סְתָו
𐤎𐤕𐤅
çᵉthâv
H5638 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Period of winter, specifically referencing the rainy and darker, colder season of the year in the Levant. Used as a term denoting the wet winter season in the annual agricultural calendar; does not generally refer to cold or snow, but rather to the season characterized by increased rainfall and reduced sunlight.
Semantic Range
rainy season, winter, the dark or clouded season, period of rain
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology uncertain. Likely related to a Semitic root meaning 'to hide' or 'to be covered,' possibly referring to the clouded skies, dimness, or obscuration typical of the winter season. There is no directly attested verbal or nominal root in Biblical Hebrew from which this noun transparently derives; the form is unique and rare in biblical usage.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The noun סְתָו (səthāv) only appears once in the Hebrew Bible, in Song of Songs 2:11, and there it designates the rainy season corresponding to winter in the agricultural rhythm of ancient Israel. It was not used as a technical term for 'cold' or 'snow,' and the season marked by this word was crucial for crop growth and annual cycles. Unlike חֹרֶף (ḥōref), another Hebrew term for 'winter' or 'rainy season,' סְתָו appears to have poetically emphasized the environmental aspect of dimness and hiding. Later Jewish tradition and Modern Hebrew use סְתָו for 'autumn,' but this is a linguistic development unrelated to the biblical context. English translations often render it 'winter,' but the term conveys the experiential reality of the Levantine winter—rain, clouds, and darkness, not severe cold. The shift in nuance over time and in various dialectal traditions underscores its unique literary usage in Song of Songs.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to hide; winter (as the dark season); winter.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סתה (s-t-h) — to hide, to cover, to be concealed
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5638-01 |
הַ/סְּתָ֖יו | hasetayv | HTd/Ncmsa |
the winter | the rainy winter season | 1 |
H5638-02 |
ה/סתו | hstv | HTd/Ncmsa |
the winter | rainy winter season | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5638-02 |
Song of Songs 2:11 | ה/סתו | hstv | HTd/Ncmsa |
the winter | rainy winter season |
H5638-01 |
Song of Songs 2:11 | הַ/סְּתָ֖יו | hasetayv | HTd/Ncmsa |
the winter | the rainy winter season |