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סוּף

𐤎𐤅𐤐

Suf

H5489 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סוף to end, terminate; to be a reed, marsh plant

Definition

A plant material referring generally to reeds or rushes, especially those growing along bodies of water; by extension, used as a geographic designation for a body of water characterized by reeds (commonly, but not accurately, known as the 'Red Sea' in later English tradition).

Semantic Range

reed, rush, aquatic plant, place characterized by reeds, boundary body of water characterized by reeds; by extension, 'Sea of Reeds' (not 'Red Sea')

Root / Etymology

From the root סוף, which denotes vegetation growing in or alongside water, especially reeds or rushes. The substantive סוּף refers specifically to aquatic or marshy plants, and by extension, places marked by such growth, with particular reference to bodies of water.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, סוּף refers primarily to aquatic reeds, especially those prolific in Egypt and the Levant (see Exod 2:3, 2:5). The phrase יַם סוּף (Yam Suf) is regularly employed for the body of water crossed by the Israelites during the exodus; this designation likely means 'Sea of Reeds' or 'Reed Sea,' not 'Red Sea.' The Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate rendered Yam Suf as 'Red Sea,' leading to the English tradition, but this translation reflects a misreading rather than historical geography or ethnobotanical context. The word סוּף never refers to 'red' in Hebrew, and the actual flora indicated by סוּף are common reeds (Phragmites australis) or similar plants. During the Iron Age and later Persian periods, the identification of Yam Suf continued to evolve, sometimes signifying regions of the eastern Nile Delta or the northwestern extensions of the Red Sea. The term does not imply an open sea, but rather shallow and reedy waters. English translations often obscure this nuance by rendering the expression simply as 'Red Sea.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

for סוּף (by ellipsis of יָם); the Reed (Sea); Red Sea.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סוף (s-w-p̄ (uncertain)) — reed, rush, aquatic plant

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5486 סוּף I will bring to an end
H5487 סוּף she came to an end
H5488 סוּף in the reed
H5490 סוֹף in the end of
H5491 סוֹף to end of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5489-01 ס֜וּף suf HNp Suph marsh-reed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5489-01 Deuteronomy 1:1 ס֜וּף suf HNp Suph marsh-reed
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