שִׁפְחַ֥ת
𐤔𐤐𐤇𐤕
shiphchâh
servant
A female slave or servant, specifically a woman of non-Israelite origin who is owned or possessed as property and serves within a household. The term designates an individual of lower social status, generally distinct from free women (whether Israelite or otherwise), and often functions in legal and social contexts to distinguish between classes of women in ancient Israel. In some settings, may refer to a female in servitude who could be given in marriage, bear children for her mistress (especially in cases of infertility), or transferred through inheritance. The semantic range includes slave girl, handmaid, maidservant, bondwoman, or concubine of lower status than a wife.
Genesis 16:8 · Word #3
Lexicon H8198
| Lemma | שִׁפְחָה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤔𐤐𐤇𐤄 |
| Transliteration | shiphchâh |
| Strong's | H8198 |
| Definition | A female slave or servant, specifically a woman of non-Israelite origin who is owned or possessed as property and serves within a household. The term designates an individual of lower social status, generally distinct from free women (whether Israelite or otherwise), and often functions in legal and social contexts to distinguish between classes of women in ancient Israel. In some settings, may refer to a female in servitude who could be given in marriage, bear children for her mistress (especially in cases of infertility), or transferred through inheritance. The semantic range includes slave girl, handmaid, maidservant, bondwoman, or concubine of lower status than a wife. |
Morphology HNcfsc
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | f — Feminine — Feminine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | c — Construct — The noun is bound to the following word |
Common Translation
| Phrase | servant |
SIBI-P1 Translation H8198-08
female slave of
| Morphological Notes | Noun, common, feminine singular, construct state. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun denotes a woman placed in servitude within a household, reflecting the root idea of one "extended" into another’s domain. The construct singular form requires the relational rendering "of," indicating possession or association. |
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