סְנוּאָה
𐤎𐤍𐤅𐤀𐤄
Senuah
H5574 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name, Senuah or Hasenuah, appearing in genealogies and returnee lists within biblical texts. The name derives from the root meaning 'to hate' or 'to be hated,' but as a proper noun there is no evidence that it carries the same connotation. Instead, it functions solely as a distinctive family or clan name.
Semantic Range
proper name; personal or clan name; (etymologically: 'hated,' but not functionally active as a name)
Root / Etymology
From the root שׂנא (to hate, be hateful), with the feminine ending -ה. The form סְנוּאָה likely means 'hated' or implies a passive participle sense, but as a name, this descriptive meaning is not necessarily active in its usage. The presence of the definite article in חַסְּנוּאָה (Hasenuah) simply formalizes the name, making it 'the Senuah.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Senuah appears as the name of two individuals or family heads in post-exilic genealogical lists (e.g., Ezra 2:35, Nehemiah 7:38), traced to returnee groups after the Babylonian exile. The usage is entirely as a proper noun and does not imply a characteristic or fate (such as being hateful or hated) to the individuals named. The meaning is likely archaic or chosen for familial or traditional reasons, rather than for its lexical sense. In English translations, 'Senuah' or 'Hasenuah' is typically retained as a transliterated name; rendering it with an active meaning such as 'the hated one' would be misleading. The definite article (ha-) in 'Hasenuah' follows a Hebrew naming pattern seen in a few other proper names. There is no evidence that the original Israelite audience would have interpreted the name as pejorative. The name should not be confused with later terms denoting ethnic or religious identity. The Strong's gloss reflects the form's passive sense and its use as a proper name, but does not clarify its specific function in context or its lack of active meaning as a name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or סְנֻאָה from the same as סְנָאָה; pointed; (used with the article as a proper name) Senuah, the name of two Israelites; Hasenuah (including the art), Senuah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׂנא (ś-n-ʾ) — to hate, be hateful, be an enemy
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8135 | שִׂנְאָה | in hostility |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5574-01 |
הַ/סְּנוּאָ֛ה | hasenuah | HTd/Np |
Hassenuah | the Senuah | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5574-01 |
Nehemiah 11:9 | הַ/סְּנוּאָ֛ה | hasenuah | HTd/Np |
Hassenuah | the Senuah |
H5574-01 |
1 Chronicles 9:7 | הַ/סְּנֻאָֽה | hasenuah | HTd/Np |
the Hassenuah | the Senuah |