סָאַן
𐤎𐤀𐤍
çâʼan
H5431 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be muddy or miry; to tread or trampling in mud. Used in the participial form to describe one who is shod or equipped for travel or battle, particularly where contact with mud or difficult terrain is implied. In context, describes a person (often a warrior or traveler) whose feet are prepared for such conditions.
Semantic Range
to be muddy, to be shod, one who is shod, trampling in mud, (participial) a person equipped with sandals/soldier prepared for march
Root / Etymology
Root: סאן (s-ʼ-n). Derived as a denominative verb from the noun סְאוֹן (se'ōn), meaning 'sandal' or 'shoe.' The verb conveys the act of being shod, particularly with sandals suited for muddy or challenging terrain. The underlying root does not otherwise appear widely in Hebrew and seems to function only in relation to the notion of footwear or tramping through mud.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb סָאַן occurs extremely rarely in the Hebrew Bible, found in participial form in Nahum 3:17, where it likely refers to soldiers, possibly Assyrian or other military figures, prepared with sandals for battle or movement through muddy or rough conditions. The participial form ties directly to the concept of being 'shod'—having sandals on—rather than any explicit idea of 'miry' in a general sense. English translations often render the phrase in martial or active terms (e.g. 'warrior'), but the underlying Hebrew points more specifically to their prepared state (i.e. being shod for purpose), not their military prowess per se. The word is primarily relevant in exilic or later prophetic writings and does not appear in earlier periods or other contexts. It should not be conflated with terms meaning 'warrior' in a general sense, as its main focus is on footwear suited for difficult terrain.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to be miry; used only as denominative from סְאוֹן; to shoe, i.e. (active participle) a soldier shod; warrior.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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סאן (s-ʾ-n) — to tread, to be shod, to march through mud
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5430 | סְאוֹן | battle marching-boot |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5431-01 |
סֹאֵ֣ן | soen | HVqrmsa |
groaning | shod one | shod one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5431-01 |
Isaiah 9:4 | סֹאֵ֣ן | soen | HVqrmsa |
groaning | shod one | shod one |