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סוּךְ

𐤎𐤅𐤊

çûwk

H5480 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To rub, smear, or anoint with a substance, usually oil, for practical, ritual, or symbolic purposes. The verb can refer to the general act of applying a substance, most commonly oil, to persons or objects—often as part of rituals of hospitality, healing, or consecration. The sense is broader than technical acts of anointing for high office (as with מָשַׁח, mashach), and can describe simply oiling the body, smearing ointments, or anointing household items.

Semantic Range

to smear oil on a person (for personal care or hospitality), to anoint an object (e.g. a shield), to apply a substance in a ritual context, to rub or cover with ointment or oil, to anoint oneself

Root / Etymology

From the root סוּךְ, meaning 'to smear, rub, anoint.' The root conveys the idea of spreading or applying a liquid over a surface. The derived verb takes on the more specific sense of applying (especially oil) to a person or object. Distinct from משח (mashach), which means 'to anoint as a recognition of office or status.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

סוּךְ occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible, found primarily in the books of Samuel and Micah. In contrast to מָשַׁח (mashach), which is reserved for anointing kings, priests, or holy objects, סוּךְ is used for more general acts of smearing or anointing, sometimes for personal grooming or hospitality, as well as for anointing shields with oil (Isaiah 21:5). The use of סוּךְ does not carry the technical or official connotation of religious consecration. Later Hebrew and Aramaic usage continue this more general sense of smearing or applying a substance. Some English translations consistently render both סוּךְ and מָשַׁח as 'anoint,' potentially obscuring the contextual nuance and broader sense of סוּךְ.

Translation Consistency

primary "oil" 1 occurrence

‘Oil’ is a natural, simple verb that covers the full semantic range here — applying oil or ointment to a person or object for care, hospitality, healing, or ritual use. It avoids the narrower, more formal connotations of ‘anoint’ (which often suggests official consecration) while remaining idiomatic for both practical and symbolic contexts, so every form of סוּךְ can be rendered consistently and clearly.

Alternatives (8 occurrences):
"anointed" (4x) "anoint" (2x) "anoint yourself" (1x) "ointment" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to smear over (with oil), i.e. anoint; anoint (self), [idiom] at all.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סוך (s-w-k) — smearing, rubbing, anointing

Root סוך to smear, to rub, to anoint
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4534 מְסוּכָה woven thorn-hedge
H610 אָסוּךְ anointing-flask of

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5480-02 תָס֔וּךְ tasukhe HVqi2ms will anoint you will smear you will anoint 2
H5480-07 וַ/יְסֻכ֗וּ/ם vayesukhum HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp and anointed them and they smeared them and anointed them 1
H5480-01 סָ֑כְתִּי sakheti HVqp1cs I anointed I smeared with oil I anointed 1
H5480-03 תָּס֨וּכִי֙ tasukhi HVqj2fs you anoint yourself may you smear anoint yourself 1
H5480-06 וַ/יָּ֗סֶךְ vayasekhe HC/Vqw3ms and anointed and he applied oil and he anointed himself 1
H5480-04 וָ/אֲסֻכֵ֖/ךְ vaasukhekhe HC/Vqw1cs/Sp2fs and I anointed you and I smeared you and I anointed you 1
H5480-08 וְ/ס֣וֹךְ vesokhe HC/Vqa and anointing and to smear and ointment 1
H5480-05 וָ/סַ֗כְתְּ vasakhete HC/Vqq2fs and-anoint-yourself and you smeared and you shall anoint 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5480-02 Deuteronomy 28:40 תָס֔וּךְ tasukhe HVqi2ms you shall anoint you will smear you will anoint
H5480-06 2 Samuel 12:20 וַ/יָּ֗סֶךְ vayasekhe HC/Vqw3ms and anointed and he applied oil and he anointed himself
H5480-03 2 Samuel 14:2 תָּס֨וּכִי֙ tasukhi HVqj2fs you anoint yourself may you smear anoint yourself
H5480-04 Ezekiel 16:9 וָ/אֲסֻכֵ֖/ךְ vaasukhekhe HC/Vqw1cs/Sp2fs and I anointed you and I smeared you and I anointed you
H5480-02 Micah 6:15 תָס֣וּךְ tasukhe HVqi2ms will anoint you will smear you will oil
H5480-05 Ruth 3:3 וָ/סַ֗כְתְּ vasakhete HC/Vqq2fs and-anoint-yourself and you smeared and you shall anoint
H5480-08 Daniel 10:3 וְ/ס֣וֹךְ vesokhe HC/Vqa and anointing and to smear and ointment
H5480-01 Daniel 10:3 סָ֑כְתִּי sakheti HVqp1cs I anointed I smeared with oil I anointed
H5480-07 2 Chronicles 28:15 וַ/יְסֻכ֗וּ/ם vayesukhum HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp and anointed them and they smeared them and anointed them
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