שָׂפָה
𐤔𐤐𐤄
sâphâh
H8193 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The anatomical lip; by extension, the edge or boundary of an object, especially a vessel or body of water; in abstract or collective sense, language or speech. In concrete contexts, refers to the physical lips as organs for speaking or as an indicator of speech; in spatial contexts, describes the border, margin, or rim of diverse entities.
Semantic Range
lip (anatomical), edge or rim (of a vessel, garment, or spatial feature), border (of water or terrain), seashore, bank (of a river), speech, language, utterance, words, margin
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root שׂפה, traditionally understood as relating to the notion of a boundary or termination. The root conveys the sense of marking out or forming a limit, which developed into references to the literal lips (as limits of the mouth), and metaphorically, to any edge or boundary (such as the bank of a river or brim of a vessel). The extension to 'language' or 'speech' arises via metonymy, as speech expresses itself through the lips.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In early Israelite texts, שָׂפָה most often refers literally to the lips, both as body parts and as the instruments of speech (e.g., prayers, vows, deceit, praise). The transition to 'language' (as in Genesis 11's description of a single שָׂפָה for all humanity) reflects a conceptual progression whereby lips represent the act or system of speaking. Later, the word applies to the edge or border of vessels, garments, rivers, and especially the seashore (e.g., Genesis 22:17). The use for 'language' remains significant in exilic and post-exilic texts, especially in discussions of unity, confusion, or diversity of peoples. While English translations frequently use 'lip', 'speech', 'language', and 'shore', no single term in English captures the range of concrete anatomical, spatial, and abstract linguistic reference carried by שָׂפָה. The related root סָפָה ('to end, consume') and noun סוֹף ('end') are semantically adjacent but distinct; שָׁפָה ('to sweep away') is not directly related etymologically despite some overlap in semantic field. Unlike related terms such as פֶּה ('mouth'), שָׂפָה primarily describes the boundary or margin, rather than the cavity or orifice at the center.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (in dual and plural) שֶׂפֶת; probably from סָפָה or שָׁפָה through the idea of termination (compare סוֹף); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.); band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׂפה (ś-p-h) — edge, boundary, lip
Word Forms
39 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8193-13 |
שְׂפַ֥ת | sefat | HNcfsc |
lip | edge-of | 39 |
H8193-16 |
שְׂפָתַ֔/י | sefatay | HNcfdc/Sp1cs |
my lips | my two lips | 19 |
H8193-25 |
שִׂפְתֵ֤י | sifetey | HNcfdc |
lips | edges of | 17 |
H8193-17 |
שְׂפָתָֽיִם | sefatayim | HNcfda |
of lips | lips | 16 |
H8193-18 |
שְׂפָתָ֖י/ו | sefatayv | HNcfdc/Sp3ms |
his lips | his lips | 14 |
H8193-12 |
שָׂפָ֣ה | safah | HNcfsa |
of lip | lip | 9 |
H8193-20 |
שְׂפָתֶ֖י/ךָ | sefateykha | HNcfdc/Sp2ms |
your lips | your lips | 7 |
H8193-23 |
שְׂפָת֕/וֹ | sefato | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
its edge | his lip | 5 |
H8193-19 |
שְׂפָתֶ֔י/הָ | sefateyha | HNcfdc/Sp3fs |
of her lips | her lips | 5 |
H8193-06 |
בִּ/שְׂפָתָֽי/ו | bisefatayv | HR/Ncfdc/Sp3ms |
with his lips | in his lips | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
177 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8193-12 |
Genesis 11:1 | שָׂפָ֣ה | safah | HNcfsa |
language | lip |
H8193-34 |
Genesis 11:6 | וְ/שָׂפָ֤ה | vesafah | HC/Ncfsa |
and language | lip-boundary |
H8193-15 |
Genesis 11:7 | שְׂפָתָ֑/ם | sefatam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their language | their lip |
H8193-13 |
Genesis 11:7 | שְׂפַ֥ת | sefat | HNcfsc |
language | edge-of |
H8193-13 |
Genesis 11:9 | שְׂפַ֣ת | sefat | HNcfsc |
language | edge-of |
H8193-13 |
Genesis 22:17 | שְׂפַ֣ת | sefat | HNcfsc |
the shore | edge-of |
H8193-13 |
Genesis 41:3 | שְׂפַ֥ת | sefat | HNcfsc |
the bank | edge-of |
H8193-13 |
Genesis 41:17 | שְׂפַ֥ת | sefat | HNcfsc |
the bank | edge-of |
H8193-13 |
Exodus 2:3 | שְׂפַ֥ת | sefat | HNcfsc |
the bank of | edge-of |
H8193-17 |
Exodus 6:12 | שְׂפָתָֽיִם | sefatayim | HNcfda |
lips | lips |