שְׁ֭פַנִּים

𐤔𐤐𐤍𐤉𐤌

shefanim

rock badgers

from שָׂפַן; a species of rockrabbit (from its hiding), i.e. probably the hyrax; coney.

H8227

Proverbs 30:26 · Word #1

Lexicon H8227

Lemmaשָׁפָן
Lemma (Paleo)𐤔𐤐𐤍
Transliterationshâphân
Strong'sH8227
In-contextrock badgers

Morphology HNcmpa All morphology codes

Part of Speech N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea
Subtype c — Common — Common noun
Gender m — Masculine — Masculine
Number p — Plural — Plural
State a — Absolute — The noun stands independently

SIBI-P1 H8227-03

the hiding-ones

Rootשפן (š-p-n)
Core Meaningsto cover, to hide, to panel, to conceal
Semantic Rangerock badgers, hyraxes, coneys; small rock-dwelling mammals known for seeking refuge in crevices
Conceptual SignificanceIn Scripture (e.g., Proverbs 30:26), these creatures exemplify smallness coupled with wisdom, finding security in rocky strongholds. Their name, rooted in hiding or covering, underscores themes of refuge and prudent concealment.
Morphological NotesCommon masculine plural noun (absolute state) from שָׁפָן (shaphan). No pronominal suffix; simple plural form.
Rendering RationaleThe noun שְׁפַנִּים is a masculine plural absolute form derived from the root שפן, "to cover" or "to hide." Rendering it as "the hiding-ones" preserves the plural masculine form and reflects the root sense that likely gave the animal its name—creatures characterized by concealment among rocks.

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root שפן (to cover, to hide, to panel, to conceal)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H8227-01 hashafan the hider
lashefanim for the hiders
H8227-02 shafan Hider

Word Usage (34 occurrences of H8227)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Leviticus 11:5 הַ/שָּׁפָ֗ן hashafan rock badger
Deuteronomy 14:7 הַ/שָּׁפָ֜ן hashafan the coney
2 Kings 22:3 שָׁפָ֨ן shafan Shaphan