סְתוּר
𐤎𐤕𐤅𐤓
Setur
H5639 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper name designating a specific Israelite individual, frequently rendered as 'Sethur' in English translations. The underlying meaning points to the idea of 'hidden' or 'concealed,' reflecting a quality or characteristic suggested by the root. The lexical sense is primarily as a personal name rather than a descriptive noun or adjective.
Semantic Range
a proper name ('Sethur'), with connotations of 'hidden' or 'concealed' (based on the root), but serving specifically as a personal name in biblical literature
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root סתר ('s-t-r'), which means 'to hide, conceal, cover.' The form סְתוּר appears as a passive participial formation, indicating someone or something 'hidden' or 'concealed.' Used here as a proper name, indicating 'Hidden (one),' likely a name-theophoric or character-related designation, though no theophoric element is present in this case.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סְתוּר appears only as a proper name in biblical literature, specifically referring to one of the spies sent by Moses to scout the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:13), identified as the son of Michael and of the tribe of Asher. There is no evidence that the personal name functioned as an appellative (adjective or noun) in biblical Hebrew. The meaning of biblical personal names often draws on root-level ideas (here, 'hidden'), but the specific motivations for such naming are typically unclear. Later traditions or English translations use 'Sethur,' but this reflects only transliteration, not additional meaning. The use of the root סתר is otherwise common in contexts of physical or metaphorical 'hiding' throughout the Hebrew Bible, but סְתוּר itself is not used descriptively outside the personal name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סָתַר; hidden; Sethur, an Israelite; Sethur.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
סתר (s-t-r) — to hide, conceal, cover
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4563 | מִסְתּוֹר | and for a hiding place |
| H4564 | מַסְתֵּר | and as a hiding-place of |
| H4565 | מִסְתָּר | in the hiding-place |
| H5641 | סָתַר | I will conceal |
| H5642 | סְתַר | he concealed him |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5639-01 |
סְת֖וּר | setur | HNp |
Sethur | Hidden One | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5639-01 |
Numbers 13:13 | סְת֖וּר | setur | HNp |
Sethur | Hidden One |