סוּף
𐤎𐤅𐤐
çûwph
H5488 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A reed or rush, especially aquatic plants growing in or near bodies of water, with emphasis on marsh reeds such as papyrus. In the Hebrew Bible, סוּף refers to water plants along the Nile, in marshy habitats, and at the edge of lakes, notably specifying the vegetation along the 'Sea of Reeds' (יָם-סוּף), not necessarily the Red Sea known today. The term may also serve in combination with יָם to denote the 'Reed Sea', indicating a water body characterized by the presence of reeds.
Semantic Range
reed, rush, papyrus, marsh plant, aquatic plant near water's edge; sometimes as an element in toponyms ('Sea of Reeds')
Root / Etymology
The noun סוּף is possibly a loanword from Egyptian, related to Egyptian tjuf, t’f (‘reed,’ ‘papyrus’). The Hebrew root is uncertain and may not be native to Northwest Semitic. In Hebrew, the word came to describe marshy reeds, especially those of papyrus kind.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The primary sense in biblical Hebrew is of marsh or riverine reeds, with papyrus being the most well-known but not the only species intended. סוּף appears in passages regarding the bulrushes of the Nile where Moses was placed (Exodus 2:3,5), the vegetation that marks waters' edge, and as the geographical marker of the Israelites’ escape route from Egypt (יָם-סוּף). The rendering of יָם-סוּף as 'Red Sea' in later tradition is a mistranslation; the Hebrew original points to a body of water characterized by reeds, probably in the Nile Delta or around the Bitter Lakes, not the Red Sea as known today. The Septuagint sometimes translated the term according to similar Greek concepts (τά καλάμια), but often as Ἐρυθρὰ Θάλασσα (‘Red Sea’), which later informed English translations. Thereby, the main differences in usage hinge on period, context, and the interaction with Egyptian terrain and terminology. Related terms include אָחוּ (marsh grass/reed) and גֹּמֶא (papyrus reed), but סוּף is the broader, default term for 'reed' in Egyptian-context narratives.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably of Egyptian origin; a reed, especially the papyrus; flag, Red (sea), weed. Compare סוּף.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סוף (s-w-p̄) — reed, rush, aquatic plant
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5486 | סוּף | I will bring to an end |
| H5487 | סוּף | she came to an end |
| H5489 | סוּף | marsh-reed |
| H5490 | סוֹף | in the end of |
| H5491 | סוֹף | to end of |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5488-03 |
סּ֑וּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of Reeds | reed | 25 |
H5488-04 |
וָ/ס֖וּף | vasuf | HC/Ncmsa |
and rush | and reed | 1 |
H5488-02 |
הַ/סּ֔וּף | hasuf | HTd/Ncmsa |
the reeds | the marsh-reed | 1 |
H5488-01 |
בַּ/סּ֖וּף | basuf | HRd/Ncmsa |
among the reeds | in the reed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
28 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5488-01 |
Exodus 2:3 | בַּ/סּ֖וּף | basuf | HRd/Ncmsa |
among the reeds | in the reed |
H5488-02 |
Exodus 2:5 | הַ/סּ֔וּף | hasuf | HTd/Ncmsa |
the reeds | the marsh-reed |
H5488-03 |
Exodus 10:19 | סּ֑וּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of Reeds | reed |
H5488-03 |
Exodus 13:18 | ס֑וּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of [Re]ed | reed |
H5488-03 |
Exodus 15:4 | סֽוּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of Reeds | reed |
H5488-03 |
Exodus 15:22 | ס֔וּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of Reeds | reed |
H5488-03 |
Exodus 23:31 | סוּף֙ | suf | HNcmsa |
of Reeds | reed |
H5488-03 |
Numbers 14:25 | סֽוּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of-Reeds | reed |
H5488-03 |
Numbers 21:4 | ס֔וּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of Reeds | reed |
H5488-03 |
Numbers 33:10 | סֽוּף | suf | HNcmsa |
of Reed | reed |