What does סָפַד (sāpad) mean in the Bible?
סָפַד (sāpad): Embodied grief ritual—tearing hair and beating breasts—expressing acute communal or personal lamentation over death or disaster
Hebrew · H5594
סָפַד
Properly, to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as Orientals do in grief); generally to lament ; by implication, to wail
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סָפַדH5594
Pronunciationsāpad
What does סָפַד (sāpad) mean in the Bible?
סָפַד (sāpad): Embodied grief ritual—tearing hair and beating breasts—expressing acute communal or personal lamentation over death or disaster
Full entry for סָפַד (H5594) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5594?
The BSB source-word alignment has 30 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include mourn (5), to mourn (4), and lament (2), and mourn (2), be mourned (2).
Where does סָפַד (sāpad) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 23:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (9), 1 Kings (4), 2 Samuel (3), Zechariah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itmourn5×Jeremiah 4:8, Jeremiah 22:18, Ezekiel 24:16, Ezekiel 24:23
to mourn4×Genesis 23:2, 1 Samuel 25:1, Ecclesiastes 3:4, Jeremiah 16:5
and lament2×Jeremiah 34:5, Joel 1:13
and mourn2×2 Samuel 3:31, Jeremiah 49:3
be mourned2×Jeremiah 16:4, Jeremiah 25:33
mourned2×1 Kings 14:18, Jeremiah 16:6
will mourn2×1 Kings 14:13, Zechariah 12:12
and mourned1×Zechariah 7:5
and mourners1×Ecclesiastes 12:5
and they lamented1×1 Kings 13:30
Beat1×Isaiah 32:12
had mourned1×1 Samuel 28:3
I will lament1×Micah 1:8
she mourned1×2 Samuel 11:26
they lamented1×Genesis 50:10
They mourned1×2 Samuel 1:12
They will mourn1×Zechariah 12:10
to mourn for him1×1 Kings 13:29
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 23:2לִסְפֹּ֥דtoto mournPreposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructGenesis 50:10וַיִּ֨סְפְּדוּ־tothey lamentedConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural1 Samuel 25:1וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־toto mournConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural1 Samuel 28:3וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־tohad mournedConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural2 Samuel 1:12וַֽיִּסְפְּדוּ֙toThey mournedConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural2 Samuel 3:31וְסִפְד֖וּtoand mournConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural2 Samuel 11:26וַתִּסְפֹּ֖דtoshe mournedConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular1 Kings 13:29לִסְפֹּ֖דtoto mourn for himPreposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct1 Kings 13:30וַיִּסְפְּד֥וּtoand they lamentedConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural1 Kings 14:13וְסָֽפְדוּ־towill mournConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 23:2
Aligned rows30
Books represented11
Genesis21 Samuel22 Samuel31 Kings4Ecclesiastes2Isaiah1Jeremiah9Ezekiel2Joel1Micah1Zechariah3
Source forms
וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־3xway·yis·pə·ḏū-1 Samuel 25:1, 1 Samuel 28:3, 1 Kings 14:18
יִסְפְּד֣וּ3xyis·pə·ḏūJeremiah 16:6, Jeremiah 22:18
אֶסְפְּדָ֣ה1x’es·pə·ḏāhMicah 1:8
הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃1xhas·sō·p̄ə·ḏîmEcclesiastes 12:5
וַֽיִּסְפְּדוּ֙1xway·yis·pə·ḏū2 Samuel 1:12
וַיִּסְפְּד֥וּ1xway·yis·pə·ḏū1 Kings 13:30
וַיִּ֨סְפְּדוּ־1xway·yis·pə·ḏū-Genesis 50:10
וְסָפְדָ֣ה1xwə·sā·p̄ə·ḏāhZechariah 12:12
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural6xGenesis 50:10, 1 Samuel 25:1, 1 Samuel 28:3, 2 Samuel 1:12
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural4xJeremiah 16:6, Jeremiah 22:18, Jeremiah 34:5
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct3xGenesis 23:2, 1 Kings 13:29, Jeremiah 16:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural2x1 Kings 14:13, Zechariah 12:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural2x2 Samuel 3:31, Joel 1:13
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural2xJeremiah 16:4, Jeremiah 25:33
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural1xEcclesiastes 12:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular1xZechariah 12:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Embodied grief ritual—tearing hair and beating breasts—expressing acute communal or personal lamentation over death or disaster
Strong'sH5594
Lexical occurrences32 versesWord forms2 forms14 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkIsaiah 32:9-20Source Gloss
properly, to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as Orientals do in grief); generally to lament ; by implication, to wail
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Embodied grief ritual—tearing hair and beating breasts—expressing acute communal or personal lamentation over death or disaster
properly, to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as Orientals do in grief); generally to lament; by implication, to wail BDB: wail Usage: lament, mourn(-er), wail.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups2Aligned forms14
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense11×
ImperfectJer 16:6 · Jer 22:18 · Jer 34:5 · Ezek 24:16 · Ezek 24:23 · Mic 1:87×
Sequential imperfectJer 4:8 · Jer 49:32×
Infinitive constructEccl 3:41×
Participle activeIsa 32:121×
Niphalpassive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action2×
ImperfectJer 16:4 · Jer 25:332×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Women called to lament and mourn in response to coming desolation and judgment
Showing 1 selected witness from 32 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
סָפַד is a primitive root - no further derivation.