סֵפֶל
𐤎𐤐𐤋
çêphel
H5602 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A vessel with a deep, often rounded form, used primarily for holding liquids or other substances; typically translated as 'basin' or 'bowl.' In biblical contexts, refers especially to receptacles utilized in domestic, ritual, or cultic settings for holding water, blood, or offerings.
Semantic Range
deep vessel, basin, bowl, dish, receptacle for liquids, cultic vessel, domestic kitchenware
Root / Etymology
Root is uncertain; possibly related to a lost or unused root *ספל meaning 'to deepen' or 'to hollow out.' The form סֵפֶל denotes an object that is characterized by its depth or capacity to hold contents. No directly attested verb form is preserved in Biblical Hebrew, making exact etymology unclear.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Used in biblical texts to denote vessels employed in daily life, sanctuary or temple rituals (such as for water or blood collection), and purification rituals. While often rendered 'basin' or 'bowl' in English, the סֵפֶל does not always correspond exactly to any specific vessel in later Jewish or Christian liturgical traditions. The term appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is often mentioned alongside other vessels, sometimes with an emphasis on its capacity or deep shape compared to shallower dishes. Archaeological parallels in ancient Israelite contexts include deep clay or metal basins used for both practical household use and sacred ceremonies. English translations may obscure the distinctiveness of סֵפֶל by rendering various different Hebrew vessel-terms uniformly as 'bowl' or 'basin.' No evidence links the word to ethnic or geographic identity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to depress; a basin (as deepened out); bowl, dish.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ספל (s-p-l) — to hollow out, to deepen; deep vessel
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5602-02 |
הַ/סֵּ֖פֶל | hasefel | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-bowl | the deep basin | 1 |
H5602-01 |
בְּ/סֵ֥פֶל | besefel | HR/Ncmsc |
in a bowl | in a deep basin of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5602-01 |
Judges 5:25 | בְּ/סֵ֥פֶל | besefel | HR/Ncmsc |
in a bowl | in a deep basin of |
H5602-02 |
Judges 6:38 | הַ/סֵּ֖פֶל | hasefel | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-bowl | the deep basin |