שָׁפָה
𐤔𐤐𐤄
shâphâh
H8194 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A mass of curds or cheese, specifically representing milk that has been coagulated and separated from its whey, generally by straining. The term refers to a dairy product common in daily life and diet of the ancient Israelites, most typically soft, fresh cheese or curds rather than hard, aged varieties.
Semantic Range
curds, cheese (fresh or soft), coagulated milk, strained dairy product
Root / Etymology
Root: שָׁפָה (to scrape, skim, or shave off; to remove or extract by scraping/straining). The noun שָׁפָה in this sense derives from the underlying verbal idea of separating or skimming the solid material from a liquid, i.e., curds from whey.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שָׁפָה occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible (only in Job 10:10), where it refers to the coagulated state of milk curdled into cheese or curds by a natural process. The root שָׁפָה primarily denotes 'to scrape, skim, or remove,' providing the image of collecting or removing the coagulated part (curds) from the liquid (whey), consistent with traditional practices of cheese making in the ancient Near East. There is a contrast with the word גְּבִינָה (gevina, H1379), which also means 'cheese' but may refer more specifically to pressed or hardened cheese; שָׁפָה more likely denotes fresh or soft cheese. In the ancient Israelite context, cheese/curds (שָׁפָה) were a basic product of pastoral life, not a luxury. English 'cheese' may sometimes miss the fresh, unaged quality implied by the Hebrew term. Later Hebrew and Aramaic usage continues this association with dairy products. The word is vivid in its only attestation, poetically describing the process of human formation as analogous to milk being curdled into shapable curds.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁפָה in the sense of clarifying; a cheese (as strained from the whey); cheese.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שפה (š-p-h) — to skim, scrape, remove by skimming
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8194-01 |
וּ/שְׁפ֣וֹת | ushefot | HC/Ncfpc |
and cheese | and strained curds of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8194-01 |
2 Samuel 17:29 | וּ/שְׁפ֣וֹת | ushefot | HC/Ncfpc |
and cheese | and strained curds of |