What does סֵתֶר (sēṯer) mean in the Bible?
סֵתֶר (sēṯer): Concealment that shields either protection or secrecy—moral valence depends on context and agent's intent.
Hebrew · H5643
סֵתֶר
A cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense)
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סֵתֶר H5643
Pronunciation sēṯer
What does סֵתֶר (sēṯer) mean in the Bible?
סֵתֶר (sēṯer): Concealment that shields either protection or secrecy—moral valence depends on context and agent's intent.
Full entry for סֵתֶר (H5643) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5643?
The BSB source-word alignment has 36 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include in secret (8), a refuge (2), in the shelter (2), privately (2), secretly (2).
Where does סֵתֶר (sēṯer) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Deuteronomy 13:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (10), Deuteronomy (5), Isaiah (5), Job (5).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It in secret 8× Deuteronomy 27:15, Deuteronomy 27:24, 2 Samuel 12:12, Psalms 101:5
a refuge 2× Isaiah 16:4, Isaiah 32:2
in the shelter 2× Psalms 61:4, Psalms 91:1
privately 2× Jeremiah 37:17, Jeremiah 40:15
secretly 2× Deuteronomy 13:6, Jeremiah 38:16
[are] my hiding place 1× Psalms 119:114
[eaten] in secret 1× Proverbs 9:17
a secret place 1× 1 Samuel 19:2
are my hiding place 1× Psalms 32:7
he covers 1× Job 24:15
hidden 1× Job 40:21
His hiding place 1× Psalms 18:11
I have a secret 1× Judges 3:19
in the crevices 1× Song Of Solomon 2:14
in the secret place 1× Psalms 31:20
ravine 1× 1 Samuel 25:20
she will secretly 1× Deuteronomy 28:57
shelter 1× Deuteronomy 32:38
so a backbiting 1× Proverbs 25:23
under the cover 1× Psalms 27:5
veil 1× Job 22:14
was secretly 1× Job 31:27
you from the cloud 1× Psalms 81:7
you secretly 1× Job 13:10
your hiding place 1× Isaiah 28:17
Show sample aligned rows
Deuteronomy 13:6 בַּסֵּ֣תֶר to secretly Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 27:15 בַּסָּ֑תֶר to in secret Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 27:24 בַּסָּ֑תֶר to in secret Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:57 בַּסָּ֑תֶר to she will secretly Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:38 סִתְרָֽה׃ to shelter Noun - feminine singular Judges 3:19 סֵ֥תֶר to I have a secret Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 19:2 בַסֵּ֖תֶר to a secret place Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 25:20 בְּסֵ֣תֶר to ravine Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 2 Samuel 12:12 בַסָּ֑תֶר to in secret Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Job 13:10 בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר to you secretly Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Deuteronomy 13:6
Aligned rows 36
Books represented 10
Deuteronomy 5 Judges 1 1 Samuel 2 2 Samuel 1 Job 5 Psalms 10 Proverbs 3 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 3
Source forms
בְּסֵ֣תֶר 4x bə·sê·ṯer 1 Samuel 25:20, Psalms 27:5, Psalms 81:7, Psalms 91:1
בַּסֵּ֣תֶר 4x bas·sê·ṯer Deuteronomy 13:6, Job 31:27, Isaiah 48:16, Jeremiah 38:16
בַּסָּ֑תֶר 3x bas·sā·ṯer Deuteronomy 27:15, Deuteronomy 27:24, Deuteronomy 28:57
סֵ֥תֶר 3x sê·ṯer Judges 3:19, Psalms 32:7, Isaiah 16:4
בְסֵ֖תֶר 1x ḇə·sê·ṯer Psalms 61:4
בְּסֵ֖תֶר 1x bə·sê·ṯer Job 40:21
בְּסֵ֥תֶר 1x bə·sê·ṯer Psalms 31:20
בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙ 1x bə·sê·ṯer Song Of Solomon 2:14
Parsing patterns
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 15x Deuteronomy 13:6, Deuteronomy 27:15, Deuteronomy 27:24, Deuteronomy 28:57
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 8x 1 Samuel 25:20, Job 40:21, Psalms 27:5, Psalms 31:20
Noun - masculine singular 5x Judges 3:19, Job 22:14, Psalms 32:7, Proverbs 25:23
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 3x Job 24:15, Isaiah 28:17, Isaiah 32:2
Noun - feminine singular 1x Deuteronomy 32:38
Noun - masculine plural 1x Proverbs 9:17
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular 1x Psalms 119:114
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 18:11
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Concealment that shields either protection or secrecy—moral valence depends on context and agent's intent.
Source Gloss
a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Concealment that shields either protection or secrecy—moral valence depends on context and agent's intent.
a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense) BDB: covering Usage: backbiting, covering, covert, × disguise(-th), hiding place, privily, protection, secret(-ly, place).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Hiding place; shelter; secret place; a place of protection where one is concealed from threats
Showing 1 selected witness from 36 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
סֵתֶר is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain