← H5570 H5572 →

סַנְבַלַּט

𐤎𐤍𐤁𐤋𐤈

Sanevalat

H5571 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain personal name, proper noun (designating Sanballat)

Definition

Sanballat—personal name, specifically that of a prominent official associated with Samaria during the Persian period. Used as a proper noun referring to an individual opposing Nehemiah and the restoration efforts in Jerusalem. Semantic range is limited to the designation of this historical figure.

Semantic Range

personal name, official title; refers specifically to the historic figure of Sanballat, leader or governor of Samaria during Persian period

Root / Etymology

Of foreign origin, not native to Hebrew. The name's exact etymology is uncertain, but most scholars suggest an Akkadian or Babylonian origin. Commonly theorized to derive from the Akkadian 'Sin-uballiṭ,' meaning 'Sīn (the Mesopotamian moon god) has given life.' The Hebrew spelling reflects transliteration of a non-Semitic personal name.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, Sanballat (סַנְבַלַּט) appears exclusively in the books of Nehemiah (e.g., Neh 2:10, 2:19; 4:1; 6:1), where he is portrayed as a leading opponent of Nehemiah during the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall, holding a position of authority in Samaria under Persian rule, possibly acting as governor (though not explicitly called a satrap in the text). The use of this name illustrates the continued presence of Mesopotamian religious and onomastic influence in western provinces of the Persian Empire. Later Aramaic documents from Elephantine (5th c. BCE) mention Sanballat's descendants, confirming the existence of a Samarian official with this name in the general period described. English translations retain the personal name as 'Sanballat' but occasionally interpret his role broadly as 'governor' or 'ruler of Samaria.' The name is never reused generically or for any other figure in the Hebrew Bible, and it does not carry religious or descriptive meaning beyond individual identification. The term is not associated with any ethnic designation such as 'Samaritan' in a later sense, nor does it overlap with terms for Israelite or Judean identity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign origin; Sanballat, a Persian satrap of Samaria; Sanballat.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

uncertain (unknown (foreign origin)) — personal name, proper noun (designating Sanballat)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5571-02 סַנְבַלַּ֣ט sanevalat HNp Sanballat Sanballat 6
H5571-01 לְ/סַנְבַלַּ֣ט lesanevalat HR/Np to Sanballat to Sanballat 2
H5571-03 וּ/לְ/סַנְבַלַּ֖ט ulesanevalat HC/R/Np and Sanballat and to Sanballat 1
H5571-04 וְ/סַנְבַלַּ֖ט vesanevalat HC/Np and Sanballat and Sanballat 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5571-02 Nehemiah 2:10 סַנְבַלַּ֣ט sanevalat HNp Sanballat Sanballat
H5571-02 Nehemiah 2:19 סַנְבַלַּ֨ט sanevalat HNp Sanballat Sanballat
H5571-02 Nehemiah 3:33 סַנְבַלַּ֗ט sanevalat HNp Sanballat Sanballat
H5571-02 Nehemiah 4:1 סַנְבַלַּ֡ט sanevalat HNp Sanballat Sanballat
H5571-01 Nehemiah 6:1 לְ/סַנְבַלַּ֣ט lesanevalat HR/Np to Sanballat to Sanballat
H5571-02 Nehemiah 6:2 סַנְבַלַּ֤ט sanevalat HNp Sanballat Sanballat
H5571-02 Nehemiah 6:5 סַנְבַלַּ֜ט sanevalat HNp Sanballat Sanballat
H5571-04 Nehemiah 6:12 וְ/סַנְבַלַּ֖ט vesanevalat HC/Np and Sanballat and Sanballat
H5571-03 Nehemiah 6:14 וּ/לְ/סַנְבַלַּ֖ט ulesanevalat HC/R/Np and Sanballat and to Sanballat
H5571-01 Nehemiah 13:28 לְ/סַנְבַלַּ֣ט lesanevalat HR/Np to Sanballat to Sanballat
← H5570 Hebrew Lexicon H5572 →