כִּבְשָׂה (H3535) — Hebrew Lexicon

כִּבְשָׂה

𐤊𐤁𐤔𐤄

kibsâh

H3535 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כבשׂ to subdue, to tread down (root); to be a lamb (noun sense, as a nominal derivative); to be female (in this form, through feminine suffix)

Definition

Female lamb; specifically a young female sheep, often used in sacrificial, ritual, or pastoral contexts. In the Hebrew Bible, כִּבְשָׂה (kibsâh) designates a female lamb by sex (as opposed to כֶּבֶשׂ keves, a male lamb), and the term appears primarily in legal and cultic passages specifying the offering or value of animals for sacrifice, restitution, or inheritance. The semantic range also extends to designating a female lamb in general pastoral or narrative settings.

Semantic Range

female lamb (young female sheep), female lamb for sacrifice, female lamb in property or narrative context

Root / Etymology

From the root כּ־ב־שׂ (כבשׂ), meaning 'to subdue, tread down,' but in this nominal form related to the noun כֶּבֶשׂ (keves) meaning 'lamb.' כִּבְשָׂה is the regular feminine form of כֶּבֶשׂ, formed by the addition of the standard feminine ending ָה. The root meaning 'to subdue' is distinct and not directly related to the animal term, which may be a denominative development or a homograph with uncertain etymological connection.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite literature, כִּבְשָׂה most frequently appears in legal and ritual texts (e.g., Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers), where differentiation between male and female sacrificial animals is regulated in cultic law. The requirement for a female lamb, as opposed to a male (כֶבֶשׂ), often occurs in contexts of prescribed offerings for specific rites, such as the sin or guilt offering. In non-cultic settings, the term occasionally appears to denote a female sheep among flocks, such as in parables or narrative accounts (cf. Nathan's parable in 2 Samuel 12:3), emphasizing ownership, value, or innocence. Unlike the later English term 'ewe,' which can refer to both young and mature female sheep, כִּבְשָׂה is specifically a lamb, not a full-grown ewe. English translations sometimes obscure the important sex and age distinctions embedded in the Hebrew terms. The word is closely related to, but distinct from, רָחֵל (rachel), which designates an adult female sheep (ewe) in Hebrew. The use and frequency of כִּבְשָׂה remain consistent across the primary periods of the biblical text and do not indicate significant semantic shift, but later Jewish literature and translation traditions (e.g., LXX, Vulgate) may favor general terms for sheep or lambs, occasionally conflating masculine and feminine animals.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or כַּבְשָׂה; feminine of כֶּבֶשׂ; a ewe; (ewe) lamb.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כבשׂ (k-b-ś) — to subdue, to tread down; lamb (nominal derivative)

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H3776	כִּשְׂבָּה	young ewe-lamb

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H3535-06`	וְ/כַבְשָׂ֥ה	vekhavesah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and ewe lamb	female lamb	2
`H3535-02`	כְּבָשֹׂת֙	kevasot	`HNcfpa`	ewe lambs	female lambs	2
`H3535-05`	כִּבְשֹׂ֥ת	kivesot	`HNcfpc`	ewe lambs	female lambs of	1
`H3535-04`	כִּבְשַׂת֙	kivesat	`HNcfsc`	ewe lamb	female lamb of	1
`H3535-03`	כִּבְשָׂ֨ה	kivesah	`HNcfsa`	ewe-lamb	female lamb	1
`H3535-01`	הַ/כִּבְשָׂ֖ה	hakivesah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	ewe lamb	the female lamb	1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H3535-05`	Genesis 21:28	כִּבְשֹׂ֥ת	kivesot	`HNcfpc`	ewe lambs	female lambs of
`H3535-02`	Genesis 21:29	כְּבָשֹׂת֙	kevasot	`HNcfpa`	ewe lambs	female lambs
`H3535-02`	Genesis 21:30	כְּבָשֹׂ֔ת	kevasot	`HNcfpa`	ewe lambs	female lambs
`H3535-06`	Leviticus 14:10	וְ/כַבְשָׂ֥ה	vekhavesah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and ewe lamb	female lamb
`H3535-06`	Numbers 6:14	וְ/כַבְשָׂ֨ה	vekhavesah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and ewe lamb	female lamb
`H3535-03`	2 Samuel 12:3	כִּבְשָׂ֨ה	kivesah	`HNcfsa`	ewe-lamb	female lamb
`H3535-04`	2 Samuel 12:4	כִּבְשַׂת֙	kivesat	`HNcfsc`	ewe lamb	female lamb of
`H3535-01`	2 Samuel 12:6	הַ/כִּבְשָׂ֖ה	hakivesah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	ewe lamb	the female lamb

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