived via the extended sense of a spiked or thorny fence, coming to refer to a barbed weapon, likely because of its sharp, thorn-like projections. While related to words for 'thicket' or 'covering,' this sense in weaponry emerges through metaphorical extension of the idea of something impassable or piercing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שֻׂכָּה (sukkâh) is attested in contexts describing weapons of war, emphasizing their barbed or thorny character (see, e.g., 2 Samuel 23:7), and is related to the motif of thorns and spiked objects in ancient Near Eastern martial imagery. Unlike the much more frequent use of סֻכָּה meaning 'hut' or 'booth,' this noun denotes an implement rather than a structure and is contextually restricted to weapons or defenses with protrusions. English translations often use 'dart,' 'barb,' or 'iron spike,' but these only approximate the original's full nuance, which evokes both the pain and the impassability associated with thorns. This term is distinct from שֹׂךְ (sakh), which can refer more broadly to fencing or hedging, not specifically to weaponry. The word does not continue into later Hebrew with this meaning and is not part of standard post-biblical terminology.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of שֹׂךְ in the sense of שֵׂךְ; a dart (as pointed like a thorn); barbed iron.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׂכך (s-k-k) — to entwine, to cover, to fence, to interweave
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7905-01 |
בְ/שֻׂכּ֣וֹת | vesukot | HR/Ncfpa |
with his folds/skin | barbed weapons | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7905-01 |
Job 40:31 | בְ/שֻׂכּ֣וֹת | vesukot | HR/Ncfpa |
with his folds/skin | barbed weapons |