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שִׁפְלָה

𐤔𐤐𐤋𐤄

shiphlâh

H8218 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שפל to be low, to humble, to bring down, to make low

Definition

A state or place of being physically low, low-lying terrain, or metaphorically, a condition of lowness or humbling. In its primary sense, shiphlâh refers to a depressed or sunken landscape, typically describing geographic features such as valleys or lowlands. The term can also denote a figurative state of humiliation, humility, or a position of low status.

Semantic Range

low area, low ground, lowland region, state of abasement, humility, humble state, depression (in physical or social sense)

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁפל (sh-p-l), meaning 'to be low, be humble, become abased.' שִׁפְלָה is the feminine noun form, denoting a condition or place characterized by lowness or depression.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, שִׁפְלָה most commonly refers to a region of low-lying land, particularly the Shephelah (שְׁפֵלָה)—the lowland region between the Judean hill country and the coastal plain. While the masculine form שֶׁפֶל often names the lowland region as a geographic term (especially in post-Exilic literature), שִׁפְלָה can denote both literal low places and, in some texts, states of abasement or humility. The figurative use, denoting a state of being humbled or brought low, appears in certain poetic or prophetic passages, highlighting a parallel to the more common שִׁפְלָה as a physical depression. English translations often render the term as 'lowland,' 'low place,' or 'humility/humiliation' depending on context, though some older translations use 'Shephelah' as a proper noun for the geographic region. The term preserves a distinct spatial and, at times, social emphasis on lowness or humility, compared with related words such as עֵמֶק (valley) which specifically denotes deep valleys, or עֲרָבָה (steppe, desert plain), which connotes flatness rather than lowness relative to surrounding terrain.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of שֶׁפֶל; depression; low place.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שפל (sh-p-l) — to be low, to humble, to bring down, to make low

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8213 שָׁפֵל I will bring low
H8216 שֶׁפֶל in the lowland
H8217 שָׁפָל in being low
H8219 שְׁפֵלָה in the lowland region
H8220 שִׁפְלוּת and in lowliness of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8218-01 וּ/בַ/שִּׁפְלָ֖ה uvashifelah HC/Rd/Ncfsa and-in-the-low-place and in the lowland 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8218-01 Isaiah 32:19 וּ/בַ/שִּׁפְלָ֖ה uvashifelah HC/Rd/Ncfsa and-in-the-low-place and in the lowland
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