סֶנֶה
𐤎𐤍𐤄
Seneh
H5573 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A thorn bush or thorny shrub, used both for the botanical reality of a thorn-bush and as a proper noun marking a specific geographical site; the term describes a particular type of plant characterized by its thorns, and, by extension, names a crag or rocky location noted for such vegetation.
Semantic Range
thorn bush, thicket of thorns, bramble; as a proper noun, Seneh—a prominent crag or rocky outcrop; wild plant characterized by thorns
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root סנה, whose meaning centers on 'thorny bush' or 'thorn'; the word derives from this root but appears primarily as a noun for this particular plant, and secondarily as a toponym.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, סֶנֶה appears infrequently. Its most direct application is botanical—a particular thornbush—distinct from other words for thorns (e.g., דַּרְדַּר, חֹחַ, קוֹצ). The term is also used as a geographical name: Seneh refers to a rocky crag near Michmash and Geba (1 Samuel 14:4), likely named for the prevalence of such bushes or the terrain's appearance. In biblical botany, סֶנֶה is associated with aridity and ruggedness. English translations sometimes employ 'Seneh' for the place name and 'thorn bush' for the plant, but these do not always express the plant's specific character or the naming convention of places related to vegetation. Later tradition and folk etymologies sometimes connect סנה with the 'burning bush' (סְנֶה) of Exodus, though that narrative uses a different vocalization. The term does not carry religious or symbolic meaning beyond its immediate descriptive sense in context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as סְנֶה; thorn; Seneh, a crag in Palestine; Seneh.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סנה (s-n-h) — thorn bush, thorn, bramble
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5572 | סְנֶה | the thornbush |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5573-01 |
סֶֽנֶּה | seneh | HNp |
Seneh | thorn-bush | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5573-01 |
1 Samuel 14:4 | סֶֽנֶּה | seneh | HNp |
Seneh | thorn-bush |