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שֵׂיבָה

𐤔𐤉𐤁𐤄

sêybâh

H7872 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׂיב to be gray, become gray-haired

Definition

State of advanced age; specifically, the condition or appearance marked by gray or white hair, signifying old age. Also denotes gray hair itself as a visible signifier of age, dignity, and, at times, wisdom or honor. The term can refer both to the phenomenon (gray hair) and the stage of life (old age) it represents.

Semantic Range

gray hair, state of advanced age, visible sign of old age, old age in general, dignity associated with age, physical marker of seniority

Root / Etymology

From the root שֵׂיב (sīb), meaning 'to be gray' or 'to become gray-haired.' שֵׂיבָה is the feminine noun form, referring to the state or quality of being gray-haired or aged. The root שׂיב developed lexically into specific terms denoting gray hair and, by extension, old age.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שֵׂיבָה appears in poetic, wisdom, and legal contexts in the Hebrew Bible. Its primary association is with dignity and the respect due to elders (e.g., Leviticus 19:32: 'You shall rise before the gray head and honor the face of an old man'). In many contexts, gray hair is a physical marker of reaching advanced years, often linked to positive qualities such as wisdom, honor, and experience (see Proverbs 16:31; 20:29). At times, שֵׂיבָה implies frailty or the end phase of life but retains its core sense of veneration. The term should be distinguished from other words for elder or old man (e.g., זָקֵן), as שֵׂיבָה emphasizes visible signs of age over social status or office. In later biblical periods, the nuance of honor and dignity often remained central. English translations often reduce שֵׂיבָה to 'gray hair' or 'old age,' but the cultural and literary connotations of distinction and respect are not always rendered. No theological or religious assumptions are intrinsic to the term in Israelite usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of שֵׂיב; old age; (be) gray (grey hoar,-y) hairs (head,-ed), old age.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂיב (ś-y-b) — to be gray, become gray-haired

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7867 שִׂיב the graying one
H7868 שִׂיב to the gray-haired ones

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7872-01 בְּ/שֵׂיבָ֥ה beseyvah HR/Ncfsa in old age in gray-haired old age 5
H7872-03 שֵׂיבָה֙ seyvah HNcfsa gray hairs gray-haired age 5
H7872-06 שֵׂיבָתִ֛/י seyvati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my gray hair my gray-hair 2
H7872-07 שֵׂיבָת֛/וֹ seyvato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his gray hair his gray-haired old age 2
H7872-04 שֵׂיבַ֨ת seyvat HNcfsc the gray hairs gray-haired age of 1
H7872-02 לְ/שֵׂיבָֽה leseyvah HR/Ncfsa as gray hair to gray-haired old age 1
H7872-08 שֵיבָ֖ה sheyvah HNcfsa gray hairs gray-haired old age 1
H7872-09 וְ/שֵׂיבָה֮ veseyvah HC/Ncfsa and gray hairs and gray-haired age 1
H7872-05 שֵׂיבָתֵ֑/ךְ seyvatekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs your old age your gray-haired old age 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7872-01 Genesis 15:15 בְּ/שֵׂיבָ֥ה beseyvah HR/Ncfsa in a good in gray-haired old age
H7872-01 Genesis 25:8 בְּ/שֵׂיבָ֥ה beseyvah HR/Ncfsa in old age in gray-haired old age
H7872-06 Genesis 42:38 שֵׂיבָתִ֛/י seyvati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my gray hair my gray-hair
H7872-06 Genesis 44:29 שֵׂיבָתִ֛/י seyvati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my gray hair my gray-hair
H7872-04 Genesis 44:31 שֵׂיבַ֨ת seyvat HNcfsc the gray hairs gray-haired age of
H7872-03 Leviticus 19:32 שֵׂיבָה֙ seyvah HNcfsa the hoary head gray-haired age
H7872-03 Deuteronomy 32:25 שֵׂיבָֽה seyvah HNcfsa gray hairs gray-haired age
H7872-01 Judges 8:32 בְּ/שֵׂיבָ֣ה beseyvah HR/Ncfsa in old age in gray-haired old age
H7872-07 1 Kings 2:6 שֵׂיבָת֛/וֹ seyvato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his gray hair his gray-haired old age
H7872-07 1 Kings 2:9 שֵׂיבָת֛/וֹ seyvato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his gray hair his gray-haired old age
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