סִיוָן
𐤎𐤉𐤅𐤍
Sivan
H5510 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The third month of the traditional Israelite lunisolar calendar, corresponding broadly to late May and early June in the modern Gregorian calendar. Refers specifically to a calendrical designation used in post-exilic and later biblical periods, particularly in administrative or official contexts. Appears as a proper noun referring to the month itself.
Semantic Range
the third month of the calendar (late May–June), name of a specific month in the later Hebrew calendar; used in post-exilic administrative and calendrical contexts
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Old Persian or Akkadian calendrical terms, reflecting influence from Mesopotamian and Persian administrative culture during or after the Babylonian exile. The word does not correspond to a native Hebrew root; etymology uncertain beyond foreign calendrical borrowings.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סִיוָן occurs only in late biblical texts (notably Esther 8:9) reflecting the bureaucratic and cultural context of the Persian period, when the Israelite calendrical system adopted several Babylonian and Persian month names. 'Sivan' replaced earlier, indigenous month designations; there is no evidence of the month's use under its later name prior to the exilic/post-exilic era. In the Book of Esther, סִיוָן appears as the official month name by which decrees are dated, illustrating the penetration of imperial administrative practices into local Jewish (Judean) life. English translations retain 'Sivan' as a proper noun; the term is still used in the Jewish calendar today, but early Israelite texts use ordinal month numbering instead.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably of Persian origin; Sivan, the third Hebrew month; Sivan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — borrowed calendrical name, third month designation
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5510-01 |
סִיוָ֗ן | sivan | HNp |
Sivan | Sivan | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5510-01 |
Esther 8:9 | סִיוָ֗ן | sivan | HNp |
Sivan | Sivan |