Σήμ (G4590) — Greek Lexicon — Scattered Israelites

Σήμ

Sḗm

G4590 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper name: Sēm – Name of the biblical ancestor of several Near Eastern peoples, specifically identified as a son of Noah in genealogical lists; functions as an individual figure who is regarded as the forebear of populations identified as 'Semitic' in later tradition. The lexical meaning in Greek is that of a personal name, serving primarily as the label for this ancestor in Jewish and Christian texts.

Semantic Range

proper name (Shem), genealogical ancestor, referent in biblical lineages

Root / Etymology

Borrowed directly from Hebrew שֵם (Šēm), meaning 'name', through transliteration; the Greek form Σήμ is a phonetic rendering of the Hebrew. Not derived from a native Greek root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Σήμ occurs exclusively as a proper name in Greek biblical literature, most notably in genealogical contexts within the Septuagint and the genealogies of the New Testament (e.g., Luke 3:36). The original Hebrew name שֵם means 'name', but in Greek sources, the semantic content of 'name' is not active; rather, Σήμ is simply a personal name. Shem is depicted in Israelite tradition as the eldest or one of the sons of Noah, ancestor of groups later referred to as 'Semitic' peoples. The Greek usage does not extend beyond referencing this ancestral figure. Later terms like 'Semite' or 'Semitic' are modern linguistic and ethnographic constructs and are not implied by the Greek or Hebrew biblical usage. Standard English translations render Σήμ as 'Shem', which captures only the function of the term as a proper name. There is no broader semantic or typological scope in Koine Greek usage beyond its genealogical application. No association with geographic, ethnic, or religious identity categories in the Hellenistic or Roman periods except as inherited from biblical genealogical tradition.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (שֵׁם); Sem (i.e. Shem), a patriarch:-- Sem.

Root Family

Σήμ (Sēm) — proper name, ancestor, genealogical figure

Root Σημ- proper name, ancestor, figure in genealogies

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4590-01`	Σὴμ	sem	`N GEN M SG`	Shem	of Shem	Sem	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4590-01`	Luke 3:36	Σὴμ	sem	`N GEN M SG`	Shem	of Shem	Sem

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