Original Word: שָׂפָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: saphah
Pronunciation: sah-fah'
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-faw')
KJV: band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, ((sea-))shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words
NASB: lips, edge, speech, bank, brim, language, babbling
Word Origin: [probably from H5595 (סָפָה - swept away) or H8192 (שָׁפָה - bare) through the idea of termination]
1. the lip (as a natural boundary)
2. (by implication) language
3. (by analogy) a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
Or (in dual and plural) sepheth {sef-eth'}; probably from caphah or shaphah through the idea of termination (compare cowph); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.) -- band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, ((sea-))shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.
see HEBREW caphah
see HEBREW shaphah
see HEBREW cowph
1 lip:
a. usually (c. 108 t.) human organ of speech (often "" מֶּה, לָשׁוֺן rarely [only late poetry] חֵךְ: 10 t. Job; 25t. Psalms; 45t. Proverbs): (1) Isaiah 29:13; Leviticus 5:4 (P), Job 13:6; Malachi 2:6; Psalm 12:5; Proverbs 5:3 +; ׳דַּל שׂ Psalm 141:3 (see דָּל); ׳אִישׁ שׂ Job 11:2 = a talker, ׳אֱוִיל שׂ Proverbs 10:8 #NAME? Proverbs 10:10 (ŋ0; but see Toy); טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם Isaiah 6:5 (twice in verse) compare Isaiah 6:7; Daniel 10:16; ׳עֲרַל שׂ Exodus 6:12,30 (P; unskilled in speech); ׳עִקֵּשׁ שׂ Exodus 19:1; ׳מֹּתֶה שׂ Exodus 20:19 see [ מָּתָה] p. 834; ׳מוֺצָא שׂ i.e. utterance, Deuteronomy 23:24; Jeremiah 17:16; Numbers 30:13 (P), Psalm 89:35, ׳רוּחַ שׂ Isaiah 11:4 (of Messianic king), ׳דְּבַר שׂ Psalm 59:13; Proverbs 14:23 +, = mere, empty, word 2 Kings 18:20 = Isaiah 36:5; ׳תְּבוּאַת שׂ Proverbs 18:20, ׳נוב שׂ Isaiah 57:19 (thanksgiving), compare Hosea 14:3 (m5 ŋ6 and most מְּדִי for מָּרִים); of flattery, ׳חֵלֶק שׂ Proverbs 7:21, שְׂפַת חֲלָקוֺת Psalm 12:3; Psalm 12:4; compare שִׂפְתֵי מִרְמָה Psalm 17:1, שֶׁקֶר ׳שׂ Psalm 31:9 4t., שְׂפַת אָוֶן Proverbs 17:4; poison beneath (compare לָשׁוֺן) Psalm 140:4 (figurative); ׳מֶּשַׁע שׂ Proverbs 12:13; ׳לְזוּת שׂ Proverbs 4:24; אֱמֶת ׳שׂ Proverbs 12:19, יָ֑תֶר ׳שׂ Proverbs 17:7, צֶדֶק ׳שׂ Proverbs 16:13, דַּעַת ׳שׂ Proverbs 14:7; Proverbs 20:15; ׳חֵן שׂ Proverbs 22:11; שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה Zephaniah 3:9; רְנָנוֺת ׳שׂ Psalm 63:5 i.e. lips that shout for joy; with verbs: ׳מָּתַח שׂ (to speak) Job 11:5; Job 30:20 (Gi Job 30:21), compare Psalm 51:17, ׳מִפְתַּח שׂ Proverbs 8:6; ׳מָּשַׁק שׂ Proverbs 13:3 i.e. prate; מָֽלְאוּ זַעַם ׳שׂ Isaiah 30:27; ׳שׂ subject of דִּבֶּר Isaiah 59:3; Proverbs 24:2; ׳נָשָׂא עַלשֿׂ Psalm 16:14; ׳קָרַץ שׂ Proverbs 16:30 = backbite; ׳אָטַם שׂ Proverbs 17:28 #NAME?׳חָשַׂךְ שׂ Proverbs 10:19, כָּלָא ׳שׂ Psalm 40:10. (2) lips moving in speech, with נוּעַ 1 Samuel 1:13, נִיד Job 16:5. (3) transition to meaning speech, עָלָה עַלשְֿׂפַת לָשׁוֺן Ezekiel 36:3; = ability to speak Job 12:20.
b. organ of laughter Job 8:21.
c. of insulting grimace ׳הִפְטִיר בְּשׂ Psalm 22:8.
d. quivering in terror Habakkuk 3:16.
e. feature of beauty Songs 4:3 (scarlet).
f. place of bridle 2 Kings 19:28 = Isaiah 37:29 (see מֶתֶג).
g. receiving kiss Proverbs 24:26 compare Songs 4:11 and (in figurative) Songs 7:10.
h. of divine speech, ׳מִצְוַת שׂ Job 23:12, ׳דְּבַר שׂ Psalm 17:4.
