What does שֵׂיבָה (sevah) mean in the Bible?
שֵׂיבָה (sevah): Gray hair as visible marker of honor and wisdom; old age carries inherent dignity in covenant community
Hebrew · H7872
שֵׂיבָה
Old age
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שֵׂיבָה H7872
Pronunciation sevah
What does שֵׂיבָה (sevah) mean in the Bible?
שֵׂיבָה (sevah): Gray hair as visible marker of honor and wisdom; old age carries inherent dignity in covenant community
Full entry for שֵׂיבָה (H7872) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7872?
The BSB source-word alignment has 19 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include old age (3), {you will bring} my gray hair (1), and gray (1), and gray hair (1), at a ripe old age (1).
Where does שֵׂיבָה (sevah) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 15:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (5), 1 Kings (2), Proverbs (2), Psalms (2).
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 old age 3× Genesis 25:8, Judges 8:32, 1 Chronicles 29:28
{you will bring} my gray hair 1× Genesis 42:38
and gray 1× Psalms 71:18
and gray hair 1× Proverbs 20:29
at a ripe old age 1× Genesis 15:15
Gray hair 1× Proverbs 16:31
had white hair 1× Job 41:32
In old age 1× Psalms 92:14
in your old age 1× Ruth 4:15
let his gray head 1× 1 Kings 2:6
of the elderly 1× Leviticus 19:32
the gray-haired 1× Deuteronomy 32:25
to bring his gray head 1× 1 Kings 2:9
will have brought the gray hair 1× Genesis 44:31
with gray 1× Hosea 7:9
you turn gray 1× Isaiah 46:4
you will bring my gray hair 1× Genesis 44:29
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 15:15 בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה to at a ripe old age Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 25:8 בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה to old age Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 42:38 שֵׂיבָתִ֛י to {you will bring} my gray hair Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Genesis 44:29 שֵׂיבָתִ֛י to you will bring my gray hair Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Genesis 44:31 שֵׂיבַ֨ת to will have brought the gray hair Noun - feminine singular construct Leviticus 19:32 שֵׂיבָה֙ to of the elderly Noun - feminine singular Deuteronomy 32:25 שֵׂיבָֽה׃ to the gray-haired Noun - feminine singular Judges 8:32 בְּשֵׂיבָ֣ה to old age Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Ruth 4:15 שֵׂיבָתֵ֑ךְ to in your old age Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular 1 Kings 2:6 שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ to let his gray head Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 15:15
Aligned rows 19
Books represented 12
Genesis 5 Leviticus 1 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 1 Ruth 1 1 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 1 Job 1 Psalms 2 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 1 Hosea 1
Source forms
בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה 2x bə·śê·ḇāh Genesis 15:15, Genesis 25:8
בְּשֵׂיבָ֣ה 2x bə·śê·ḇāh Judges 8:32, 1 Chronicles 29:28
שֵׂיבָה֙ 2x śê·ḇāh Leviticus 19:32, Hosea 7:9
שֵׂיבָֽה׃ 2x śê·ḇāh Deuteronomy 32:25, Proverbs 20:29
שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ 2x śê·ḇā·ṯōw 1 Kings 2:6, 1 Kings 2:9
שֵׂיבָתִ֛י 2x śê·ḇā·ṯî Genesis 42:38, Genesis 44:29
בְּשֵׂיבָ֑ה 1x bə·śê·ḇāh Psalms 92:14
וְשֵׂיבָה֮ 1x wə·śê·ḇāh Psalms 71:18
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 6x Leviticus 19:32, Deuteronomy 32:25, Proverbs 16:31, Proverbs 20:29
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular 5x Genesis 15:15, Genesis 25:8, Judges 8:32, 1 Chronicles 29:28
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular 2x Genesis 42:38, Genesis 44:29
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 2:6, 1 Kings 2:9
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 1x Psalms 71:18
Noun - feminine singular construct 1x Genesis 44:31
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular 1x Ruth 4:15
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular 1x Job 41:32
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Gray hair as visible marker of honor and wisdom; old age carries inherent dignity in covenant community
Source Gloss
old age
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Gray hair as visible marker of honor and wisdom; old age carries inherent dignity in covenant community
old age BDB: hoary head Usage: (be) gray (grey hoar,-y) hairs (head,-ed), old age.
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
gray hair
Showing 1 selected witness from 19 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שֵׂיבָה is built from this root:
שֵׂיב H7869
Why This Word Matters
Symbol of unnoticed decline. Hosea 7:8-16
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