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שַׁחַף

𐤔𐤇𐤐

shachaph

H7828 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שחף to be thin, emaciated, peel (root meaning speculative)

Definition

A type of bird, most likely a seabird associated with desolate or coastal locations. Traditionally rendered as 'gull' or sometimes as 'cuckoo,' though modern scholarship identifies it more probably as a kind of gull or a similar seabird distinguished by its thin or lean appearance. The term is rare, occurring in biblical lists of birds considered ritually impure, and its identification remains uncertain but points to a bird characterized by emaciated or slender features.

Semantic Range

gull, tern, seabird, possibly cuckoo; a bird of thin or lean appearance, especially associated with forbidden foods under Israelite law

Root / Etymology

Root/etymology uncertain. Although the traditional gloss connects it to an unused root שָׁחַף suggesting 'to peel' or 'to be thin/emaciated,' there is no direct attested root with this meaning in biblical Hebrew. The formation points to a nominal pattern typical for animal names. Some connect with Arabic and other Semitic roots relating to slenderness or thinness, but this remains speculative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שַׁחַף appears only in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 among lists of impure birds. Ancient translations (Greek, Latin, Syriac) struggle with the identification, rendering it as various birds—Vulgate: larus (gull); LXX: 'sea mew' (λαρος); Syriac similarly. Rabbinic tradition is divided: some understand it as a gull, others as a cuckoo or even pelican. Modern ornithological studies favor the interpretation as a gull or tern, seabirds common to eastern Mediterranean coastlines and known for their thin, sharp-bodied appearance. The rendering 'cuckoo' persists in some English traditions, but this is considered less probable due to ecological and behavioral mismatch with biblical lists. The word highlights the difficulties faced in correlating biblical animal names with modern classifications. The usage does not reflect later Jewish or Christian conceptions, and it is grounded in ancient Israelite dietary and ritual contexts. English translations, especially older ones, often choose 'cuckoo' or 'gull,' but both are attempts to make sense of a rare, contextually ambiguous term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to peel, i.e. emaciate; the gull (as thin); cuckoo.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שחף (sh-ḥ-p̄) — thinness, emaciation, slenderness (speculative)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7829 שַׁחֶפֶת in the wasting-disease

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7828-01 הַ/שָּׁ֑חַף hashachaf HTd/Ncmsa seagull the slender gull 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7828-01 Leviticus 11:16 הַ/שָּׁ֑חַף hashachaf HTd/Ncmsa the gull the slender gull
H7828-01 Deuteronomy 14:15 הַ/שָּׁ֑חַף hashachaf HTd/Ncmsa seagull the slender gull
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