H5435 H5435
drink, liquor; strong or choice beverage, sometimes used of drunkenness itself
This noun refers to drink or liquor, particularly strong or intoxicating beverages. Isaiah 1:22 uses it in a metaphor of corruption: "your drink mixed with water," symbolizing diluted righteousness. The text and translation of Hosea 4:18 are uncertain, with some reading "their liquor (drunkenness) is gone" and others proposing emendations. Nahum 1:10 may refer either to drunkards or to their drink. The term overlaps semantically with the verb סָבָא (to drink largely) and may denote both the beverage and the state of intoxication.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Denotes strong drink, liquor, or the state of drunkenness. Isaiah 1:22 uses it metaphorically for corrupted judgment. The Hosea 4:18 and Nahum 1:10 references are textually difficult, with interpretations ranging from "their drink" to "drunkard" or even emended readings. Multilingual glosses reflect this ambiguity: "drink/bebida/boisson" (beverage sense) versus "drunkard/borracho" (person). Some translations bracket forms like [סבאך], [וכסבאם], [סבאם], signaling textual or morphological uncertainty. The term is semantically and etymologically linked to the verb for heavy drinking. 4×
AR["خَمرُكِ", "خَمرُهُم", "وَسِكِّيرٌ", "وَكَسَكْرِهِمْ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-মদ্যের-মতো", "এবং-মদ্যপ", "তাদের-মদ্যপান", "তোমার-দ্রাক্ষারস"]·DE["[וכסבאם]", "[סבאך]", "[סבאם]", "und-drunkard"]·EN["and-drunkard", "and-like-their-drink", "their-drink", "your-wine"]·FR["[סבאך]", "boisson-forte", "et-boisson-forte", "et-drunkard"]·heb["ו-כ-סבאם", "ו-סובא", "סובאך", "סובאם"]·HI["और-जैसे-उनकी-मदिरा", "और-शराबी", "तेरी-मदिरा", "मदिरापन-उनका"]·ID["anggurmu", "dan-pemabuk", "dan-seperti-minuman-mereka", "mabuk-mereka"]·IT["[וכסבאם]", "[סבאך]", "[סבאם]", "e-drunkard"]·jav["anggur-panjenengan", "lan-kados-minuman", "lan-pemabuk", "unjukanipun"]·KO["그리고-같이-그들의-술", "그리고-술꾸러기이다", "네-술은"]·PT["bebedeira-deles", "bebida-tua", "e-bêbado", "e-como-sua-bebida"]·RU["вино-твоё", "и-как-пьяницы-их", "и-пьяница", "пьянство-их"]·ES["su-bebida", "tu-vino", "y-borracho", "y-como-bebida-suya"]·SW["divai-yako", "na-kama-pombe-yao", "na-mlevi", "ulevi-wao"]·TR["içkileri", "ve-içkileriyle", "ve-sarhoş", "şarabın"]·urd["اور-شراب-سے", "اور-شرابی-ہے", "تیری-میے", "شراب-اُن-کی"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [סֹ֫בֶא] n.m. Is 1:22 drink, liquor;—only sf. סָבְאֵךְ Is 1:22; סָבְאָם Ho 4:18 (but v. infr.), Na 1:10 (but v. סָבָא);—liquor (appar. strong, choice) Is 1:22; סָר ס׳ Ho 4:18 their liquor (i.e. their drunkenness) is gone Thes Hi Che RVm, but very dub., 𝔊 quite diff. (ἡρέτισεν Χαναναίους), We GuKau Now om. in transl.; conj. of HoutsmaTTijdschr ix (1875), 60 סֹד סֹבְאִים, a company of wine-bibbers, makes good sense.