סַבְתָּא
𐤎𐤁𐤕𐤀
Saveta
H5454 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name designating a son of Cush listed among the descendants of Ham, and by extension, the eponymous ancestor of a people or region associated with his descendants. The specific geographic region or people referenced is uncertain but is likely linked to an area or group along the southwestern coasts of Arabia or northeast Africa. The term appears exclusively in genealogical or ethnological lists (Genesis 10:7; 1 Chronicles 1:9), referring both to the individual and to the ethnic group or region derived from this ancestor.
Semantic Range
personal name, eponymous ancestor, name of people group, name of (unidentified) region
Root / Etymology
The root and precise etymology are uncertain; the name is likely of foreign (non-Hebrew, possibly South Arabian or Nubian) derivation, consistent with other names in Genesis 10 associated with non-Israelite lineages. No plausible derivation within standard Hebrew root patterns has been identified.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the biblical texts, סַבְתָּא functions primarily within the 'Table of Nations,' a genealogical framework mapping the origins of various peoples and regions as understood in the Israelite worldview. The figure is a son of Cush, indicating an association with peoples of Africa or southern Arabia. Later historical and geographic associations (such as with Sabat/Sabtah in Arabia, or connections to ancient Nubia) are speculative and not confirmed by biblical usage. Hebrew lists place 'Sabta' among other eponyms representing peoples rather than individuals, and the name reoccurs only in genealogical contexts. Later translations (e.g., the Septuagint) offer various transliterations without clarifying locale or ethnicity. The English term 'Sabta' in translations is simply a transliteration and carries no additional nuance beyond the Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or סַבְתָּה; probably of foreign derivation; Sabta or Sabtah, the name of a son of Cush, and the country occupied by his posterity; Sabta, Sabtah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; proper name of foreign origin
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5454-02 |
וְ/סַבְתָּ֥ה | vesavetah | HC/Np |
and Sabtah | Sabta | 1 |
H5454-01 |
וְ/סַבְתָּ֥א | vesaveta | HC/Np |
and Sabta | and Sabta | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5454-02 |
Genesis 10:7 | וְ/סַבְתָּ֥ה | vesavetah | HC/Np |
and Sabtah | Sabta |
H5454-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:9 | וְ/סַבְתָּ֥א | vesaveta | HC/Np |
and Sabta | and Sabta |