2 language (see לָשׁוֺן), Genesis 11:1,6,7 (twice in verse); Genesis 11:9; Psalm 81:6; ׳עַם עִמְקֵי שׂ Ezekiel 3:5,6; Isaiah 33:19, ׳לַעֲגֵי שׂ Isaiah 28:11; שְׂפַת כְּנַעַן Isaiah 19:18 (i.e. Hebrew).
3 edge: shore of sea Genesis 22:17 (J) + 7 t.; bank of river Genesis 41:3,17 (E) + 5 t., of wady (נַחַל) Deuteronomy 2:36 7t.; lip (bank) of אָבֵל מְחוֺלָה Judges 7:22 compare GASmG 400; brim of vessel 1 Kings 7:23 (twice in verse) + 7 t.; edge of altar Ezekiel 43:13; of curtains (in pairs) Exodus 26:4 (twice in verse) (P) + 6 t.; of חשֶׁן, toward ephod Exodus 28:26 = Exodus 39:19 (P); of round opening in robe (יִהְיֶה) לְפִיו ׳שׂ Exodus 28:32 = Exodus 39:23 (P).
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The noun שָׂפָה (saphah) moves easily from the literal organ of speech ("lip") to figurative extensions such as "language," "speech," "edge," "shore," or "border." These senses are inter-connected: the lip is the physical boundary of the mouth, so saphah readily describes any boundary or the speech that issues from within the mouth. Its distribution stretches from the Torah through the Prophets and Writings, appearing in narrative, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, and legal contexts.
Literal Anatomy: Human Lips
In its most concrete sense saphah denotes the physical lip:
• "And Laban said, ‘What have you done? You have deceived me and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword... and not allowed me to kiss my sons and daughters?’ " (Genesis 31:26–28).
• Priestly concerns include leprosy affecting "the lip of the garment" (Leviticus 13:45), highlighting the lip as a border even on clothing.
• Ezekiel describes the exiles as "speaking with smooth lips" (Ezekiel 33:31), showing how literal anatomy shades into character assessment.
Speech, Language, and Communication
Because the lip forms words, saphah often represents language itself:
• Pre-Babel unity: "Now the whole earth had one language and a common form of speech" (Genesis 11:1).
• Post-Babel judgment: "Come, let Us go down and confuse their language" (Genesis 11:7).
• Eschatological reversal: "Then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord" (Zephaniah 3:9).
• International relations: When Hezekiah’s envoys ask the Assyrian field commander to speak Aramaic rather than "the language of the people" (2 Kings 18:26), saphah underscores political sensitivity over common speech.
Truth, Deception, and Wisdom
Proverbs, Psalms, and Job mine the ethical dimension of saphah:
• "Lying lips are detestable to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight" (Proverbs 12:22).
• "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).
• "My lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit" (Job 27:4).
These texts show personal holiness expressed through speech. Fidelity in words reflects fidelity to God, whereas deceitful lips invite divine displeasure (Psalm 120:2–3).
Worship: Praise and Petition
Saphah frequently bears liturgical weight:
• "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise" (Psalm 51:15).
• "Offer the sacrifice of praise with the fruit of lips that confess His name" (paralleled in Hebrews 13:15).
• In priestly service: "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth" (Malachi 2:7).
Thus, lips become instruments of covenant devotion, aligning personal speech with God’s revealed standards.
Prophetic Transformation and Judgment
Prophets leverage the term to expose sin and promise cleansing:
• Isaiah’s vision: "Woe to me... I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5) portrays moral pollution remedied by atoning coal (Isaiah 6:6-7).
• Jeremiah laments false prophets: "Peace, peace, they say with their lips, but there is no peace" (cf. Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11).
• Purification promise: Zephaniah 3:9 (quoted above) foresees unified, sanctified saphah under Messiah’s reign.
Edges, Borders, and Shores
Saphah refers to physical boundaries:
• Riverbanks: Moses is rescued from "the bank of the Nile" (Exodus 2:5).
• City walls: Rahab’s scarlet cord is tied in her window on "the edge" of Jericho’s wall (Joshua 2:18).
• Garment borders: Covenantal tassels are placed on "the edge of their garments" (Numbers 15:38).
• Altar rims and temple architecture employ saphah to specify precise measurements (1 Kings 7:23-26).
Such usage accents God’s concern for ordered spaces, whether natural or cultic.
