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סָבַךְ

𐤎𐤁𐤊

çâbak

H5440 verb

SILEX Entry

Root סבך to entwine, to interweave, to tangle, to enmesh

Definition

To entwine, interweave, or become tangled; to wrap or twist together. Used both of physical objects (such as brushwood, thickets, or intertwined branches) and, by extension, for actions or situations where things are enmeshed, entangled, or closely interlaced.

Semantic Range

to entwine, interweave, entangle, enmesh, wrap together, form a thicket, become tangled, wrap around

Root / Etymology

Root/etymology: Derived from the root סבך (s-b-kh), meaning to entwine or interweave. The verb form is a primitive root found in early Hebrew, typically signifying the physical act of intertwining or combining into a tangled mass.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, סָבַךְ commonly describes the act of plants, branches, or thickets growing together in dense, entangled clusters (e.g., Genesis 22:13, describing a ram caught in a thicket). Less frequently, it is extended to other contexts of physical or metaphorical entanglement. In the monarchic and exilic periods, the noun forms related to this root are primarily employed for natural overgrowth, with minimal figurative use. The sense of 'entwine' is consistent throughout biblical texts, but care should be taken not to overextend the metaphorical sense unless the context clearly supports it. Standard translations often choose 'thicket,' 'entangle,' or 'enmesh,' but some contexts emphasize the intertwined nature rather than mere obstruction or confusion, and English idiom may sometimes obscure this nuance. Compared to related terms like עָרַב (ʿārav – to mix or intermix), סָבַךְ focuses more on physical enmeshment and interlacing rather than blending or merging.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to entwine; fold together, wrap.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סבך (s-b-kh) — to entwine, interweave, tangle, enmesh

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5441 סֹבֶךְ his tangled thicket
H5442 סְבָךְ in the tangled thicket
H5443 סַבְּכָא interwoven lyre
H5444 סִבְּכַי Sibbekai
H7730 שׂוֹבֶךְ interwoven thicket of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5440-01 סְבֻכִ֔ים sevukhim HVqsmpa entangled entwined ones 1
H5440-02 יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ yesubakhu HVPi3mp are wrapped they will be entwined 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5440-01 Nahum 1:10 סְבֻכִ֔ים sevukhim HVqsmpa entangled entwined ones
H5440-02 Job 8:17 יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ yesubakhu HVPi3mp are wrapped they will be entwined
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