סְפִינָה
𐤎𐤐𐤉𐤍𐤄
çᵉphîynâh
H5600 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A large boat or ship, particularly a sea-going vessel used for transport or trade, often implying significant structure and capacity. While generally meaning any ship, in biblical usage often contrasted with smaller boats or rafts, suggesting a vessel seaworthy for open water travel.
Semantic Range
large boat, sea-going vessel, decked ship, merchant ship, trading vessel
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root ספן (samekh-pe-nun), which at the verbal root means 'to cover, panel, overlay, roof, board up.' The noun form סְפִינָה (sephinah) comes to denote a covered or enclosed structure, extended in reference to a covered, decked vessel—a ship.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סְפִינָה appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible (notably, Jonah 1:5 and Proverbs 30:19), and always refers to a sizable, seaworthy ship rather than smaller craft or riverboats. The term conveys more than just a functional boat; it implies a level of structure, including a deck (that is, 'ceiled/roofed'). Other Hebrew terms for watercraft include אֳנִיָּה (oniya), broadly 'ship,' and אֳנִי (oni), possibly a smaller craft. In Second Temple and later Hebrew, סְפִינָה becomes the standard term for 'ship.' English translations often simply use 'ship,' but the nuance of construction and seaworthiness may be lost. In post-biblical Hebrew and subsequent languages, the term was adopted for large ships generally, even as ship technology evolved. The word is not applied to the Israelite or Judahite river or lake craft, nor does it refer to vessels used solely for local fishing or ferrying. In contrast to later usage, in early Iron Age and monarchic contexts the term could symbolize foreign trade and wider seafaring, more typical of Phoenician or other Mediterranean shipping rather than native Israelite nautical practice.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סָפַן; a (sea-going) vessel (as ceiled with a deck); ship.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ספן (s-p-n) — to cover, to panel, to overlay, to roof
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5600-01 |
הַ/סְּפִינָ֔ה | hasefinah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the ship | the decked ship | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5600-01 |
Jonah 1:5 | הַ/סְּפִינָ֔ה | hasefinah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the ship | the decked ship |