סִפַּי
𐤎𐤐𐤉
Sipay
H5598 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Sipai (Çippay) — a personal name referring to a Philistine warrior, specifically one of the descendants of the Rephaim, encountered in a battle with the Israelites during the monarchy period. The form occurs primarily as a proper noun used to identify this individual in genealogical and martial contexts. The word also reflects the West Semitic tradition of using names with possible meanings drawn from physical objects (e.g., 'threshold', 'bason') though the literal lexical meaning in this context is uncertain, as proper names often preserve archaic or unknown elements.
Semantic Range
proper name—Philistine warrior; historically, possibly derived from a word for threshold or bason, but as a proper name, functions only as the name of a Philistine antagonist
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root סַף (saf), meaning 'threshold' or 'doorway'; however, in the formation of the personal name סִפַּי (Çippay), the morphological relationship is unclear. The gentilic or descriptive structure may connect to the physical noun, but such connections in personal names are frequently opaque. Thus: Root — סף; core meaning — 'threshold', but as a name, the literal connection to the root's meaning is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Sipai appears in 1 Chronicles 20:4 as the name of a Philistine giant slain by Sibbecai the Hushathite. The parallel passage in 2 Samuel 21:18 gives the name as 'Saph', highlighting the fluidity of proper name transmission between sources. The name's root is shared with the noun for 'threshold', 'bason', or 'doorstep', but as is common with ancient personal names, the actual semantic content may have been lost, adapted, or have different significance in Philistine onomastics, potentially indicating a local or non-Hebrew derivation. In English translations, Sipai and Saph are rendered as proper names without translating an inherent meaning. The figure is clearly Philistine, marking distinction from Israelite naming patterns. There is no evidence the word referred to ethnic identity, only a specific Philistine individual. The conflation of Saph and Sipai illustrates the complexities of textual transmission and the influence of scribal practices and dialect. The term does not reflect later Jewish nomenclature or religious identity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סַף; bason-like; Sippai, a Philistine; Sippai. Compare סַף.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סף (s-p̄) — threshold, doorstep, bason
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5593 | סַף | Saph |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5598-01 |
סִפַּ֛י | sipay | HNp |
Sippai | Sipai | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5598-01 |
1 Chronicles 20:4 | סִפַּ֛י | sipay | HNp |
Sippai | Sipai |