Covenant Community and National Identity
Speech binds God’s people together. The unified "lip" at Babel became fragmented through sin, but Israel is called to recover unity through obedient lips:
• Collective confession on entering covenant (Deuteronomy 23:23).
• Corporate worship in temple praise (Psalm 34:1).
• Eschatological promise of one purified language (Zephaniah 3:9) that anticipates Pentecost, where diverse tongues proclaim one gospel.
Implications for Ministry
1. Guarded Speech: Leaders must model truthful lips (Proverbs 16:13) and instruct the flock to avoid slander (Ephesians 4:29 echoes Old Testament wisdom).
2. Prayer and Praise: Worship planners can employ Psalms featuring saphah to cultivate gospel-shaped liturgy.
3. Evangelism and Missions: Zephaniah’s promise encourages linguistic outreach, trusting God to gather all nations into one confessing voice.
4. Discipleship: Teaching the ethical link between heart and lips (Luke 6:45) roots New Testament practice in Old Testament theology.
5. Holistic Theology: The semantic field of saphah integrates anthropology (physical lips), ethics (speech), ecclesiology (common confession), and eschatology (future unity), displaying Scripture’s coherence.
Representative Occurrences
Genesis 11:1; 11:6-7
Psalm 34:1; 40:3; 51:15; 141:3
Proverbs 12:22; 16:13
Isaiah 6:5-7; 28:11; 57:19
Genesis 11:6
HEB: עַ֤ם אֶחָד֙ וְשָׂפָ֤ה אַחַת֙ לְכֻלָּ֔ם
NAS: have the same language. And this
KJV: and they have all one language; and this they begin
INT: people are one language have the same all
Genesis 11:7
HEB: וְנָבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א
NAS: confuse their language, so
KJV: and there confound their language, that
INT: confuse and there their language so they will not
Genesis 11:7
HEB: יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃
NAS: one another's speech.
KJV: one another's speech.
INT: understand another speech another's
Genesis 11:9
HEB: בָּלַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה שְׂפַ֣ת כָּל־ הָאָ֑רֶץ
NAS: confused the language of the whole
KJV: did there confound the language of all the earth:
INT: confused the LORD the language of the whole earth
Genesis 22:17
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־ שְׂפַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ם וְיִרַ֣שׁ
KJV: which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed
INT: which and shore the sea shall possess
Genesis 41:3
HEB: הַפָּר֖וֹת עַל־ שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃
NAS: by the [other] cows on the bank of the Nile.
KJV: the [other] kine upon the brink of the river.
INT: the cows on the bank of the Nile
Genesis 41:17
HEB: עֹמֵ֖ד עַל־ שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃
NAS: I was standing on the bank of the Nile;
KJV: behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
INT: was standing on the bank of the Nile
Exodus 2:3
HEB: בַּסּ֖וּף עַל־ שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃
NAS: [it] among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.
KJV: by the river's brink.
INT: the reeds by the bank of the Nile
Exodus 6:12
HEB: וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ פ
NAS: to me, for I am unskilled in speech?
KJV: me, who [am] of uncircumcised lips?
INT: me I am unskilled band
Exodus 6:30
HEB: אֲנִי֙ עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם וְאֵ֕יךְ יִשְׁמַ֥ע
NAS: I am unskilled in speech; how
KJV: Behold, I [am] of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh
INT: I am unskilled speech how listen
Exodus 7:15
HEB: לִקְרָאת֖וֹ עַל־ שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְאֹ֑ר וְהַמַּטֶּ֛ה
NAS: to meet him on the bank of the Nile;
KJV: by the river's brink against he come;
INT: come on the bank of the Nile the staff
Exodus 14:30
HEB: מֵ֖ת עַל־ שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם׃
KJV: dead upon the sea shore.
