סְאָה
𐤎𐤀𐤄
çᵉʼâh
H5429 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A dry measure of capacity used in ancient Israel, approximately equivalent to six to seven liters, predominantly employed for measuring quantities of grain or meal. The term is typically used as a unit of volume in legal, ritual, and narrative texts to specify amounts of agricultural produce.
Semantic Range
dry measure of volume, specifically for grain or meal; precise unit of capacity (approximately 6-7 liters); used in both ritual/legal and narrative contexts as a standardized quantity
Root / Etymology
From the root סאה, though the root is otherwise unattested in Biblical Hebrew and the original verbal sense is uncertain; likely related to an ancient Semitic measure, but the precise relationship and cognates are unclear. Associated with the concept of dividing or quantifying.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The סְאָה (se'ah) appears in Biblical, post-exilic, and rabbinic sources as a standard measure for dry goods, particularly grain. In the Hebrew Bible, it is used to specify portions in narratives (Genesis 18:6), legal, and ritual contexts (2 Kings 7:1, 16, 18). The se'ah is one-third of an ephah and one-sixth of a bath (liquid measure), establishing its place in the Israelite system of measures. It is never used for liquid measure. Later, during Second Temple and rabbinic periods, the value of a se'ah became fixed at approximately 7 liters. English translations sometimes simply transliterate as 'seah' or render it as 'measure,' but such renderings can obscure the specific historical value and cultural context. In contrast to related terms like אֵיפָה (ephah, a larger dry measure) and קַב (kab, a smaller one), the סְאָה is a mid-range unit, integral to the hierarchical system of Hebrew dry measures. Modern readers should be wary of anachronistic conversions or overly generic translations, which risk losing the specificity of the Israelite measurement system.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to define; a seah, or certain measure (as determinative) forgrain; measure.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סאה (s-ʾ-h) — measure, quantify, divide into units
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5432 | סַאסְּאָה | in a se'ah-measure |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5429-05 |
וְ/סָאתַ֧יִם | vesatayim | HC/Ncfda |
and two seahs | and two seah-measures | 2 |
H5429-01 |
סָאתַ֣יִם | satayim | HNcfda |
two seahs | two dry-measures | 2 |
H5429-03 |
סְאִים֙ | seim | HNcfpa |
measures of | grain-measures | 2 |
H5429-02 |
סְאָֽה | seah | HNcfsa |
a seah | grain-measure | 2 |
H5429-04 |
וּֽ/סְאָה | useah | HC/Ncfsa |
and a seah | a grain-measure | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5429-03 |
Genesis 18:6 | סְאִים֙ | seim | HNcfpa |
seahs/measures | grain-measures |
H5429-03 |
1 Samuel 25:18 | סְאִים֙ | seim | HNcfpa |
measures of | grain-measures |
H5429-01 |
1 Kings 18:32 | סָאתַ֣יִם | satayim | HNcfda |
two seahs | two dry-measures |
H5429-02 |
2 Kings 7:1 | סְאָֽה | seah | HNcfsa |
a seah | grain-measure |
H5429-05 |
2 Kings 7:1 | וְ/סָאתַ֧יִם | vesatayim | HC/Ncfda |
and two seahs | and two seah-measures |
H5429-02 |
2 Kings 7:16 | סְאָה | seah | HNcfsa |
a seah | grain-measure |
H5429-05 |
2 Kings 7:16 | וְ/סָאתַ֧יִם | vesatayim | HC/Ncfda |
and two seahs | and two seah-measures |
H5429-01 |
2 Kings 7:18 | סָאתַ֨יִם | satayim | HNcfda |
two seahs | two dry-measures |
H5429-04 |
2 Kings 7:18 | וּֽ/סְאָה | useah | HC/Ncfsa |
and a seah | a grain-measure |