What does שָׂפָה (saphah) mean in the Bible?
שָׂפָה (saphah): Lip as boundary extends metaphorically to language and edges, treating speech as a defining perimeter of identity.
Hebrew · H8193
שָׂפָה
The lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language ; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
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שָׂפָה H8193
Pronunciation saphah
What does שָׂפָה (saphah) mean in the Bible?
שָׂפָה (saphah): Lip as boundary extends metaphorically to language and edges, treating speech as a defining perimeter of identity.
Full entry for שָׂפָה (H8193) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8193?
The BSB source-word alignment has 176 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include lips (22), my lips (11), His lips (7), the lips (7), your lips (7).
Where does שָׂפָה (saphah) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 11:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (46), Psalms (28), Exodus (17), Isaiah (13).
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 lips 22× Psalms 12:2, Psalms 12:3, Psalms 31:18, Psalms 63:5
my lips 11× Job 27:4, Job 32:20, Psalms 16:4, Psalms 40:9
His lips 7× Job 11:5, Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 16:23
the lips 7× Proverbs 5:3, Proverbs 10:21, Proverbs 10:32, Proverbs 15:7
your lips 7× Psalms 45:2, Proverbs 4:24, Proverbs 22:18, Song Of Solomon 4:3
. . . 6× Exodus 36:11, Numbers 30:6, Numbers 30:8, Job 11:2
of my lips 6× Job 13:6, Job 16:5, Psalms 89:34, Psalms 141:3
the edge 6× Exodus 26:4, Exodus 26:10, Exodus 36:11, Exodus 36:17
the rim 6× Deuteronomy 2:36, Deuteronomy 4:48, Joshua 12:2, Joshua 13:9
speech 5× Genesis 11:7, Proverbs 12:13, Proverbs 16:21, Ezekiel 3:5
the bank 5× Genesis 41:3, Genesis 41:17, Exodus 2:3, Exodus 7:15
the seashore 5× Genesis 22:17, Joshua 11:4, Judges 7:12, 1 Samuel 13:5
and your lips 3× Job 8:21, Psalms 34:13, Proverbs 5:2
language 3× Genesis 11:1, Genesis 11:6, Psalms 81:5
of His lips 3× Job 23:12, Psalms 21:2, Isaiah 11:4
with his lips 3× Leviticus 5:4, Psalms 106:33, Proverbs 20:19
[rim] 2× 1 Kings 7:23, 2 Chronicles 4:2
and its rim 2× 1 Kings 7:26, 2 Chronicles 4:5
banks 2× Ezekiel 47:7, Ezekiel 47:12
but the lips 2× Proverbs 14:3, Ecclesiastes 10:12
edge 2× Exodus 28:26, Exodus 39:19
from rim 2× 1 Kings 7:23, 2 Chronicles 4:2
her lips 2× Numbers 30:12, 1 Samuel 1:13
in speech 2× Exodus 6:12, Exodus 6:30
in your mouth 2× 2 Kings 19:28, Isaiah 37:29
like the brim 2× 1 Kings 7:26, 2 Chronicles 4:5
on the lips 2× Proverbs 10:13, Proverbs 24:26
the language 2× Genesis 11:9, Isaiah 19:18
the shore 2× Exodus 14:30, 1 Kings 9:26
words 2× Proverbs 17:7, Isaiah 36:5
your own lips 2× Job 15:6, Proverbs 27:2
[it comes] from lips 1× Psalms 17:1
[these are] empty 1× 2 Kings 18:20
and his lips 1× Proverbs 18:7
and his speech 1× Proverbs 16:27
and my lips 1× Job 33:3
and their lips 1× Proverbs 24:2
bank 1× Daniel 12:5
but lips 1× Proverbs 20:15
collar 1× Exodus 28:32
far as the border 1× Judges 7:22
from his lips 1× Proverbs 18:20
from his speech 1× Proverbs 14:7
from their lips 1× Psalms 59:7
from your lips 1× Deuteronomy 23:23
his tongue 1× Proverbs 17:28
in what he said 1× Job 2:10
its edge 1× Ezekiel 43:13
of our lips 1× Hosea 14:2
of speech 1× Job 12:20
of their lips 1× Psalms 59:12
of Your lips 1× Psalms 17:4
on his lips 1× Malachi 2:6
on this bank 1× Daniel 12:5
our lips 1× Psalms 12:4
the coast 1× 2 Chronicles 8:17
the slander 1× Lamentations 3:62
their language 1× Genesis 11:7
their lips 1× Psalms 140:3
their lips have caused 1× Psalms 140:9
to my lips 1× Proverbs 8:7
to the bank 1× Ezekiel 47:6
to their lips 1× Isaiah 57:19
vvv 1× Exodus 26:4
when your lips 1× Proverbs 23:16
whose lips 1× Proverbs 19:1
whose speech 1× Isaiah 33:19
with a collar 1× Exodus 39:23