INT: dead and shore the sea
Exodus 26:4
HEB: תְּכֵ֗לֶת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָאֶחָ֔ת
NAS: of blue on the edge of the outermost
KJV: of blue upon the edge of the one
INT: of blue on the edge curtain of the one
Exodus 26:4
HEB: וְכֵ֤ן תַּעֲשֶׂה֙ בִּשְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַקִּ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה
NAS: you shall make [them] on the edge of the curtain
KJV: in the uttermost edge of [another] curtain,
INT: and likewise shall make the edge of the curtain is outermost
Exodus 26:10
HEB: לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת
NAS: loops on the edge of the curtain
KJV: loops on the edge of the one
INT: loops on the edge of the curtain of the one
Exodus 26:10
HEB: לֻֽלָאֹ֗ת עַ֚ל שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַחֹבֶ֖רֶת
NAS: loops on the edge of the curtain
KJV: loops in the edge of the curtain
INT: loops on the edge of the curtain set
Exodus 28:26
HEB: הַחֹ֑שֶׁן עַל־ שְׂפָת֕וֹ אֲשֶׁ֛ר אֶל־
NAS: of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which
KJV: of the breastplate in the border thereof, which [is] in the side
INT: of the breastpiece on the edge which is toward
Exodus 28:32
HEB: רֹאשׁ֖וֹ בְּתוֹכ֑וֹ שָׂפָ֡ה יִֽהְיֶה֩ לְפִ֨יו
NAS: its opening there shall be a binding of woven
KJV: of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven
INT: top the middle binding become opening
Exodus 36:11
HEB: תְּכֵ֗לֶת עַ֣ל שְׂפַ֤ת הַיְרִיעָה֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת
NAS: of blue on the edge of the outermost
KJV: of blue on the edge of one
INT: of blue on the edge curtain the first
Exodus 36:11
HEB: כֵּ֤ן עָשָׂה֙ בִּשְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַקִּ֣יצוֹנָ֔ה
NAS: likewise on the edge of the curtain
KJV: in the uttermost side of [another] curtain,
INT: likewise did the edge of the curtain was outermost
Exodus 36:17
HEB: חֲמִשִּׁ֗ים עַ֚ל שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַקִּיצֹנָ֖ה
NAS: loops on the edge of the curtain
KJV: upon the uttermost edge of the curtain
INT: fifty on the edge of the curtain was outermost
Exodus 36:17
HEB: עָשָׂה֙ עַל־ שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְרִיעָ֔ה הַחֹבֶ֖רֶת
NAS: loops on the edge of the curtain
KJV: made he upon the edge of the curtain
INT: made on the edge of the curtain set
Exodus 39:19
HEB: הַחֹ֑שֶׁן עַל־ שְׂפָת֕וֹ אֲשֶׁ֛ר אֶל־
NAS: on its inner edge which
KJV: of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which [was] on the side
INT: of the breastpiece and edge which about
Exodus 39:23
HEB: כְּפִ֣י תַחְרָ֑א שָׂפָ֥ה לְפִ֛יו סָבִ֖יב
NAS: of a coat of mail, with a binding all around
KJV: of an habergeon, [with] a band round about
INT: as the opening of a coat A binding opening all
175 Occurrences
Strong's Hebrew 8193
175 Occurrences
bə·śə·p̄ə·ṯō·w·ṯe·ḵā — 1 Occ.
bə·śip̄·ṯê — 1 Occ.
bə·śip̄·ṯō·w·ṯê·hem — 1 Occ.
biś·p̄aṯ — 2 Occ.
biś·p̄ā·ṯay — 1 Occ.
biś·p̄ā·ṯāw — 3 Occ.
biś·p̄ā·ṯe·ḵā — 3 Occ.
p̄āh — 1 Occ.
p̄ā·ṯay — 5 Occ.
p̄ā·ṯāw — 8 Occ.
p̄ā·ṯa·yim — 6 Occ.
p̄ā·ṯe·ḵā — 1 Occ.
p̄ā·ṯe·hā — 1 Occ.
p̄ā·ṯōw — 1 Occ.
liś·p̄aṯ — 2 Occ.
liś·p̄ā·ṯōw — 1 Occ.
miś·śə·p̄aṯ- — 1 Occ.
miś·śə·p̄ā·ṯōw — 2 Occ.
śā·p̄āh — 8 Occ.
śə·p̄aṯ — 39 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯāh — 1 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯay — 14 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯām — 1 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯāw — 6 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯā·yim — 10 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯe·ḵā — 6 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯe·hā — 4 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯê·mōw — 3 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯê·nū — 2 Occ.
śə·p̄ā·ṯōw — 4 Occ.
śip̄·ṯê — 17 Occ.
śip̄·ṯê·hem — 1 Occ.
śip̄·ṯō·w·ṯāw — 1 Occ.
śip̄·ṯō·ṯa·yiḵ — 2 Occ.
śip̄·ṯō·w·ṯê·ḵem — 1 Occ.
ū·śə·p̄ā·ṯāw — 1 Occ.
ū·śə·p̄ā·ṯe·ḵā — 3 Occ.
ū·śə·p̄ā·ṯōw — 2 Occ.
ū·ḇiś·p̄ā·ṯāw — 1 Occ.
wə·śā·p̄āh — 2 Occ.
wə·śip̄·ṯê — 2 Occ.
wə·śip̄·ṯō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
ḇiś·p̄ā·ṯāw — 1 Occ.
ḇiś·p̄ā·ṯa·yim — 1 Occ.