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שְׂעִירָה

𐤔𐤏𐤉𐤓𐤄

Seirah

H8167 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׂער to be hairy, rough, shaggy

Definition

A proper noun designating a specific place in the biblical region of Gilead, known as Seirah or Seirath. In its limited attested usage, it functions as a toponym rather than a descriptive common noun. Its primary lexical meaning is geographic, referring to a settlement or site, not a characteristic or quality.

Semantic Range

Seirah (Seirath) as a place name, a location in northern Israelite territory; not attested as a common noun; associated by derivation with roughness or hairiness in terrain, but only used as a proper noun in the biblical text.

Root / Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root שָׂעִיר (śaʻir), meaning 'hairy', 'rough', or 'shaggy', with the feminine ending -ה (-ah), likely expressing a feminine place name. The form שְׂעִירָה (Sᵉʻîyrâh) is formed from the root שׂער, which commonly refers to hairiness or roughness, but in this usage appears to be a toponym derived from or related to the root, possibly referencing the physical characteristics of the landscape.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שְׂעִירָה occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible (Judges 3:26), referencing a location in the region of Mount Ephraim ('Mount Seirah'). In the context of the narrative, it is a place where the judge Ehud escaped after assassinating Eglon. The form is feminine and likely refers to a geographical feature such as a thickly wooded or rugged area, echoing the root meaning of 'hairy' or 'rough' terrain, although the biblical text itself does not elaborate on the characteristics of the location. The name is sometimes rendered 'Seirath' or 'Seirah' in English translations. While similar in form to שֵׂעִיר (Seir), a region associated with Edom, there is no clear evidence these are the same location; contextual distinctions indicate different sites. Later translation traditions, such as the KJV, sometimes render the name without attempting to interpret its root meaning, preserving it as a proper noun. The English term 'Palestine' to refer to the location is a later geographic label and not reflective of the geopolitical context of the Judges period.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

formed as שְׂעִירָה; roughness; Seirah, a place in Palestine; Seirath.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂער (ś-ʿ-r) — hairiness, roughness, shagginess

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8163 שָׂעִיר the shaggy male-goat
H8164 שָׂעִיר tempestuous downpours
H8165 שֵׂעִיר in Seir
H8166 שְׂעִירָה she-goat of
H8175 שָׂעַר was storm-tossed

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8167-01 הַ/שְּׂעִירָֽתָ/ה haseiratah HTd/Np/Sd to Seirah to the Seirah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8167-01 Judges 3:26 הַ/שְּׂעִירָֽתָ/ה haseiratah HTd/Np/Sd to Seirah to the Seirah
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