with his speech 1× Proverbs 26:24
With my lips 1× Psalms 119:13
with their lips 1× Isaiah 29:13
with your lips 1× Proverbs 24:28
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 11:1 שָׂפָ֣ה to language Noun - feminine singular Genesis 11:6 וְשָׂפָ֤ה to language Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 11:7 שְׂפָתָ֑ם to their language Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural Genesis 11:7 שְׂפַ֥ת to speech Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 11:9 שְׂפַ֣ת to the language Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 22:17 שְׂפַ֣ת to the seashore Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 41:3 שְׂפַ֥ת to the bank Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 41:17 שְׂפַ֥ת to the bank Noun - feminine singular construct Exodus 2:3 שְׂפַ֥ת to the bank Noun - feminine singular construct Exodus 6:12 שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃פ to in speech Noun - fd
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 11:1
Aligned rows 176
Books represented 25
Genesis 8 Exodus 17 Leviticus 1 Numbers 3 Deuteronomy 3 Joshua 4 Judges 2 1 Samuel 2 1 Kings 7 2 Kings 3 2 Chronicles 5 Job 12 Psalms 28 Proverbs 46 Ecclesiastes 1 Song Of Solomon 4 Isaiah 13 Jeremiah 1 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 7 Daniel 3 Hosea 1 Habakkuk 1 Zephaniah 1 Malachi 2
Source forms
שְׂפַ֥ת 13x śə·p̄aṯ Genesis 11:7, Genesis 41:3, Genesis 41:17, Exodus 2:3
שְׂפַת־ 12x śə·p̄aṯ- Deuteronomy 2:36, Deuteronomy 4:48, Joshua 11:4, Joshua 12:2
שְׂפַ֣ת 8x śə·p̄aṯ Genesis 11:9, Genesis 22:17, Exodus 7:15, Exodus 26:10
שְׂפָתַ֣י 7x śə·p̄ā·ṯay Job 13:6, Job 16:5, Job 27:4, Job 32:20
שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו 7x śə·p̲ā·t̲āyw Psalms 21:2, Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 16:23, Proverbs 16:30
שִׂפְתֵ֣י 6x śip̄·ṯê Psalms 12:3, Proverbs 5:3, Proverbs 10:21, Proverbs 10:32
שִׂפְתֵי־ 6x śip̄·ṯê- Proverbs 10:18, Proverbs 12:22, Proverbs 14:7, Proverbs 16:10
שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם 5x śə·p̲ā·t̲a·yim Proverbs 4:24, Proverbs 10:8, Proverbs 10:10, Proverbs 14:23
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular construct 39x Genesis 11:7, Genesis 11:9, Genesis 22:17, Genesis 41:3
Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singular 19x Job 13:6, Job 16:5, Job 27:4, Job 32:20
Noun - feminine dual construct 17x Psalms 12:3, Psalms 17:1, Psalms 31:18, Proverbs 5:3
Noun - fd 16x Exodus 6:12, Exodus 6:30, 2 Kings 18:20, Job 11:2
Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine singular 14x Job 11:5, Job 23:12, Psalms 21:2, Proverbs 10:19
Noun - feminine singular 9x Genesis 11:1, Exodus 28:32, Exodus 39:23, Job 12:20
Noun - feminine dual construct | second person masculine singular 7x Deuteronomy 23:23, Psalms 17:4, Proverbs 5:2, Proverbs 22:18
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 6x Exodus 28:26, Exodus 39:19, 1 Kings 7:23, 2 Chronicles 4:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Lip as boundary extends metaphorically to language and edges, treating speech as a defining perimeter of identity.
Source Gloss
the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language ; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
the lips as instruments of speech
the lips as instruments of speech
speech or spoken expression
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 177 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Why This Word Matters
The imagery emphasizes control over the act of speaking. Proverbs 10:19
The term highlights speech as the channel through which wisdom nourishes others. Proverbs 10:21
The lips represent the outward expression of inner wisdom. Proverbs 10:32
Canonical Themes
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