סוּחַ
𐤎𐤅𐤇
Sucha
H5477 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Suach — a personal name appearing in Genesis 25:2, identified as one of the sons of Abraham by Keturah. The term is a proper noun, not an adjective or common noun. The possible underlying meaning relates to an act of sweeping or wiping away, but the lexeme is attested only as a name in the Hebrew Bible; as such, its etymological meaning is uncertain and its semantic range limited to anthroponymic use.
Semantic Range
proper noun (personal name: Suach/Suah); possibly, if the root were attested, sweep away, wipe away (unattested as verbal or nominal form in Hebrew)
Root / Etymology
From an uncertain root, possibly סוּחַ, which may have connotations of sweeping, to wipe away, or to sweep away (cf. related Semitic roots with similar meanings), yet the base verb is unattested in Biblical Hebrew. The name סוּחַ thus likely preserves a fossilized form, and its precise lexical derivation remains unclear.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Suach (סוּחַ) is attested only as a personal name (Genesis 25:2), among the sons of Keturah and Abraham. The meaning of the name is obscure; while the root may suggest concepts of sweeping or wiping away, the base verb is otherwise unattested in Hebrew, and thus its exact significance is speculative. No theological or religious meaning is attached to the name in its biblical usage, and it is not reused as a common noun or verb elsewhere. Later English translations interpret the name as 'Suah' or 'Suach,' with some older traditions reading the root meaning into translation notes. The name’s solitary biblical appearance precludes broader semantic or cultural extrapolation. Unlike related terms denoting acts of sweeping or wiping (e.g., מחה, גָּרַף), סוּחַ functions only as a proper noun in the text. The standard English 'Suah' reflects the transliterated form of the name but does not reflect any additional meaning beyond personal identification.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to wipe away; sweeping; Suach, an Israelite; Suah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סוח (s-w-ḥ) — to sweep, to wipe away, to remove
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5477-01 |
ס֧וּחַ | sucha | HNp |
Suah | Suach | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5477-01 |
1 Chronicles 7:36 | ס֧וּחַ | sucha | HNp |
Suah | Suach |