סְפַרְוַיִם
𐤎𐤐𐤓𐤅𐤉𐤌
Sefarevayim
H5617 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Sepharvaim; a proper noun referring to an ancient city or region, frequently mentioned in the context of its inhabitants, the Sepharvites. In the Hebrew Bible, the term designates a locale associated with the Assyrian resettlement policy following the conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel. Semantic range includes geographic designation (city, region), and by extension, the people of that area.
Semantic Range
Sepharvaim (proper name of foreign city or region), designation of inhabitants (Sepharvites); place associated with foreign deities or religious practices; symbolic of Assyrian-imposed cultural diversity in Samaria
Root / Etymology
Uncertain. Although the form is dual (ending -ַיִם) and may mean 'the two Sephars' or 'double Sephar,' the root and original meaning are not clearly established. Some have attempted to connect it with the root סָפַר (to count, enumerate) or with geographical references to a place called 'Sephar' in southern Arabia (Genesis 10:30), but these remain speculative. The name is best treated as a foreign place-name transmitted into the Hebrew text.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical texts, סְפַרְוַיִם is primarily attested in 2 Kings 17:24, 31; 18:34; 19:13; Isaiah 36:19; and 37:13 as a city (or pair of cities) from which the Assyrian king brought settlers to Samaria after the exile of the Israelites. The inhabitants, called 'Sepharvites,' are associated with foreign religious practices, including child sacrifice (2 Kings 17:31). The city is frequently grouped with other centers of foreign cultic activity, underscoring its reputation as emblematic of the wider Assyrian imperial world. Some scholars identify Sepharvaim with Sippar (biblical Sippar/Šippar in the vicinity of modern Baghdad), but the Hebrew presentation as a dual form has prompted alternative interpretations, possibly reflecting two urban centers. The term is never used to refer to an ethnic or religious identity such as 'Jew.' English Bibles historically render the term as 'Sepharvaim,' but this does not capture the sense of its foreignness and ambiguity in the ancient Near Eastern context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(dual); Sepharvites;
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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uncertain (unknown (foreign name)) — foreign place-name; possibly dual form with no clear Hebrew root meaning
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5617-01 |
סְפַרְוָֽיִם | sefarevayim | HNp |
Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim | 5 |
H5617-02 |
ספרים | sfrym | HNp |
Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim | 1 |
H5617-03 |
וּ/סְפַרְוַ֔יִם | usefarevayim | HC/Np |
and Sepharvaim | and Sepharvaim | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5617-03 |
2 Kings 17:24 | וּ/סְפַרְוַ֔יִם | usefarevayim | HC/Np |
and Sepharvaim | and Sepharvaim |
H5617-02 |
2 Kings 17:31 | ספרים | sfrym | HNp |
Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim |
H5617-01 |
2 Kings 17:31 | סְפַרְוָֽיִם | sefarevayim | HNp |
Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim |
H5617-01 |
2 Kings 18:34 | סְפַרְוַ֖יִם | sefarevayim | HNp |
Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim |
H5617-01 |
2 Kings 19:13 | סְפַרְוָ֑יִם | sefarevayim | HNp |
of Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim |
H5617-01 |
Isaiah 36:19 | סְפַרְוָ֑יִם | sefarevayim | HNp |
Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim |
H5617-01 |
Isaiah 37:13 | סְפַרְוָ֑יִם | sefarevayim | HNp |
of Sepharvaim | Sepharvaim |