← H5498 H5500 →

סְחָבָה

𐤎𐤇𐤁𐤄

çᵉchâbâh

H5499 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סחב to drag, to pull, to draw, to tug

Definition

A piece of cloth used as a rag, typically referring to a worn, torn, or discarded textile; in biblical context, often refers to a bandage, a strip of cloth, or a makeshift wrapping or dressing, highlighting its secondary use and lack of value.

Semantic Range

rag, strip of cloth, bandage, makeshift wrapping, old cloth, cast-off garment

Root / Etymology

From the root סָחַב (s-ch-v), meaning 'to drag, draw, pull, tug.' The noun סְחָבָה derives from this idea, indicating a thing (cloth) that is dragged about, implying a rag or strip that has been used and is suitable now only for secondary purposes such as bandaging or wrapping items.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term סְחָבָה is used rarely in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Jeremiah 38:11–12) and always denotes a cloth of little worth, employed for utilitarian purposes. It is not a technical term for a garment but indicates a repurposed piece of fabric. In Jeremiah, it describes old rags and worn-out clothes used for cushioning or protection—in this case, to pad the ropes when Ebed-Melech pulls Jeremiah from the cistern. English translations often use 'rag,' 'old clothes,' or 'cast-off garment,' but these may not fully express the sense of something dragged, reused, or repurposed. The word emphasizes the object's previous usefulness and its subsequent adaptation. Unlike terms for formal clothing, סְחָבָה refers to something whose primary function as clothing is past. No evidence suggests specific ritual or ceremonial use, and its meaning remains stable across biblical usage. The term does not carry the pejorative nuance that develops in later languages for 'rag' as meaning 'poverty' or 'disreputable.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סָחַב; a rag; cast clout.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

סחב (s-ḥ-b) — to drag, to pull, to draw, to tug

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5498 סָחַב to drag forcibly

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5499-02 ה/סחבות hschvvt HTd/Ncfpa clothes the dragged-about rags the dragged-about rags 1
H5499-03 סְחָב֔וֹת sechavot HNcfpa and dragged rags dragged rags 1
H5499-01 הַ/סְּחָב֤וֹת hasechavot HTd/Ncfpa and worn-out clothes the rags the rags 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5499-02 Jeremiah 38:11 ה/סחבות hschvvt HTd/Ncfpa clothes the dragged-about rags the dragged-about rags
H5499-03 Jeremiah 38:11 סְחָב֔וֹת sechavot HNcfpa and dragged rags dragged rags
H5499-01 Jeremiah 38:12 הַ/סְּחָב֤וֹת hasechavot HTd/Ncfpa and worn-out clothes the rags the rags
← H5498 Hebrew Lexicon H5500 →